It's no surprise that four bored suburban kids might decide to start a band… Read Full Bio ↴It's no surprise that four bored suburban kids might decide to start a band in high school, maybe play a few "gigs", maybe even stick together for a few years and try to make it in the "big city." This may sum up how Sinch began in vocalist Jamie Stem's parents' garage circa 1994. But, their collective desire to create new sounds and incorporate technology into their music and performance has brought them to a greater path. Despite hitting myriad roadblocks along the way, Sinch has remained completely intact since 1994, dedicated to their pursuit.

Sinch consists of five core members that come together to create, to construct, and deconstruct the art in their surroundings. Using guitarist Tony Lannutti's ominous guitar tones and singer Stem's ability to switch, with ease, from soft, passionate melodies into taut unnatural screams, the band steadily creeps its way into explosions. The intensity of emotions erupts through the group's collective pores. With Mike Abramson's driving bass lines and Dan McFarland's intricate drumming providing both the engine and fuel, there is just something special about this band that you can't quite put your finger on, and maybe don't want to.

Anchored in the Philadelphia suburbs, Sinch's popularity has grown year after year. With the March 22, 2005 release of Clearing The Channel on Rock Ridge Music, the band continues on its journey and takes the next giant leap. The 11-track album is replete with haunting melodies, lashing riffs, and slicing lyrics; it's a shining example of modern hard rock. Co-produced by Sinch and Drew Mazurek (Linkin Park, Nothingface, Dog Fashion Disco), Clearing The Channel features such tunes as "Silence Broken," "Dead Sentinels," and "Hydroplane," showcasing the band's passion, talent, and commitment to using technology to enhance the musical experience.

The undeniable proof of this facet of the band's arsenal is Jay Smith, the fifth member of Sinch. In order to add a visual element to the performance, Smith invented and patented the Viditar, a full-on editing console contained in a device that looks much like a Lucite guitar. Onstage, armed with this "ocular noise machine" and a hard drive full of CNN footage and odd visual loops (like Osama Bin Laden morphing into Jesus morphing into Hillary Clinton), Smith edits and cuts at breakneck speed on stage, playing alongside the musicians, sweating out each and every drop of video brilliance. His contribution is essential, creating palpable connections between the images, the lyrics, and the sound. The full multi-media spectacle is the true Sinch experience.

By taking chances mixed with equal doses of innovation, the Sinch boys have since been dubbed the "brothers of invention" by Philadelphia Weekly and continue to evolve their already intriguing live show with each and every performance. For tour dates and more information, visit www.sinch.net.

Requiem
Sinch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

So what are you waiting for
To slowly find out what it means to be alive
And when you fall it's okay
In the end
It will all be nice
It will all be nice
This is how you lick the sweetest regret up
Off on the pavement

When you sleep with your friends
Expect to bear the consequences
Expect to bear the consequences
And it's the only way
Between party(?) and pompier(?) I'm ashamed
And when I fall it's okay
In the end
It will all be nice
It will all be nice
Disappointment f*cking let me explain it
And I like you and I have very much to say
In fact there's really nothing to say at all
In fact there's really nothing to say at all
But if i had opened up my eyes
Then I might've seen the suffering
Attached to my sigh
You will hold the sun in the homes(?)
The dusk engulfs me

So what are you waiting for
To finally find out what it means to die

Overall Meaning

The song Requiem by Sinch is a rather introspective exploration into the idea of self-reflection and acknowledgement of our own mistakes and failings. The lyrics seem to suggest that humanity can only truly understand what it means to be alive or to die by experiencing the ups and downs of life, including the negative consequences of our own actions. The first verse encourages the listener to embrace the highs and the lows of life while acknowledging that everything will eventually work out in the end. The lust for life in inherent in the lines "What are you waiting for, to slowly find out what it means to be alive" suggesting that despite knowing what the lows of life feel like, we must take it all in to appreciate it's worth.

The second verse tackles the idea of sexual relationships and the responsibility that comes with it. The songwriter warns that when you sleep with your friends, there will be consequences that you must bear. The consequences mentioned here could be physical, such as sexually transmitted infections, or emotional, such as damage to the friendship. The line "this is how you lick the sweetest regret up, off on the pavement" suggests that the pleasure from this kind of relationship is momentary and temporary, but the aftermath of it can be quite devastating.

As the song progresses, there's an element of self-realization whereby the songwriter acknowledges that the disappointments in life are merely a part of the experience of being alive. He further implies that acknowledging the suffering of others and being kinder to others can help us understand our own suffering.

Line by Line Meaning

So what are you waiting for
Why hesitate any longer?

To slowly find out what it means to be alive
Take your time to discover the true essence of life.

And when you fall it's okay
It's fine to stumble along the way.

In the end
Eventually

It will all be nice
Things will eventually turn out for the better.

This is how you lick the sweetest regret up
This is how you come to terms with your sweetest regrets.

Off on the pavement
While lying down on the road.

When you sleep with your friends
When you take friendships for granted.

Expect to bear the consequences
Anticipate facing consequences for your actions.

And it's the only way
It's the sole option.

Between party(?) and pompier(?) I'm ashamed
I'm ashamed of choosing between partying and firefighting.