SPINN – Photographer: Lauren Cowdall
As Liverpool four-piece SPINN prepare to release their debut album which is followed by a long UK tour, Getintothis’ Amos Wynn caught up with the bands Jonny Quinn and Andy Power.
SPINN are one of the brightest up and coming acts currently in Liverpool. Comprised of Jonny Quinn (singer), Andy Power (lead guitar), Sean McLachlan (bass) and Louis O’Reilly (drums), have amassed a strong following with numerous singles released across the last two years.
With their self-titled debut album due for release on Friday (3rd May), front man Jonny Quinn admits the prospect is a ‘weird’ feeling as the songs were written in just one day in Andy’s bedroom when they were bored.
Deciding what songs to include on the album took some debate for the four-piece, with lead guitarist Andy Power stating “there’s one or two that someone in the band don’t like but the other three do, so you have to bite the bullet.”
“I don’t have a uniformed opinion on every song, there’s some songs that I really like, but then others I don’t like to the same extent and I wouldn’t be that bothered if we didn’t play them.”
Quinn adds, “it’s the same as everything, you might have a nice cup of coffee that may have too much sugar at the bottom, and songs are like that. Some songs aren’t my image of SPINN, but it may be for the others.”
“Overall, I’m happy with it, nothing can be perfect… apart from me,” jokes the front man.
The eleven track LP features both old and new songs from the band.
For Quinn it felt it was important to include the throwbacks to their earlier stuff, which have been rerecorded for this release.
Power says, “Everything for Notice Me is different, apart from the guitar which is the exact same file because nothing was wrong with it.”
Quinn jokingly states, “it saves time and bloody money.”
Some songs have been left out, with none of the tracks from last year’s EP included.
“I’d rather see them as two separate things,” says Quinn.
Whilst Power believes it is important for people to see the album as a fresh thing but does admit, “I reckon people will look at it in five years’ time and think ‘why didn’t they put After Dark on it,’ because everyone loves it.”
Of the newer songs, there’s a few that Power isn’t looking forward to playing live for the first time.
“In the studio some were quite hard, so they’re going to be a challenge. One of them is my favourite track on the album, but I’m still dreading“.
To launch the album the band, have a UK tour coming up in May, with a hometown Sound City show kicking things off.
Quinn says it feels like ‘a million years ago’ since they launched their debut EP last April at the Arts Club to 250 people and now have the prospect of an album launch to more than double the number.
“If that’s not a natural progression, I don’t know what bloody is.”
The band have good memories of playing Sound City last year, with the front man describing it as the ‘perfect weekend.’
“It is maybe what heaven feels like as I was flavour of the month because we put a good set in, everyone was buying me a drink and it was dead sunny. Hopefully this year we will ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ over the Baltic Triangle once more.”
Unfortunately, Power couldn’t enjoy basking in the bands glory last year after the gig as he had to leave early to attend a christening as a God Father, which he jokes “makes me sound about 70.”
Despite missing out last year the lead guitarist has good memories of attending the festival in the past.
“I’ve been every time since I was 16, Sean came with me and came in a polo shirt and tie and it was really good. The last one on the docks was sparse but since it has moved to the Baltic it has really picked up.”
SPINN
On this year’s line-up, Quinn states “I’m happy Loyle Carner is playing because he’s bloody fantastic. Looking at the indie bands we’re pretty high up, you can actually see us, local lads bringing it back home.”
Power adds “I think once the album comes out people will get behind it and hopefully back it.”
The tour continues up and down the country, with shows in Derby, Newcastle, Birmingham, London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Manchester, amongst others in May.
Quinn says, “London is always amazing, it has a reputation of being reserved but at the last show I crowd surfed and probably gave the 15-year-old girls stood at the front concussion.”
Meanwhile the band will also hope to break ‘the Manchester curse’ when they take to the stage at the Deaf Institute on the 31st May to finish the tour. With empty rooms and broken equipment in the past, they will be hoping that this time it can be remembered for all the right reasons.
As well as that they have a number of small intimate gigs taking place in HMV’s throughout that period, apart from Liverpool where they play Phase One on the 6th May.
