TWINSPUR
Connecting to the human experience through music.
“Why be pop garbage when you can be real garbage?”
Growing up on the outskirts of Chicago, Twinspur has slowly made their way onto the city’s scene through DIY shows. From garages, to houses, to the basement of Subterranean, Twinspur embodies the humble beginnings that so many Chicago bands come up from. Leaving ego at the door, Twinspur keeps it real with the way they create and perform.
Focusing on content over image, Twinspur has stuck true to their values as musicians. In a culture of industry plants and unoriginal sounds, Twinspur plays as their true selves, “that’s our ethos for making music is like, we’re not making it to get rich.. Our main reason to make music is because we love making music,” explains Derek. “Everyone has this kind of air about them where it’s a lot less about trying to make money off art and it feels like people are doing it… Because we just wanna make art… that’s our ethos for making music is like, we’re not making it to get rich… Our main reason to make music is because we love making music”.
“But if i got money off of this… the first thing I'd do is buy a real Spiderman suit.” -Teddy
It started in the art room. In the halls of the Evanston Township High School’s art wing, drummer Rafe DiBiase and bassist Derek Mclaughlin struck up a friendship that would soon evolve into a deep musical bond. Later connecting with vocalist Teddy Barnes, his brother and rhythm guitarist Linh, and lead guitarist Roberto Moreno, Twinspur was born. Bringing a wide array of influences ranging from R&B to jazz, to indie and funk, Twinspur is a “cooking pot” of music where “everyone throws in their own ingredients.”
Twinspur aims to tell the stories of their ever-changing lives through inventive compositions. Matching soothing guitar lines with relatable lyrics, Twinspur’s songwriting process has become an act of catharsis. “I like seeing people be able to relate to it… and work through what they have,” explains Teddy. With all 5 musicians bringing their own written parts to the table, the band has found their groove as collaborators, allowing the music to take a shape of its own through jamming. Using a trial and error approach to their writing, Derek explains that “It's rare that anything we bring to the table ends up being the same.” With diverse playing styles and influences including Hippocampus, Rage Against The Machine, and various deathcore bands, Twinspur doesn’t pin themselves down to one genre, always allowing their compositions to take new forms.
Despite Twinspur’s already diverse catalogue of music, this 5 piece powerhouse is just beginning their journey. With new material in the works, the band is excited to continue to push the boundaries of genre as they connect to the human experience. Coming on the scene surrounded by other passionate artists, Twinspur stands out as an honest, genuine group of musicians and people. Drummer Rafe perfectly describes it as a generation, and city, filled with musicians eager to share their stories. “It’s beautiful… everyone has their own unique style… they just wanna be heard and be connected to people.”