Altos

2006. A band was born out of the likeminded musical interests of five friends in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (including Collections of Colonies of Bees’/Volcano Choir’s Daniel Spack), first introducing avant-leading, metal-tinged compositions to Milwaukee under the name ‘Thunderpaw’. Three (sometimes four) guitars, one drum kit and a trumpet set the foundation with core members Spack, Tom Duffey, Todd Ringe, Ken Palme and Shawn Stephany. Desiring even more introspective compositions, the five-piece brought about the addition of Erin Wolf on piano, Nathaniel Heuer on bass/upright and Adam Krause on saw and auxiliary percussion. 2009. The band reassembled and renamed (Group of the Altos) gaining even more speed on their more classical and progressive tendencies by adding viola (Amelinda Burich) and violin (Marielle Allschwang). A second trumpet player (Brendan Benham) and eventually a third (Heather Hass) rounded up the instrumental collective to create what Group of the Altos now tags as ‘a surly high school orchestra’ -- twelve in all.