For the past 15 years Craig Kotfas (pronounced COT-FISS) has found himself onstage...for most parts that time was spent doing improv comedy, as well as sketch comedy. But the guitar was never far out of reach...

Born in Chicago in December of '76, he and his family fled to Texas a short 6 months later. He grew up in Portland, Texas (outside Corpus Christi) until attending Southwest Texas (in San Marcos) in fall of '95, where he graduated with a degree in Communication Design. He has since then called Austin and the Texas Hill Country home.

For years Craig has performed Improv Comedy, with such troupes as AUSTIN THEATRESPORTS, WE COULD BE HEROES Improv Comedy, GRAVY, CATCH 24 Sketch Comedy, and can still be seen entertaining the Capital City in the new comedy troupe THE KNUCKLEBALL NOW. (More details on this project in the future.)

All the while his passion for music & improv comedy came together to create ONE NIGHT BAND. The ONB show was like VH-1 Storytellers... except it was completely improvised. It consisted of the audience writing down fake song titles and fictitious band names. "We would take the stage, draw a made up band name, and become them for one night only," Craig goes on to add "We might be a folk band from Canada one night, Ivy School Rockers, or something from overseas, just whatever the name inspired. He even recalls dawning KISS like make up for one night. The band would then draw a nonexisting song title from a bucket, tell the story on how they wrote it, and then proceed to play it... or shall we say "wing it". This format became a crowd favorite, with a tradition of the band breaking up after the show.. Due to "creative differences" of course.

"One song would be a hit, then the next would miss completely...but it was improvised and the audience would let it slide, with hopes of us drawing their suggestion next," Craig says with a smile. The full band consisted of his roommates and other musically inclined friends. "Its great fun... because there's no pressure, and yet a lot of pressure at the same time... ying yang."

But where did the singer/songwriter begin? Back in high school, when Craig wasn't doing theatre or sending every weekend on the road doing speech tournaments, this thespian found enjoyment designing album covers for mix tapes. He soon figured "what better way to do a real one then to teach myself to play and record my own album." So he taught himself the basics while borrowing a friends guitar here, and a friends father's guitar there. Craig's theory about Graphic Design was "If I can't make the album, I want to make the cover, or if I can't be in the movie, I want to make the poster." Those thoughts would eventually lead him to get his Communication Design Degree. By the time college rolled around Craig had his own guitar and several dozen songs penned. However most of the tunes were of the comedic variety. "People at parties were eager to laugh, and even though a guy pouring his heart out can be funny, I chose to write about easy targets: college, frats and leprechauns.."

In one song particular, "Frat", Craig poked fun of the habits and attitude of the stereotypical Fraternity member. "I was sitting in biology class (first of two attempts), and it was obvious who was in sororities and frats, they were all chiseled dolls. I wrote down on my red BIO folder 'I am surrounded by Kens and Barbies, stenciled faces and beer drinking armies,' and then the song just flowed out." Craig recalls opening up for a friends band Carolina Moonshine in San Marcos and there was a fairly large GREEK crowd... "I played the song thinking, 'I'm gonna get my ass kicked, but I lived to tell," he laughingly recalls being approached after the show by a Greek Council member who asked to book him...minus the frat song of course.

The comedic songs soon paid off. Rent was coming up and so was the SWT Homecoming Talent Show. Craig signed up in the "Miscellaneous" category and gave it a strum, and won first place with a song about San Marcos named "78666" . Each category winner received a $100 prize, and over-all was like $200, which I didn't win," said Craig. But he did win his category, and took his $100 check and 1st place DANCE Trophy (their mistake) and paid his rent which was only $124 a month. "I shared a two bedroom apartment with three other guys, where the rent in total was just over $500 dollars... and yet I still barely got by."

Despite his knack for the comedy songs there was a release and ease to his more serious songs. He mentions "making someone cry (without using physical or verbal harm) is as fulfilling as making them laugh. However, I know some people may be a little disappointed when they find the 'Drunken Party Songs' not on this album." It was a difficult choice for him to do a serious studio album first. "I just need to get these songs off my chest... my sophomore effort will probably be the 'ha ha ha' songs."

But lets not get a head of ourselves. The debut album best case scenario isn't all boo hoo, the humor is subtly there. BCS is relatable to the good and bad things of a relationship. Yet the hardest thing for Craig had nothing to do with sound, he states "At times I would put more pressure on myself for the cover and packaging than for the recording, because that was the initial reason why I picked up the guitar, and we can't forget where we come from."

However, the sound of making music is a major part of his life. "Doing comedy allows me to be someone else, when I want, but music allows me to be myself... also when I want!"

(Click here for more details on the CD)