Intwine

Intwine

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	2001
Defunct	16 October 2010
Headquarters	Netherlands
Key people	Roger Peterson (vocals), Jacob Streefkerk (guitar), Jon Symons (guitar), Eric Spring in 't Veld (drums)
Products	Music albums, singles, live performances

Intwine was a rock group from the Netherlands, established in 2001 by five students attending the Tilburg Rockacademie.

The band achieved national recognition in the Netherlands following lead vocalist Roger Peterson's participation in the 2002 edition of the Dutch talent show Idols. Intwine secured five entries on the Dutch Top 40 charts, with notable hits including "Happy?" which reached number three, and "Cruel Man" peaking at number seven. Throughout their nine-year tenure, they produced four studio albums: Intwine (2003), Perfect (2004), Pyrrhic Victory (2006), and Kingdom of Contradiction (2009).

On 16 October 2010, Intwine declared their disbandment through their official website. The final roster featured Roger Peterson on vocals, Jacob Streefkerk and Jon Symons on guitars, and Eric Spring in 't Veld on drums.

Formation

Childhood friends Jacob Streefkerk (guitar) and Touché Eusebius (bass) from Sint Maarten had played together prior to relocating to the Netherlands. Both enrolled at Tilburg's Fontys Rockacademie in 2001, where they encountered Aruban singer Roger Peterson. These three musicians from transatlantic backgrounds initially performed in the roots reggae ensemble Orange Grove. Concurrently with Orange Grove, they established Intwine in 2001 alongside fellow students Erwin Gielen on drums and Kevin Hissink on guitar.

Breakthrough and first two albums (2002-2005)

In 2002, lead singer Roger Peterson took part in the Dutch Idols competition but withdrew after declining to sign a contract that would have limited his creative freedom. Despite this early exit, the exposure garnered significant attention and led to a recording contract with Dureco. Peterson later reflected that his involvement with Idols was both advantageous and restrictive for the band's public perception.

Their initial single "Happy?" released in February 2003 climbed to number three on the Dutch Top 40, followed by their debut album released on 3 October. This album spawned three more singles: "Way Out", "Get Outta My Head", and "Let Me Be". The band received nominations for both the TMF Awards and an Edison Award.

In 2004, Intwine issued a live DVD/album titled The P.U.R.E. Session, which featured percussionist Ferdinand van Duuren. They also wrote "Cruel Man" for the Dutch feature film De Dominee, which served as a precursor to their sophomore album Perfect, launched on 27 September through V2 Records. This album earned the 3FM Award for best album in March 2005. The track "Cruel Man" reached number seven on the Dutch Top 40 and achieved top positions on Turkish charts. Drummer Erwin Gielen departed in 2004, briefly replaced by Jeremy Bonarriba before Rocheteau Mahuwallan took over from December that year.

In 2005, Intwine garnered another Edison Award nomination, performed at the prestigious Pinkpop festival as well as Madrid’s MetroRock, and saw guitarist Kevin Hissink replaced by Jon Symons, formerly of heavy metal band Primal Rage.

Pyrrhic Victory, label challenges and Rumshop Sessions (2006-2007)

Early in 2006, Intwine traveled to Rio de Janeiro's favelas, an experience that inspired their non-album single "Peace of Mind", with proceeds supporting Millennium Development Goals projects. Percussionist Ferdinand van Duuren exited the band due to creative disagreements.

They contributed "Feel It" to the soundtrack of the 2006 film Nachtrit, which became the lead single for their third studio album Pyrrhic Victory, released on 9 October 2006. The band characterized this record as their darkest and most genuine effort yet, collaborating with producer Gordon Groothedde to emphasize raw emotion alongside a heavier rock sound.

Unfortunately, label V2 did not adequately promote Pyrrhic Victory, limiting its availability primarily to live performances. Although German label Tiefdruck-Musik expressed interest in distributing the album internationally, V2 declined to release Intwine from their contract. Ultimately, the band severed ties with V2.

