Vita is the fourth album in five years for the Seattle born and based band At the Spine. This album was mainly written in Europe after main ATS songwriter Mike Toschi (Toe-skee) left the states in the final days of 2006 after returning from a 9 week U.S. tour. Having grown increasingly disenchanted and frustrated with the political “conservatism” of the country and the continual corruption of industry and government, Toschi secured a six-month work permit for the UK and left to explore music, culture, people, and politics of Europe, unsure if he would return.

On New Year’s Eve of 2006, a few days into his visit, Toschi was jumped by five males (claiming to be from Iraq) after a trivial verbal exchange near Trafalgar Square in central London. After a few days of recovery, he began working as a privatized substitute teacher in a stretch known as “Murder Mile” in the Hackney section of London. Flashbacks of teaching in the South Bronx were constant and depressing. He found the same poverty, segregation, and failing state school system, but in a country with less armed citizens where kids would call you “sir” while treating you like dirt.

As an “American” during an unpopular war and president, teaching children in England’s class stratified system was not a pleasant situation. But as London was not a cheap place to live, he plugged onward in various teaching assignments, taking advantage of all school breaks and the strength of the British currency to explore the rest of Europe and write songs.

Like life everywhere, there were good times and bad times: beauty, ugliness, lust, love, sex, kind hearted strangers, thugs, and thieves. The isolation and loneliness of being an “immigrant” away from the lifelines of home. Hitchhiking into the mountains of Emilia Romagna to search for and find relatives in a village of 100 people. Spending a week in Barcelona, or a day passing through southern France. Struggling to crack into the London/EU music scene. An occasional night homeless or stranded in the middle of nowhere. Loving, hating, thinking, and reflecting. “Vita”, Latin and Italian for “life”. Sometimes sour, sometimes sweet.

After seven months struggling to find a drummer in London, Toschi returned to the U.S., reconstituted the At the Spine and began experimenting with and polishing the songs written abroad. Re-joining him were drummer Chris Croft and guitar wizard Richie Parish. Adding some new blood and ideas on bass, guitar, and organ was an old Seattle skateboarding and music friend from his youth, Doug Starcevich. The album was recorded in Portland, OR with longtime friend and engineer Rob Bartleson (Wilco, Pink Martini, Pond, etc.) at Haywire recording in Portland, OR, with additional tracking done in Seattle.

---

At the Spine loves to rock. We believe in the power of music. We try to be good folks, to play good music, and put on energetic and sincere live shows. We try to do what we can to create a more just, equitable, and sustainable planet. We are sometimes compared to other bands, and while this is understandable, as many folks like reference points, we are not trying to imitate or copy anyone. We have listened to a wide variety of music in our lifetimes and it has obviously helped shape who we are and what we play, but our intent is definitely to do our own thing. If it crosses over to some other artists, so it is, if not, all the better. Music has inspired us, moved us, and kept us alive though the good and the bad times. We are doing our best to keep this resource alive in a crooked and challenging industry. Your support is greatly appreciated.