Forget Seattle... Detroit is and always will be Rock City! Raised on the classic R'n'R sound of Motor City radio, singer Vinnie Dombroski suddenly found himself and his band Sponge swept up in the alternative music frenzy of the early 90s. Over the last two decades he has expanded his musical portfolio, recording with a who's who of alternative legends in Spys4Darwin, founding outlaw country band The Orbitsuns, and reuniting with his Sponge bandmates. Join Nick and Vinnie as they discuss what it means to be a frontman, the storied history of Detroit's recording studios, and his potential future as a nomad of the highways.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[01:27] Vinnie and his band were touring extensively, until the pandemic hit
[03:01] The Sponge lineup has changed over the years, but has been pretty solid since 2003
[03:57] Vinnie has kept busy creatively through both solo projects and collaborations with a wide range of musicians
[05:39] A new Sponge record is ready for release, as is Lucid, a "super-group" collaboration recorded during the lockdown
[07:18] Vinnie revisits the music scene in Detroit in the late 80s and early 90s, and how the "alternative revolution" affected everything
[08:48] Back in the day, Vinnie recorded at legendary Detroit studios like The Loft
[09:28] Vinnie worked with producer Joel Martin, who recorded Eminem and the Bass Brothers
[11:33] Sponge had several songs that charted on the Billboard rock charts
[13:01] Vinnie looks back on the history of the song "Plowed", and the lasting legacy of 90s music
[14:46] Vinnie analyzes the power and the timely lyrics of "Plowed"
[16:37] Howard Stern is a huge fan of "Plowed"
[17:53] Vinnie looks back on balancing side projects with his responsibilities in Sponge
[19:27] Sponge is beginning to get involved with live streaming, starting in March 2021
[20:59] Vinnie maintains his musical creativity through his love of writing songs, whether for his country band or his rock projects
[23:34] There is actually crossover between Vinnie's country and rock audiences, and Detroit has a history of rockers loving country
[25:01] Jerry Cantrell saw Vinnie's country band The Orbitsons play, and didn't know quite what to make of them
[26:25] As a kid, Vinnie was inspired by bands as diverse as David Bowie, Psychedelic Furs, and The Clash
[29:05] One of Vinnie's radical life-changing moments was an epiphany that extracted him from substance abuse and led him back to his music
[31:05] Abandoning a tour with Soundgarden was another radical moment, but Vinnie recovered and has been moving forward ever since
[35:10] Being the frontman of a band means that, at the end of the day, a lot of responsibility falls in your lap as the de facto leader
[36:48] Looking to the future, Vinnie just wants to play music until he can't play anymore, then he'll ride off into the sunset in an RV
[37:56] Currently Vinnie is digging music from Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile, and Shooter Jennings
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Find out more about today’s guest, Vinnie Dombroskie
Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
@JeffBassMusic [one half of producing team Bass Brothers]
