Meet Frank Calcaterra: DieAlps! Guitarist and Vocalist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Frank Calcaterra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frank, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
“We understand the game. Either way, there’s something to lose. We sacrifice the race, anyway, it’s nothing new.” These lyrics from our song “Something to Lose” offer some honest insight about what it’s really like to be in a band. There’s a lot of personal sacrifice involved, especially when it’s very likely that you’re not going to “make it” – at least in a financial sense. The truth of the matter is that the members of your average indie band, even the one that recently had that write-up in Rolling Stone, are almost certainly serving tables at your favorite breakfast nook during the week. The global pandemic has more than emphasized my point. There’s simply not a lot of money in music these days. There comes a time (usually after you’re reached your 30s) when you begin to see your friends starting families of their own, or beginning to flourish in their careers (aka “real jobs”). You really start to question how much time you’ve invested, even though music is the thing you love most. You begin to question where you might be if you had chosen a different path. Inevitably, that fork in the road will once again present itself. Some will succumb to the pressure and finally seek out that “real job.” Others will keep rocking through their 60s because life’s too short to spend in a cubicle. DieAlps! has been a passion project. To date we’ve done a little better than breaking even, and we’re good with that because it was never about the money. We did it because we couldn’t not do it, and we’ve loved (almost) every second of it. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We were very different than most Tampa bands when we started out in 2012. Connie had moved here from Austria with a number of incredibly catchy waltz-rock songs. We worked up a couple more and started the band as soon as we could. We eventually started playing local Tampa venues like Crowbar and New World Brewery when Keith Ulrey from New Granada Records (a local record label) took interest in what we were doing and helped us release our first EP in 2014. Becoming a New Granada band immediately upped our local status. We were suddenly making music videos, playing live on local radio programs, and getting recognized on some local newspapers. Things were going way better than we had anticipated. The biggest challenge most bands face, is trying to keep everybody committed to the project. By the time we began working on our second release (Our City), we had already replaced our keyboard player and our drummer – twice. This was always a huge challenge for us to overcome. You sort of have push reset and start over. The entire dynamic of the band changes – both socially and stylistically. You also have to re-learn how to play together as a band. Luckily, we were able to piece together an amazing lineup, which eventually led to our 2016 full-length LP, Our City. We were a new band. The songs were a little faster and a little less waltzy – for better or for worse. I started contributing some of my own songs, and it was almost as if we had evolved 5 years ahead in a matter of months. Some of our favorite moments from the “Our City” days were playing the Gasparilla Music Festival, playing at South by Southwest in Austin, and appearing on the cover of the Tampa Bay Times, who called Our City the “Local Album of the Year.” We later made the cover of Tampa’s Creative Loafing and won a “Best of the Bay” award for Our City. We were all taken aback by all of these accolades. It was honestly a little surprising to us, but we were thrilled that we were able to create something that so many people could enjoy. We were extremely proud of what we had accomplished. Just as all of that hype was winding down, our keyboard player decided to step away from the band, and shortly after that our drummer did the same – and then our bassist. So we were back to square one! Having been through this scenario a time or two, we were able to piece together a new lineup and move forward with our next album, More Important Things. With our current drummer (Jonathan Robbins) coming from the pop-punk scene, it was inevitable that our sound would change, yet again. We were able to convince Jonathan’s wife (Erin Robbins) to play keys for us, even though she had never played in a band! So currently, the band consists of 2 married couples and Ariel Cortes (our original keyboard player) on bass. The songs have become a little heavier, and yes, a little faster than the previous album. Some highlights from this era include opening up for Waxahatchee and Ought at The State Theatre (St. Pete), playing Athens Pop Fest, and playing Fest (Gainesville). We released More Important Things in February 2020 and played the New Colossus Festival in NYC in March. Our third show in New York was cancelled due to the pandemic, and that was the last time we played together as a band. Just like that we had to push pause, not unlike the majority of musicians across the globe.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anyone who hasn’t been to Tampa in the last 10 years would likely be pleasantly surprised with the “real city” it’s turning out to be. The Channelside district has gone through a complete makeover, now allowing patrons to actually enjoy the waterfront view. The Tampa Riverwalk now has an updated, modern look, with shaded areas during the day, and ever-changing multi-colored lights during the night. You can rent electric boats, paddle boards and water-bikes and cruise alongside the downtown skyscrapers, even after dark. There are lots of concerts and events along the way at Curtis Hixon Park, such as “Rock the Park,” which is a free concert event taking place the first Thursday of every month. If you venture further north on the Riverwalk you’ll eventually cross a bridge over a natural spring where you’ll find Ulele, a moderately upscale restaurant with an amazing view of the Hillsborough River. If you’re looking for a little more variety, Armature Works is a historic trolley barn that was recently re-purposed as an up-scale food court with a multitude of bars and fancy-food options. If you’re up for some night-life (in a post-pandemic world), you could take an electric streetcar from downtown to Ybor City. Grab a slice of pizza from New York New York, and catch some bands playing at Crowbar. If you’re able to venture a little further, I’d also recommend grabbing some food and checking out some bands at New World Brewery’s new location, just a few miles north of Ybor. Seminole Heights is another area that has gone through some positive changes over the last 10 years. You can find a ton of excellent breweries, bars, and restaurants, such as Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, Ground Foods Cafe, or The Independent – to name a few. There are also quite a few thrift stores around (if that’s your thing). If you’re looking to add onto your record collection, or start one, I’d recommend Microgroove. If you’re not afraid to splurge a little, Busch Gardens is a theme park that rarely disappoints – especially if you’re into roller coasters. I admittedly sometimes feel a little bad for their elephants, but they do a decent job compared to some zoos I’ve been to. If you’re more into seeing animals in their natural habitat, I’d highly recommend traversing through the Hillsborough State Park, or renting a canoe if you’d prefer to be face to face with a Florida alligator.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
New Granada Records is an indie record label here in Tampa. Keith and Susie Ulrey started the label in 1994 and remain active to this day. By the time we started DieAlps! in 2012, they had already released music from some of the area’s coolest bands (Sunbears!, Sleepy Vikings, Alexander & the Grapes). So when they offered to release our first EP in 2014, we were beyond excited to become a New Granada band, and often wondered how we were able to trick them into thinking we were cool. Since 2014, they have been gracious enough to release both of our full length albums and helped us in various other ways throughout the years. We’ve become great friends, and we couldn’t be more grateful for their love and support.

Website: www.diealps.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diealps/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diealps
Other: https://diealps.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
Dave Decker Jonathan Garcia