Captain Kidd

Formed in Columbus, Ohio, Captain Kidd blended rock, electronic textures, and psychedelia into a groove-oriented indie pop style, building an early following in their hometown before the group’s profile expanded nationwide. Nate Baumgard, who handled vocals and guitar, and Eric Blaha, responsible for guitar and keyboards, established the project; the pair had already performed together as high-school friends prior to enrolling at Ohio State University. After arriving in Columbus they began assembling a new group, recruiting dorm mate Stewart Weinland on keyboards once Baumgard learned of his playing. Drummer Nick Samson completed the initial roster, which first performed under the name Dyslexic Turtle until a local talent buyer advised that the moniker would hinder bookings. The band then adopted Captain Kidd, a shortened form of “Captain Kidd and the Great White Mako,” a suggestion from Baumgard’s younger brother.

Early shows took place at campus and off-campus student venues. By 2013 bassist Andrew Gutierrez, also an OSU student, joined to expand the lineup to five members. That August the band issued its debut digital single, “Freaky Love,” which accumulated nearly a million streams and helped extend their audience through the Midwest and further afield. In 2014 they followed with a self-titled digital EP containing “Freaky Love” plus three additional tracks. While continuing their coursework, the musicians maintained a demanding live calendar that included club headlining dates as well as appearances at theaters and festivals alongside Wiz Khalifa, Capital Cities, Kid Cudi, Afroman, and Switchfoot. October 2015 brought the four-song EP Good Life; live activity persisted afterward even as Gutierrez departed the group. Two further digital singles, “Stay” and “Wild,” appeared in 2017, with a full-length album anticipated the following year.