Songs 16-22 were written by or with Gary Mallaber (Steve Miller Band/Van Morrison) and Jack Sherman (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (1996-2001)

In From the Cold (a.k.a. IFTC) formed in 1996 and was based in Buffalo and Los Angeles. The group featured world-renowned drummer and producer, and Buffalo native, Gary Mallaber (Steve Miller Band, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, many others--he's one of the most radio-played drummers on earth) as well as one of the original Red Hot Chili Peppers Guitarists, Jack Sherman (John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, George Clinton).  

Gary and Jack lived in L.A. and were seeking a singer for their own band. They met singer/songwriter Maria Sebastian who lived in Buffalo and often recorded at Audio Magic Studios. Robbie Konikoff, the studio manager and networking guru, introduced the three and thus began the flights back and forth and recording sessions. Scheduling, changes in the industry, and family lives were not always in line with the band's hopes to play live and become a performing entity. 

In 2001, the band played a few shows in Buffalo and Los Angeles, with bassists Trent Stroh (Eddie Money) and, in Buffalo, Geoff Perry (Babik) before the stars seemed aligned against future projects. The band did land some television placements and they seek more deals through current and prospective publishers. Clients to date include Hoggard Films, The Discovery Channel, Never Settle Productions, and CBS (most recent placement in Melrose Place--season 5, Ep 14). 

Song note: The song "Once in a While" got lost and was remastered a few years later from a cassette tape that Maria happened to have left over from the recording session. She overdubbed the vocal (doubling it) to lift it from the cassette version a bit. It is the only song the band recorded live as a group in the studio. All other songs were recorded in layers with, in some cases, years between tracks (hence my, Er...Maria's...ever-changing hair color). 

Maria still performs regularly on the east coast and teaches English at various Western New York colleges. Jack Sherman lived with his family in Savannah, Georgia where he resumed playing, recording, and producing, but he sadly passed away in 2020 ❤️. Gary Mallaber continues to load up the credits in Los Angeles, where he has contributed to more than 30 platinum records over the years. 

IFTC thanks those who helped along the way: Robbie Konikoff, Rich Sargeant, Dave St. Onge, Marty Peters, Paul Wilson, Jennifer Condos, Bruce Atkinson, Geoff Perry, Trent Stroh, Larry Cox, Rob Mazurkiewicz, 103.3 The Edge (Rich Wall), Andy DeSantos and Pete Gallivan (Ch. 2), Mike Rorick, Jim Steinfeldt, Jerry Livingston, Eric Chenevert, Anne Sherman, Debra Mallaber, and all of the fans and supporters past, present, and future.