Cold War Kids

Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett (vocals, piano, guitar), Jonnie Russell (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Matt Maust (bass guitar), and Matt Aveiro (drums, percussion).

Cold War Kids started in 2004 in downtown Fullerton in guitarist/vocalist Jonnie Russell's apartment above a restaurant called Mulberry Street, whose name they would eventually use as the title of their first EP. The band relocated to Whittier, California and began recording their first demos, which Monarchy Music released as the Mulberry Street EP in spring 2005. Between tours, the band released two more EPs: With Our Wallets Full and Up in Rags, in 2006. In summer 2006, Cold War Kids signed to Downtown Records and released their debut LP “Robbers & Cowards” that fall.

The band's second album, “Loyalty to Loyalty”, represented a departure from their debut in featuring a lot of narrative storytelling, as well as political and philosophical references. In an interview with Blackbox Magazine, Nathan described the record as “Being a little darker then the first." "The title, 'Loyalty to Loyalty,' comes from the philosopher Josiah Royce. He said people need to live in community with each other, and he was reacting to Nietzsche who came before him, saying people need to rise above—you need to be the strongest individual you can and rise above the masses. But this guy Josiah Royce is saying that you need to not rise above the masses, that you need to embrace your community. His paper was called 'Loyalty to Loyalty.'”

This year, Cold War Kids released their third album, “Mine Is Yours”.