by Mely Duong
SPiN is a band within the alternative pop/rock genre from Philadelphia. Formerly a cover band called Spin the Bottle, when they shifted to playing original material, the band’s name was shortened to SPiN, with a lowercase letter “i” meant to attract attention. The band has been around since 2007, forming when members were in a few high school music classes together. They started off playing bars to earn money but soon started to take it more seriously musically, striving to improve upon their writing and capabilities. Members consist of Eric Rothenheber on vocals and guitar, Jim Vacca on bass synthesizer, vocals, and keyboards, Henry Cieplinski on guitar and vocals, and Lou Chudnofsky on drums.
Their influences range from Muse, The Beatles, Foo Fighters in addition to classic rock and pop. Acknowledging how cliché it must sound, this band indeed obtains inspiration for their music and lyrics from life experiences. “Almost everything comes from something you feel, something you’ve seen, something you want to happen,” says Vacca.
Having been together for so long, they learned a lot about persistence and consistency. “The music business requires a ton of hard work which leads to minor successes, major failures, more tiny success and so on. You really have to believe in each other and what you are trying to do together as a band,” explains Vacca.
This is a lesson many bands must learn and would be wise to heed. Their band dynamics is extremely solid as they started out friends. Furthermore, all of them write and provide each song with a unique personal twist and diversity, allowing the band to branch out with their sound.
Philadelphia hasn’t been the most welcoming region for this band. The music scene has provided SPiN with a tough backbone and rough edge, which goes alongside with what they stand for. “We’d like to think that we stand for the outcasts and the little guys who stand up for themselves in the face of adversity. We work hard and play hard all the while trying not to take ourselves too seriously.”
Previously releasing a self titled EP in 2007 and an album in 2010, SPiN is currently working on another EP, believed to be their best work yet. They’re close to finishing tracking and are in pre-production on a series of videoshoots. In terms of long term goals, the band jokes about pursuing world domination and cure cancer simultaneously.
To learn more about SPiN, visit their site and Facebook page.
