Driving across the country to play shows, spending almost all of your spare time plastering cities with flyers and posters and hand making EPs and merchandise to sell for only gold coin donations at the door: This sums up the dedication of Cold By Winter’s five members.

There are a lot of different stories about the band’s progression. It’s been turbulent, it’s been spat upon by a few but it has also been a great source of entertainment for many. Regardless of the rumours that shroud the band, they have proved their worth time and time again.

Playing solidly throughout New Zealand Cold By Winter became a hardened melodic machine, building up a loyal fan base from across all musical genres with their mix of brutally heavy guitars and intricate break-downs. All this mashed up with strong vocal melodies Cold By Winter have set themselves apart from other emerging bands climbing from the New Zealand punk/hardcore scene.

In 2004 the debut album We The Living was released upon the ears of the public and Cold by Winter began to make their presence known on the New Zealand music scene. They went on to show their diversity and passion supporting countless international acts including Hot Water Music, Thrice, Funeral for a Friend, Shai Halud, Mudvayne, Sunk Loto, Taking Back Sunday, Underoath, Thursday, Anti Flag, Senses Fail and Saosin. Also cementing a name at home playing alongside local legends the Bleeders, Sommerset, Cobra Khan, Antagonist A.D., Kitsch, Jakob and Blindspott.

The height of their career personally and musically was the tour throughout Europe in 2006 playing 22 shows in 24 days then returning to follow up with a tour in Australia and an invitation to play NZ’s first Taste of Chaos festival.

2007 saw the band go their separate ways and pursue other musical ventures.

Cold By Winter are:

Leon Ahmad-Hall (vocals)
Sean O’Kane-Connolly (guitar)
Trajan Schwencke (guitar)
George Hampton (bass)
Scott ‘Scotty Rocker’ Lamb (drums)