An In-Depth Interview With PA Band Vitruvia | The Odyssey Online
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An In-Depth Interview With PA Band Vitruvia

If any of you music fans enjoy a pretty awesome Post-Hardcore band, I suggest giving this band a try. Happy Listening!

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An In-Depth Interview With PA Band Vitruvia
https://www.facebook.com/vitruviamusic

Vitruvia is an energetic Post Hardcore western PA band that formed in 2010. Between all the band members there is a twelve year age gap ranging from 16 to 28 years of age between Matt Bidoldi and Dana. As a band with family members whose blood runs deep in music its not uncommon to see the next generation continue such traditions. Dual frontmen, Dana Hinnershitz and Kris Morganti are cousins that have sung and played music together since they were six years old. Besides having music that really gets you going throughout the day, the guys really know how to put on a really good show. The shows can get pretty nuts and intense, in a good way I assure you. Don’t believe me? I have posted a link of one of their shows. I will have you be the judge.

Even though the band has faced some pretty terrible tragedies as far as losing band members, close band friends, and even a member in a motorcycle accident two years ago, the band stays as resilient as ever when trying to accomplish the dream of being successful in the music industry. “What inspires this band mostly, though, is our faith. We strongly believe that we have this talent for a reason and with our long life stories behind our names we feel we are here to reach others and let them know they are not alone and are loved. This world is more than what we think it is.” The band plans to release their debut EP “Reborn” through 325 plus digital retailers in over 240 countries. Once this happens, many fans old or new will be able to purchase their music from iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and many more major retailers. Future fans can also listen to some of their singles on Reverbnation. If any of you music fans enjoy a pretty awesome Post-Hardcore band, I suggest giving this band a try. Happy Listening!


What's the name of your band? What's the origin of that name? It's pretty interesting because even I couldn't find a correct definition if any for the word at all.

We are Vitruvia. Vitruvia is actually not a word, at least not in the English Dictionary. Three of us were in a band prior to this band called Road to Nowhere. After that band had split up, our previous drummer had a dream that we got back together. We were on a stage playing in front of thousands of people and on that stage our name was “VITRUVIA.”

Well, a few years later those 3 people decided to get back together. While we were debating about our new band’s name, one of us remembered his dream and said we should go with that name. We looked the word up and found it didn’t exist but there were other things like “The Vitruvian Man”, a recreation of the perfect figure of a man, a queen in Europe that was called “The Vitruvian Woman” because of the good she did, and a hospital in Europe called “The Vitruvian Hospital.” Since there was good meaning behind it, we stuck with it and have no plans on changing it. It’s a very unique name and, yes, we get tons of questions about it.

Ah that's pretty cool and interesting. Can you tell my readers a bit about yourselves?

Dana Hinnershitz 28 years old and out of school, plays guitar, keyboard, and vocals.

Kristopher Morganti 27 years old and out of school, plays bass and vocals.

Christian Howell 21 and goes to DeSales University, plays guitar.

Matthew Bidoli 16 years old and goes to Altoona High School, plays drums.

That's pretty awesome that the age differs somewhat in the group as a whole, I admire that. So here is the big question, what genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

We are a Post-Hardcore/Alternative Rock band. Our major influences… there are way too many to list but a few would be Coheed and Cambria, Our Last Night, Sum 41, Breaking Benjamin, The Beatles, For Today, August Burns Red, and tons more.

Kris and I would have to add my father and our Uncles, all phenomenal musicians. Christian and Matt both take from their parents a lot musically, Christian coming from a Latin family and Matt having a fellow drummer in his father. Music runs deep in all of our families; it’s where we feel at home.

How long have you all known each other and where exactly did you guys meet?

Funny you mention that because Kris and I are cousins! I’m only a year older than him so I’ve basically known him my whole life. We’ve been singing and playing music together since we were as young as 5/6 years old. It’s hard to even remember a time we hadn’t played music together!

