By Laura Pelner
and Heather Holman

The band Nine Days, which holds the No. 7 spot on the Top 40 charts for their song "Absolutely (Story of A Girl)," said they admire groups like the Spice Girls and Hanson for their music originality in an interview before the Uncle Sam Jam concert on Monday.

Nick Dimichino, the bands' bassist, said Hanson, and the Spice Girls came out with songs that were fun. He said when he saw the Hanson video on MTV he was hitting the TV asking, "is this right? Is something wrong? Why are they playing this on maintime TV?"

Dimichino said similar groups brought pop music back. "In a way I think it sort of paved the road for us."

When asked to describe their band, Dimichino and Jeremy Dean, Nine Days' keyboards and pianist, said they are the nerdiest rock band around.

They are very family oriented. "What we like to do in our free time is play Whiffleball," said Dimichino.

Dean added, when he is home and gets a chance to go out he goes to the movies. "First time I get a chance to do anything I am so far from a club. I am at the movies, I am going out to eat, I am at the planetarium or the Museum of Natural History."

With regards to their musical style Dean said, "We are a band that is trying to bring back straight rock and roll. We are trying to write songs that last."

Furthermore, Nine Days is one of the only true bands in the Top 40, said Diminchino. "I think the best way to describe us is we are a band, in every essence of the word. We are just five guys, we play our own instruments and write our own songs," he said.

Nine Days' hit "Absolutely (Story of A Girl)" is their first single from their major label debut "The Madding Crowd." The band made three CDs prior to this one that Dimichino said were not as successful because the albums were not really them.

"When we tried to do stuff that wasn't ours we got labeled," he said.

For example they were called neo-angst-hippie-crap.

This did not phase Nine Days though. Dimichino added, "when you try to find yourself you have to take your lumps and learn from your mistakes. You finally find a style or a sound that's your own, and I think we've done it."

Their success so far should be a tribute to that thought since their first single is so high on the charts. Vincent Tattanelli, drummer for the band, said their fame is surreal, and Dimichino said the band is second removed from it.

"When you're out on the road doing all this you're sort of numbed to reality. It still is awesome though," said Dimichino.

The band is humble despite its success. Dimichino said, "it's so fortunate to get anywhere in this business and then to have it (the single) do this well this fast. It's almost scary in a way because you're afraid you might be that burnout."

The basis for "Absolutely" is a true story written by John Hampson, Nine Days' vocalist and guitarist. Dimichino explained the song is about Hampson and his girlfriend.

"Him and his girlfriend at the time were having a spat at a club we were playing. He was very annoyed with her and went onstage to do a soundcheck. He was looking at her across the room still pissed at her; he's having those love/hate feelings. She is talking to someone and I guess they told her a joke, she started laughing and she smiled. When he saw her smile he was like 'wow, she pisses me off but I really love her when she smiles.'"

Lots of Nine Days songs are written from relatable experiences. Many of the songs are about relationships because Dimichino said "you have to write about what you know, what you live. And that's basically what we all live."

Nine Days has plans to be around the music world for awhile. "Our plan is to tour to hopefully to strengthen the amount of people who will go out and buy our album to realize that it is not just about that one song," said Dean.

He added, "We are incredibly proud of the record. We're hoping to tour and win over a lot of fans just based on the strength of our live performance and the next couple singles."