“It’s cool doing in-stores because so many bands do it and go on to big things, so it is nuts that they think we are good enough,” says Quinn.
He continues, “at live sessions you get a real connection with fans, its one of my favourite things to do, it’s a weird sensation to see these people who want to speak to you but it’s nice to hear their happiness.”
The front man also admits it will be nice to have a ‘proper conversation’ with fans as there won’t be as much adrenaline as there is after a show when he usually speaks to them.
Once the long month of their ‘biggest’ ever tour is over, Power says they will have a celebration but will need to ‘be on the ball’ whilst on the road.
Quinn adds they’ll be saving the champagne for the end because “as we all know champagne hangovers are the worst hangovers.”
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The band also got a taste of touring overseas last month when they headed to mainland Europe for a few shows.
The pair picked Valencia out as a ‘boss’ show, but Power believes it was always going to be a good trip.
“We knew aside from playing the gigs it was going to be fun regardless, you always go into new countries with scepticism and none of us expected the gigs to blow your head off.”
Quinn adds, “even at the smallest gig there were still 50 people from Europe wanting to see us, and it’s nuts.”
The four-piece are hoping to go and box off more countries, as well as seeing more of France and spending more time in Paris.
As well as having shows in Europe, the band also headed out on a promotional tour to Tokyo at the back end of 2018 after their EP was put out on record label in Japan.
Power speaks fondly of the band’s trip there, saying “good beer, good food, good people.”
For Quinn it is an ‘amazing’ feeling know people across the world are listening.
“You see the different cultures when you’re out there, but people are singing our songs and you think ‘why the f**k are you listening us?’”
When speaking about whether Liverpool bands influence their songs, Power believes ‘it’s a tough question.’
Quinn says, “I love a lot of bands from Liverpool, I love Echo and the Bunnymen and the La’s, but it p***es me off how we always get compared to The Beatles because there’s other stuff.”
“I was watching the Hairy Bikers with my nan and they were talking about Liverpool’s rich musical heritage but only named one band. ”
Power admits there is always the ‘pressure’ that coming from Liverpool provides, but it’s something every band post-Beatles have dealt with.
“Only one of our songs sounds similar to The Beatles, if you listen closer one sounds similar to Ticket To Ride.”
Quinn jokingly follows that by saying “but no we aren’t influenced by them.”
One moment of influence the front man did get from the city was whilst working on the car park at Everton’s training, using the time to write the lyrics to Boredom.
“Hopefully they’ll put a blue plaque up,” he laughs.
The band name, SPINN comes from a ‘dark place’ according to Power, as it is taken from the four-pieces original name of the Spinning Tops.
“We were in a mod band, it’s dead horrible and embarrassing and I hate it,” says Quinn. “We dressed up in suits and s**t but changed it when we started to have a real indie style.”
The lead guitarist states “one day I woke up and realised ‘I shouldn’t be doing this.’ One person got a Spinning Tops tattoo, imagine having a tattoo of a band that s**t.”
With the days of the Spinning Tops truly behind them, Quinn says he wants to “tour the f**k” out of SPINN‘s self-titled debut.
“After that we will write another, and just keep going. Maybe after 13 albums I’ll get fed up if no one buys them.”
In 12 month’s time, Power is hoping the four-piece will be a ‘proper band’ and will be able to make a living off music.
“I don’t expect mansions, just enough to keep the standard of living we have now.”
Quinn adds, “I’ll still be living at my mums, but hopefully I can take her out for some dinner.”
“If you compare what’s happening now to 12 months ago I couldn’t have predicted how rapid the growth has been, so hopefully if all goes to plan we can maybe sell 1000 or 2000 tickets in Liverpool.”
‼️ OUR DEBUT ALBUM IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW ‼️ https://t.co/WOWw1UeaV8
we have an album coming out
It’s eponymous
It’s out on the 3rd of May
Thanks for helping us get to this point
We hope you enjoy all of it.@O2AcademyLpool bundles here: https://t.co/WOWw1UeaV8 pic.twitter.com/pr6BwxSqIL— SPINN 🌀 (@spinn_band) February 19, 2019
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