We met Christian and Matt through the majesty of the Internet. Our guitar player before Christian, Nathan Baker, an extremely talented and rather unique soul, had passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident. That took a big toll on us and was actually the main inspiration for the recording of our debut EP “Reborn.” After we had taken the time to grieve and recoup, we decided to find another guitar player which led us to Christian. He’s a bit of a loud one but he means well most of the time. He’s normally the one to go out and find people to yell at to listen to us, and we appreciate that.

Christian tagged along for the recording of “Reborn”, but after we had finished, our previous drummer Bobby Palko decided he no longer wanted to focus on becoming a full-time musician. Therefore, we went out on a search for a drummer, leading us to Matt thanks to a clever Craigslist ad. Right off the bat, he showed himself to be more competent than almost any drummer we had seen. He learned 2 rather difficult songs in less than an hour! However, once he had me hooked, I found out that Matt was only 16.

Yes. 16.

As pumped as I was about his talent, I told Matt I’m not doing anything till we spoke to his parents. Thankfully, those fellas were very supportive of the decision and from there Matt’s been rocking with us ever since! Both these guys work off Kris and me amazingly both live and with songwriting. This has been probably one of the most productive lineups we’ve had in our history, and we’re excited for what that means for us in the future!

That's cool that you guys respect each other in that way. It definitely shows the kind of people you guys are. Its like it isn't just a band it's a family kind of thing. When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

We formed the band in late 2010. With Kris and I growing up together and having family members strongly into music, they pretty much were inspired to do what their family members loved doing.

What inspires this band mostly, though, is our faith. We strongly believe that we have this talent for a reason and with our long life stories behind our names, we feel we are here to reach others and let them know they are not alone and are loved. This world is more than what we think it is.

Are you guys signed to a record label? Are you a member of any music organizations?

We are currently not signed but have been reached by an Indie label with a proposal that we are currently looking at jumping on. We are not members of any music organization, however, we are currently endorsed by Dark Horse Strings and recently got another one from Risen drums for Matt! Once things move forward with these we will mention the names at a later date.

Its really amazing that you guys are endorsed by them even though you are not currently signed yet. What can you tell me about your instruments?

The instruments we play were a little of everything asked. With us being independent it’s pretty hard to afford top name and quality, but we also don’t just buy the cheapest thing in the store. What we play currently feels comfortable to us and fits our sound; it’s what we want at the most we could afford.

We currently use LTD guitars and Ibanez. Our amps consist of Line 6 guitar heads with crate half stack cabs, Hartke 5500 bass head with Hartke half stack, all guitars with Dark Horse Strings, Tama Superclassic B/B drums with evens heads and top end Sabian cymbals.

Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

It’d take hours to list everywhere we’ve played, but I can definitely say we have been as far as Ohio, Tennessee, and New York. Our most favorite venues to play are Reverb in Reading, PA and Planet Trog in Whitehall, PA. We do not have any least favorite as every venue has given us a story and we just love playing. Doesn't really matter where we play, we just play! And boy do we have fun with that…

We do have some upcoming shows. One on the 30th of July called Serenade the Night in Bridgewater, NJ near Christian’s hometown. Also, we have one show coming up that can’t really announce yet but we are unbelievably excited for it. Let’s just say there're some huge bands playing! Hit us up for your tickets. Yes, this is a plug. BUY YOURS NOW!

Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set playlist?

Recently we have been performing the songs from our Debut EP “Reborn”. We’ve posted a few singles from it, namely “Walking Through Concrete” and “Confiding Reconciliation”, as well as a live video of our set closer “Once an Angel”. We tend to have quite a lot of… fun live.

We do play covers, rotating them out every now and again. Some include “Downfall of Us All” and “Mr. Highway's Thinking of the End” by A Day to Remember, “Waking the Demon” by Bullet for my Valentine, and our personal favorite, the original theme song of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. That may sound funny but believe me, every time the chorus hits there’s someone that goes “OHHHHHH!” We enjoy throwing it out there and people always love a touch of nostalgia.

