Since winning the New York City Regional Finals for NASH FM’s NASH NEXT in 2016, twin sisters Stephanie and Cheryl Lynn Spinner, aka SPINN, have been keeping busy with performing and writing new music. Last summer they released the fun, Woodstock road-trip inspired “Time, Love and Freedom” and today (5/9) the New Jersey natives drop their new single, “Crazy For You,” which they performed for an intimate crowd at NYC’s Man Made Music Studios last night.
We caught up with the sisters to talk about their new single, that twin-connection, and what’s ahead for them this year.
CN: For our readers who may be unfamiliar with you ladies – can you tell us a little bit about yourselves? When did you realize that you both had the talent to sing and that music was what you wanted to do in life?
SPINN: We’ve been singing songs since we were old enough to talk! Like many singers we got our start singing in the church choir, which kicked off our obsession with harmony at a very young age. We formed our first neighborhood band in 3rd grade and the two of us started writing songs, and found that writing music was a huge passion we shared. As teenagers we performed our original music at talent shows and Open Mics, but it wasn’t until college at Monmouth University, with encouragement from professors and mentors that we got the confidence to pursue performing as a career. We made the choice and never looked back!
CN: New Jersey isn’t exactly known for being a hotbed for country music – when and how were you exposed to the genre? Which artists – country and not – did you look up to? Are there any current country artists that inspire you?
SPINN: Believe it or not our Dad was always a huge Country fan! His sister went to college in Oklahoma, then got married and Moved to Houston , TX and visiting her exposed him to artists like Johnny Cash, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and Bonnie Rait. We grew up listening to the greats, which we think you can hear in our music style. In our generation, Miranda Lambert is our kindred spirit. Besides being huge fans of her music since she released Kerosene, she has never faltered from the person, artist, songwriter she’s always been no matter the situation. That is just amazing to us!
CN: Cheryl Lynn, how did you get interested in playing the autoharp? Stephanie, I believe you play guitar and tambourine? Do either of you play any other instruments?
SPINN: Funny enough Cher playing the Autoharp was our managers idea! Stephanie and I both play Piano, and we got tired of lugging 88 Keys around all the time, you should see the size of our keyboard it’s hilarious watching us carry it. The Autoharp is an old Apalachian instrument that was used by Mother Maybelle Carter and Dolly Parton back in the day, so it’s a fitting little nod to the women who lead the way in country music.
CN: Being songwriters as well as singers, can you talk about what your songwriting process like?
SPINN: Usually one of us starts with a concept or phrase, and then we brain storm together about what possibilities the idea has. Some songs there’s clearly a muse in the room because they’re so easy to write we say they write themselves! That’s fun. Other songs not so much, and we’ll sit in a room for hours playing ideas back and forth until we figure it out or start fighting haha. Sisters! Then we’ll put it down and come back with fresh ears the next day, that’s usually when the magic happens.
CN: It’s got to be an amazing feeling to have a fan club member such as Kix Brooks in your corner! How was the whole NASH NEXT process for you guys? How did it help you grow?
SPINN: In every way possible! After we won the semi-finals, NASH FM 94.7 played the NYC Nash Next Winners announcement practically once an hour for months, and that helped our fan base grow exponentially. We went from a locally known band to our first performance in Nashville at the Finale where people in the audience were singing along to “City Country” that we DIDN’T KNOW! That was exciting to say the least. We went on tour with the other amazing top 10 National NASH NEXT Finalists which was another great experience. A year later, the people at NASH NEXT and NASH FM have continued to be a huge support for us. Our live show improved with every event, our songwriting was inspired at another level, and we’ve been having an absolute blast!
CN: Twins are known to have strong connections between each other that aren’t typical with other siblings. Is that true for you both? Does it come into play when you perform at all?
SPINN: We think being twins has been crucial to our songwriting. We take a lot of our song topics from personal experiences, and sometimes wounds can be a little too fresh to write about, but writing is a very therapeutic way to get through it as well. There have been times where one of us starts off a song inspired by what the other is experiencing at the moment. It’s an amazing thing to listen to a song written by your sister, when she’s pin pointed EXACTLY what you’re feeling even before you’ve expressed those feelings yourself. That sounds like a twin thing to us for sure!
CN: Your new single “Crazy for You” is set for release on May 9. Can you talk about the story behind this heart-warming song?
SPINN: So we’re quirky people, our lives are excitingly, ridiculously hectic, and we know lots of people grinding it out just like us. Anyone with aspirations as big as ours need people in their lives that balance them out and keep them focused whether it’s a partner, friend, or family member. And those wonderful people deserve statues built for them, but hopefully this cute little love song in their honor will do 🙂
CN: With the latest single release, does this mean there is a new album in the works? If so, what can fans expect?
SPINN: Yes in fact we will be releasing an EP this summer! We feel like this new music we’ve been working on this year really let’s our fans get to know the real us. Over the past 2 years we’ve had a lot of weight lifted off our shoulders both personally and professionally, these stories and these songs give a backseat ride in the journey that led us up to this point in our careers. When you follow us on social media you certainly get a glimpse into our lives, but listening to our music you take a peak into our brains and our hearts. We hope this new music connects us with a lot of new fans, as well as letting our existing fans get to know us on a deeper level.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
SPINN: Crazy!! We think the people in our lives would 100% agree with that. We dream huge, do absolutely anything for the people we love, we’ll drive 2 hours for cheese fries or a great concert. Nothing is impossible or too much work, and we truly believe that. We are crazy, and we wouldn’t want it any other way!
CN: Competing in NASH NEXT was definitely a “wow” moment in your career up to this point. Has there been any other OMG moments that have made you step back and soak it in?
SPINN: The Grand Ole Opry opened a stunning sister venue in NYC in the middle of Times Square in December, and we were honored to be one of the first bands to play that stage. Playing in front of Country Music lovers and gaining fans from literally all over the world has been such a rush for us. One particularly freezing Saturday night in January the crowd was absolutely amazing and the energy was incredible, and that night at Opry City Stage in the middle of Times Square to a packed house we got the first ever encore there!! That night is something we’ll remember forever.
CN: What is next on the horizon for SPINN?
SPINN: Touring adventures! This summer we plan on hitting as many cities as possible, we want to see everyone! We’ll be kicking it off with a road trip to CMAFest, so if any of your readers want to see SPINN come through your town shout us out on social media and we’ll put your city on the schedule! And come say hi at CMAFest everyone!
CN: And last but not least – being a Jersey girl myself, I have to ask – Taylor Ham or pork roll?
SPINN: Taylor Ham, North Jersey baby!!
“Crazy For You” is available now on Spotify and iTunes.
For more information on SPINN, visit their website at: www.spinnmusic.com