We are The Crazy Ivans
The Crazy Ivans began playing together in May 2008, with the shared goal of creating music that is catchy, powerful and full of real emotion --the way Rock was meant to be. This 6-piece group from Dallas, TX captures a full spectrum of sound and style and offers up a rock sure to satisfy a variety of tastes.
Guitarists Justin Smith and Keith Riskey create unique and distinctive sounds that complement each other well. They seamlessly move between hard and crunchy power chords, refreshingly catchy solos, and tear-jerkingly tasteful riffs. Kristen Lueken is the band's energetic front woman. Her powerful wails cut through the songs' well-crafted moments of tension, while her sweeter, catchy melodies will leave you humming along. Drummer Elrych Santiago brings his own original style with tribal-infused rock beats and deep tones that will bring out the animal in anyone. Meanwhile, brothers Todd and Michael Maternowski create a rich soulful sound for the music with Todd on the bass guitar and Mike on his Hammond B-3 Organ.
The Crazy Ivans released their first album, in November, 2008. The 5 song EP, Go Back to Russia, Sucka includes the songs Stillwaters, Frequency, Can't Go Home, Wail of the Banshee, and Six Feet Above the Sheets, spanning the genres of rock, punk, pop and metal. Tracks from this album have been played on the band's hometown alternative station, The Edge, college radio across the country, as well on podcast and internet radio based all over the world. Since October, 2008 the band has been promoting the EP through exhilarating live shows at iconic venues across Texas, including Trees, Club Dada, and Poor David's Pub in Dallas, Antone's in Austin, and Fitzgerald's in Houston.
Starting in the summer of 2009, the band put touring on hold to concentrate on creating their first full-length album, Dive!. After months of pre-production, recording, mixing and mastering with producer Gary Long at Dallas' Nomad Studios, the ten-song album was officially released to the general public on February 6th at Reno's Chop Shop in Dallas' Deep Ellum district.
With Dive!, the Crazy Ivans hope to bring back the