Haha agreed, who doesn't like that sort of thing. Music can bring back the most amazing and fondest of memories. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

Kris and I are the main songwriters, but everyone also has their say and input to our songs. The themes or topics of our songs are mainly based on our faith, but related to real life. However, we don’t like to make it completely explicit. It’s our passion to write and relate to others, but we like to put it in a way that you can get what you need out of it. We want our songs to be able to relate to whatever the listener is going through, so they can fit it into their own personal story of their life. This will most likely never change. Every song is different and will touch base on different topics, whether it be broken relationships, lost loved ones, or addiction.

Could you briefly describe your music-making process?

Not sure how to explain our process. We come up with an idea that has been personal to either one of us in the band and we each put in our own personal input so it reflects all of us, not just ourselves. We come up with an outline of our song and shove it at each other, and then we practice it and break it apart till we are fully happy with that song. There is a LOT of changes and rechecking that goes into a single song for us.

What are your rehearsals generally like?

We practice usually on Fridays or Saturdays, depending on how it works out. Once a week we get together and put in a few hours within that day to get our current songs tighter, change things up for live performances, and give ourselves time to write new material (which we are currently doing, by the way, hint hint). Usually, we spend some time hanging out and discussing business beforehand but we tend to be workaholics.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

This is a good question. This is really hard for us to see since we’re constantly together. It's kind of like when you get a puppy. You don't really notice him grow but you know he is as your family and friends that don’t see him every day notice it and tell you. As the same our friends, family, and fans always have nothing but great things to say about us, how we are constantly getting tighter or how our vocals are now spot on with harmonies, etc.

Something that also helps us realize we are improving is when we have big name people compliment us. For example, a few months ago, Ryan Leitru from “For Today”, after the show we played with them, took us aside after breakdown to tell us that we do better than most bands they tour with. Let’s say I’m having that compliment written on my tombstone.

What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Definitely fear of the unknown. There’s always a sneaking suspicion that we’re doing SOMETHING wrong, even if it seems like we’re not. We are constantly battling this challenge but we are always pushing as hard as we can so this does not become the end of us.

What's your ultimate direction for your band?

In every musician it is the goal to become famous. It is on the back of our minds no matter what, but that is not what we push for. We push for success so that we can make a living doing what we love. As long as we can support our families, we would be happy, since making music for a living alone is its own reward.

What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

First and foremost, HAVE FUN! If you are not having fun it is not worth it. All the success in the world won’t be able to make up for the fact that you’re miserable, and believe me, it’s pretty easy to find yourself in that situation. Whether you hate the people in your band or the music you’re making, if you don’t like the product you’re making then why should the people who listen to you?

Music isn’t the place for a “quick buck”. If you are looking to make a career out of it, be prepared to work hard, lose sleep, because it is not just about writing and playing. It’s a lot more than that. It’s about sacrifice and taking risks. One thing we have found out is there isn’t one way to make it in this field; things work differently for each band. Therefore, you gotta find what works for you. Sleeping with Sirens, love em’ or hate em’, didn’t play a single show until right before they released their first album, and were almost immediately signed right after. A Day to Remember, on the other hand, had to grind it out in their local scene until they became hometown heroes. If you’re willing to put in work where it’s needed and where it fits with what you’re going for, you’ll find success to some degree.

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?

Right now they can listen online through our social sites:

vitruviamusic.com

reverbnation.com/vitruviamusic

soundcloud.com/vitruviamusic

youtube.com/vitruviamusic, and our live shows.

We will soon be releasing our EP “Reborn” through 325 plus digital retailers in over 240 countries. Once we do this fans will be able to purchase our music from iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, and many more major retailers.

Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?

We received so much support from our family and loved ones throughout the years that we could never pay back. We don’t really come from the most upscale of backgrounds, but our families do their best to support us in our goals and we’re forever grateful. Definitely, we have to thank the fan base we’ve been building over the years; we would be nowhere without them. And of course, we can’t forget to thank God for what he’s given us in terms of talent and whatever successes come our way!

Any last words?

Thanks a ton for this opportunity Sam, it was great talking with you! In general, just keep up with us, and MAYBE buy a ticket or two for that show I mentioned. Something tells me that’s gonna be a blast.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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