SPILL FEATURE: DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY – A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC SCHENKMAN OF SPIN DOCTORS

DON’T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

A CONVERSATION WITH ERIC SCHENKMAN OF SPIN DOCTORS

If you grew up in the ‘90s, you definitely know who Spin Doctors are. They were one of the defining alternative rock acts of the early ‘90s. Their 1991 debut album Pocket Full Of Kryptonite turned them into household names with earworm songs like “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”, “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”, and of course, the timeless classic “Two Princes”. Now, Spin Doctors are back with Face Full Of Cake, their first album in over a decade.

“I think what it says to me is don’t mind falling on your face, don’t mind a face full of cake, and don’t take yourself too seriously,” Spin Doctors guitarist Eric Schenkman says about Face Full Of Cake. “I think this record is exactly that. I don’t think it tries too hard. I don’t think it minds getting a face full of cake. And it’s a lot of fun and is sweet like a cake.”

The writing process of a Spin Doctors record is very collaborative among singer songwriter Chris Barron, drummer Aaron Comess, and guitarist Eric Schenkman. “Chris writes really great poppy songs, Aaron writes very introspective and cool instrumental music, and I fall somewhere in between with a bunch of rock and roll in my past,” states Schenkman. “Between the three of us, we collaborate on all the songs on this record. That’s our writing. That’s our process. That’s how we put together a Spin Doctors record; it’s got a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”

Face Full Of Cake is the first album featuring bassist Jack Daley, who replaced Mark White. Daley has toured with Spin Doctors before, but this marks his first record. “Chris, Aaron and I sort of had the record in demo form on phones, and so when we got comfortable with Jack, we started to develop the material a bit more,” comments Schenkman. “Jack has a recording studio in Asbury Park, so we all ended up at his studio and cut the record. It was sort of a very similar experience to Pocket Full Of Kryptonite because we had some songs in a very similar way with the three of us, and then Mark joined the band shortly thereafter. There was this element of somebody coming in and the rhythm section sort of having this power but an unknown factor as well. With Mark, it was a little bit more funky, and with Jack, I would say it leans a bit more to like melodic rock; heavy rock. He’s a great bass player. It’s been very fun.”

One of the most interesting songs from Face Full Of Cake is “Still A Gorilla”. For those who only really know the big hits from Spin Doctors, they will be surprised by how heavy this song gets. Instead of their iconic funky power pop rock style, it goes into garage rock territory. It is aggressively gritty with thunderous guitar riffs, loud drums, and an intense ‘in-your-face’ energy. “That’s a riff that was largely developed by Aaron,” says Schenkman. “It’s his riff and Chris’ amazing lyric, and we arranged it and played it. It’s got hairy guitar. It speaks to kind of an immediate answer to a quick question. It’s like rock and roll. It’s like we were trying to achieve something very heavy, and we do that on the record with “Still A Gorilla”. We’ve always kind of done that. On our first record, we have a tune called “Refrigerator Car” that’s sort of like this. There’s always been a heavy song. I think “Still A Gorilla” is really my favourite song on the entire record.”

FACE FULL OF CAKE ALBUM REVIEW

As a whole Face Full Of Cake has a bit more of a rock feel compared to most of their records. Songs like “She Stands Alone” and “I’m The Man (You Got)”, although not as loud or heavy as “Still A Gorilla”, are still energetically anthemic rockers. “I think it’s part of what demographic we are expression-wise; probably a little bit of nostalgia when you’re trying to write as an old guy and some kind of rockhead,” laughs Schenkman. “It is largely reflective on the fact that Jack kind of just dropped in… I think that the rock feel is just emblematic of who we are in the moment and at the moment.”

“The Buddha On The Lawn” explores a ‘70s rock vibe. “It reminds me of Faces and that kind of ‘70s Rod Stewart,” says Schenkman. “It’s just this song about this crazy picture of New Jersey with all the freaking lawn ornaments. Basically, it’s just this little picture of like a kid’s version of ‘70s New Jersey with a father who can’t stop collecting lawn ornaments, and he can’t part with the Buddha on the lawn best of all. It’s got that clever irony, spiritually.”

“The Heart Of The Highway” is a tune about living your dream and doing what you love for a living, juxtaposed with always being away from home. “I’ll play for nothing; it’s the travelling that sucks,” comments Schenkman. “You just got to get used to it. Once you’re used to it, you can manage it. People will say to you, ‘I don’t know how you can do it.’ But it’s just what happens when you do something a lot. Again, I think it’s a cool song about exactly that: where is the heart of the highway? Well, I suppose it is just inside every one of us.”

The jamming sensibilities of Spin Doctors is not lost on this record. “Double Parked” is a great example demonstrating their remarkable ability to create funky jams. “I’m always impressed when we come up with a jam like that and remember it and record it and organize a thought around it,” states Schenkman. “It always makes me think we can grow it live. The thinking behind it is really just an interesting musical idea and hanging on to it. It’s got the weird time signature… It’s got the same sort of rock thing. That’s a theme that just runs throughout the record. I’m quite into it. It’s simple but complex.”

“I Liked You Better When Your Butt Was Big” has the trademark funk and wit that fans have come to love. In the song Chris Barron is almost doing a sort of rap thing vocally. “Our rap funk comes from Manhattan in like the early ‘90s, late ‘80s,” exclaims Schenkman. “We’re coming from a place of early Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Def Jam Records was up the block. And we don’t take ourselves too seriously. And man! Not bad funk either, I would say. Some little butt-rocking funk!”

Face Full Of Cake continues to see Spin Doctors improving their craft. “I think everybody has continued to pursue serious angle on their instrument,” highlights Schenkman. “After 35 years of doing that and relating to the same people on the stage in terms of where their pocket is and the music, it’s irreplaceable in many ways. It’s rare to find a group of people to hang on to that together. The great thing about being a Spin Doctor is the song, musicianship, the ability to play together and the time behind it.”

Spin Doctors are most known for their hit song “Two Princes”, a massively successful song in the ‘90s that was heard everywhere. “Two Princes” continues to connect with people and have an impact, and has appeared in countless films and television shows, like Love & Other Drugs, The To Do List, The Vampire Diaries, and recently the TV series Ted. Reflecting on “Two Princes” becoming a timeless hit, Schenkman says, “It feels amazing. That tune has a life of its own. It just goes out there and does stuff. You feel fortunate. I think we always knew that song would do something because it just always had that effect no matter where we played it, no matter what the tempo was. Then, when we recorded it, we sort of nailed a really great, great, great sound. And it’s so iconic. It feels amazing. It’s not something you can make happen. It just happens. I’m glad that it connects with people. It means a lot, actually.”

Face Full Of Cake is set to drop on April 11th. “I hope that anybody that gives it a listen has an inkling to look us up when we’re out on the road and see us play live,” smiles Schenkman. Spin Doctors has an upcoming tour alongside Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms. It will undoubtedly be a great night out full of fantastic music.

Tour Dates

April 8 – Green Cove Springs, FL – Clay County Fairgrounds %
April 12 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl %
May 17 – Richardson, TX – Wildflower Arts & Music Festival ^
May 23 – Moses Lake, WA – Moses Lake Spring Fest ^
May 25 – Allston, MA – Boston Calling Festival ^
June 5 – Park City, UT – Egyptian Theatre %
June 6 – Park City, UT – Egyptian Theatre %
June 7 – Park City, UT – Egyptian Theatre %
June 8 – Park City, UT – Egyptian Theatre %
July 4 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
July 5 – Hays, KS – Wild West Festival ^
July 6 – Omaha, NE – The Astro Amphitheater #
July 7 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre #
July 11 – Rochester, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre #
July 12 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center at The Heights #
July 13 – Creighton, PA – Iron City Stage #
July 18 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre #
July 19 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Hall #
July 21 – Harrington, DE – Delaware State Fair #
July 25 – Prior Lake, MN – Ribfest ^
July 26 – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival #
July 27 – Green Bay, WI – Capital Credit Union Park #
August 7 – Chesterfield, MO – Chesterfield Amphitheater #
August 8 – Sedalia, MO – Missouri State Fair Campground #
August 9 – El Reno, OK – Lucky Star Amphitheater #
August 14 – Las Vegas, NV – Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa #
August 15 – Costa Mesa, CA – The Pacific Amphitheatre #
August 16 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park #
August 19 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery #
August 21 – Ridgefield, WA – Ilani Cowlitz Ballroom #
August 22 – Seattle, WA – TBA #
August 23 – Airway Heights, WA – BECU Live at Northern Quest #
August 26 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater #
August 30 – Scottsdale, AZ – Talking Stick Resort #
September 4 – Andover, KS – Capitol Federal Amphitheater #
September 5 – Thackerville, OK – Lucas Oil Live at WinStar World Casino and Resort #
September 6 – New Braunfels, TX – Whitewater Amphitheater #
September 12 – Albertville, AL – Sand Mountain Amphitheater #
September 13 – Peachtree City, GA – Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater #
September 14 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival ^
September 26 – Ocean City, MD – Oceans Calling ^

% – Headline 
# – with Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms
^ – Festival

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Photo Credits: Jesse Dittmar