Residence: Reading/Greater Lehigh Valley
Members: Dana Hinnershitz (guitar, vocals); Bobby Palko (drums); Kris Morganti (bass, vocals); Christian Howell (guitar)
Website: vitruviamusic.com
Drummer Bobby Palko had a dream that he one day would form a new band called Vitruvia. His vision would turn out to be prophetic.
A year after the idea came to him in his sleep, Palko reconnected in 2009 with his former Road to Nowhere bandmate, guitarist Dana Hinnershitz. The two started jamming, using the moniker the latter dreamed up a year earlier. Morganti was eventually brought in on bass. The trio would cycle through several guitarists before settling on Nathan Baker. However, a car accident injured Palko and put the new project on hold for close to a year.
Tragedy then struck with the sudden passing of Baker in June 2014 -- just as the band was about embark on a regional tour. "We thought we were going to be done," Hinnershitz said during a recent phone interview. "Nate wasn't just a bandmate, he was a really, really good friend."
Unsure of their future, Vitruvia soldiered on, performing dates as a three-piece. The group was initially hesitant to fill the void left by the loss of their friend. But "something in us decided maybe to just keep going," Hinnershitz said. "(The sound) was empty without a second guitarist," he added.
Howell was eventually brought on board, bolstering the current Vitruvia lineup. The quartet's various personal influences -- which range from indie and prog rock to heavy-metal and punk -- have melded together to create a sound leans toward meaty, post-hardcore. "We still have that punk sound, with a little bit of an edge," he said.
The band has been performing primarily around the Reading area and in New Jersey, but are looking to expand their reach. In conjunction with a planned marketing push, Vitruvia recently finished recording their debut, the six-track EP, Reborn. Hinnershitz said the group hopes to have the album available, digitally and physically, by January or February.
He said the band's long-term plan is not fame and fortune, but to inspire listeners through their music. "Right now, we're just trying to see if we can build our name. We've done everything backward for the longest time," he said. "Our main goal with this band is to reach people and give them a positive direction. We want to make a living out of it, but in a positive way," he said.
It took one musician's dream to bring together the members of Vitruvia.
Prior to forming Vitruvia, Dana Hinnershitz and Bobby Palko performed together in the band Road to Nowhere. Following the disolvement of Road to Nowhere, Palko told the latter he had a dream the two musicians would form a new band called Vitruvia.