Captain Kidd

An indie pop band whose sound is a dance-friendly blend of rock, electronic, and psychedelia, Captain Kidd first made a name for themselves in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio before their reputation began to spread throughout the country. Captain Kidd were founded by Nate Baumgard (vocals and guitar) and Eric Blaha (guitar and keyboards), two high-school friends who had been playing music together for some time before they both enrolled at Ohio State University. Once settled in Columbus, Baumgard and Blaha set about starting a new band, and when Baumgard discovered that one of the guys at his dorm, Stewart Weinland, played keyboards, he was invited to join the new project. With the addition of drummer Nick Samson, the band's first lineup was complete, and they adopted the name Dyslexic Turtle. That moniker didn't last long; after a talent buyer at a venue told them no one would book them with that name, they changed their handle to Captain Kidd. (The name was a shortened version of "Captain Kidd and the Great White Mako," which was suggested by Baumgard's younger brother.)

Captain Kidd started out playing gigs at student hangouts both on and off campus, and by 2013 they had expanded to a quintet with the addition of bassist Andrew Gutierrez, another OSU student. In August 2013, Captain Kidd released their first digital single, "Freaky Love," and the tune helped the band develop a significant following in the Midwest and beyond as it received close to a million plays on streaming music services. In 2014, Captain Kidd released a self-titled digital EP that featured "Freaky Love" and three other songs