Vinnie Hines

To really know about Vinnie Hines, you have to know about those early years in St. Louis, Missouri. I dropped out of college, walked away from a scholarship and hit the ground running towards a musical career. I rented a crap apartment with some cats who would quickly become closer than family. Through countless gigs and meeting the six-stringed temptress “Layla,” I developed my sound and opinions about life and music.

It all started when I was approached by a bass player acquaintance named Scott “Our Special Guy” Neff, who now plays in a rock band called Highway Headline. My first choice for our other roommate was the most brilliant songwriter I knew, Clint Kesinger, from what would become the band Good Times. I talked up the idea and he agreed to try it out.

We scrounged together enough dough to pay our security deposit. We worked various retail and food jobs to scrape by. The first year in our apartment that would come to be called “Headquarters” was one of the best of all our lives. I finally had a place to call my own and host as many PBR-soaked parties as possible.

Our apartment quickly got a reputation for being a spot for musicians to jam, for anyone to be accepted and to have a great night. We didn’t care that we were paying rent late every single month, narrowly making it by, eating nothing but frozen pizza, ramen noodles, and working crap jobs. We were playing music constantly and meeting all sorts of inspiring people that shared our passions.

We’d made all sorts of friends from thugs to nude models to ex-marines, tattoo artists and charity workers. As time went on, we started acquiring our new friends as roommates, and that’s when things got really interesting! At one point, we had nine very diverse people living with us, in our old three bedroom apartment. We all dated on and off, so those lovely ladies we’d gotten close to basically lived with us as well. We were grateful for the ability to help anyone who’d fallen on hard times. All along the madness, we were writing some of the best music we’d ever created. We’d collaborate as much as possible and challenge each other to broaden our styles. The chemistry between all of us was undeniably the greatest part of living there.

Almost all of the songs on my upcoming album, including the two singles that I’ve released, were created or polished during this blurry, amazing time. Through the influence of those insane, brilliant minds that I lived with for nearly two years, I’ve found my sound, my passion and my life’s goal. The days at “Headquarters” will forever have a special place in my heart and I’m eternally grateful for those dilapidated walls, cockroach infested cabinets, and crazy nights of concerts and debauchery.

With any luck, you’ll get a better understanding of how we felt through my music. We were hopeful, full of life, and yearning to show the world our music. In all honesty, none of that has changed, but we’re even closer to that lifelong goal of having a growing audience to listen.

If anything, living at “Headquarters” taught me to push on. Even when we were battling cockroaches and rogue squirrels and hearing gun shots on a weekly basis, we kept our minds on the end game. We got out of comfort zone in order to chase our dreams and it was completely worth it. So, to any artists that feel like their dream is a lifetime away, know that it’s just around the corner. It’s not going to be easy, but life has a way of getting really bad just before it gets insanely good.

So check out The Riddle, one of the songs I wrote on a dare from a roommate, and try to figure out what it means. I’d love to hear your ideas, considering no one’s correctly answered yet! Also, download My Kind of Crazy, a song about overwhelming infatuation born of an unexpected night of passion. While you’re at it, check out Highway Headline and Good Times, because I owe a whole lot to those guys. They’ve become my brothers and musical mentors and yet another blessing that this life of music has given me. Thanks for reading, everyone.

Vinnie Hines
http://vinniehines.com
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Photos by Tyrel Mcintire

Click on cover art to buy The Riddle and music from Highway Headline: