Bassist Matt Maust came up with the name Cold War Kids while on a trip to Eastern Europe in 1997. ∙ The band members first met at Biola University, an evangelical Christian school in Southern California. ∙ After graduating from college, frontman Nathan Willett taught high school English. ∙ They have cited Fiona Apple, Nick Cave, Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, The Smiths, U2, and Tom Waits as influences. ∙ In 2009, the band was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for their Cold War Kids: I’ve Seen Enough - Interactive Video, which also won a Webby Award. ∙ In 2014, they collaborated with a Belgian brewer, using the company’s drinking glasses as instruments on the track “A Million Eyes.” ∙ Their single “First,” from the album Hold My Home, topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart in 2015 and was certified Gold after remaining on the chart for more than a year.