In 2007, Intwine embarked on a Dutch theater tour titled The Acoustic Rumshop Sessions, revisiting their Caribbean musical heritage through genres such as reggae, bolero, zouk, soca, and cumbia. Percussionist Roël Calister from Orange Grove joined them for this tour.

That same year saw the release of a non-album single titled "The Chosen (Assassin's Creed)" featuring rapper Brainpower, created for the soundtrack of the video game Assassin's Creed.

Kingdom of Contradiction and Expansion to International Markets (2008–2009)

In 2008, Intwine entered into a contract with the German record label Tiefdruck-Musik to produce their fourth studio album. During this phase, original bassist Touché Eusebius and drummer Rocheteau Mahuwallan left the band, with Pablo Penton and Eric Spring in 't Veld stepping in as their replacements.

The album Kingdom of Contradiction was released on 14 August 2009, representing Intwine's debut international offering. It consisted of fifteen reimagined tracks from earlier releases, aimed at introducing the band to audiences outside the Netherlands. The production was handled by Jochem Jacobs, known from the Dutch metal group Textures. This album embraced a heavier and darker nu metal style. Critics often likened it to alternative metal groups such as Deftones, Incubus, P.O.D., Taproot, Godsmack, and Ill Niño. Additionally, the record featured a rendition of The Police's "Walking on the Moon" with guest vocals by Belgian singer Sarah Bettens.

To promote this new musical direction, Intwine supported American alternative metal band Sevendust during their concert on 1 June 2009 in Utrecht, followed by a tour alongside Welsh ragga-metal outfit Skindred in early 2010.

Rumshop Sessions EP and Disbandment (2010)

After performing their Rumshop Sessions live shows, Intwine released an EP titled The Original Acoustic Rumshop Sessions Vol I on 19 June 2010. This collection included both studio and live recordings derived from those acoustic performances.

On 16 October 2010, the band officially announced their dissolution via their website, without providing specific reasons for the split.

Several years later, in summer 2017, vocalist Roger Peterson and guitarist Jon Symons reunited under the name JvR, releasing three tracks online.

Musical Style and Inspirations

Intwine’s musical approach transitioned from an initial blend of rock infused with reggae, Latin rhythms, and hip hop to a more intense sound that incorporated metal influences by the time of their later albums Pyrrhic Victory (2006) and Kingdom of Contradiction (2009). Their acoustic project Rumshop Sessions highlighted Caribbean genres such as reggae, bolero, zouk, soca, and cumbia, showcased on their 2010 EP.

The band drew inspiration from a wide array of artists across genres ranging from heavy metal to reggae. Their influences included acts like Metallica, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Sublime, Ozomatli, Sevendust, Krosfyah, Kassav', Collie Buddz, Foo Fighters, Audioslave, A Perfect Circle, Incubus, Deftones, Taproot, The Tea Party, as well as iconic grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana.

Band Members

• Roger Peterson – lead vocals (2001–2010)
• Jacob Streefkerk – guitar (2001–2010)
• Jon Symons – guitar (2005–2010)
• Eric Spring in 't Veld – drums (2008–2010)

Previous Members

• Erwin Gielen – drums (2001–2003)
• Jeremy Bonarriba – drums (2003–2004)
• Kevin Hissink – guitar (2001–2005)
• Ferdinand van Duuren – percussion (2004–2006)
• Edsel "Touché" Eusebius – bass guitar (2001–2008)
• Rocheteau Mahuwallan – drums (2004–2008)
• Pablo Penton – bass guitar (2008–2009)

Touring musicians

• Roël Calister – percussionist (2006–2007)
• Quincell Adolphin – bassist (2009–2010)
• Rik Kraak – bass guitarist (2009–2010)

Albums in studio

• Intwine (Dureco, 2003)
• Perfect (V2, 2004)
• Pyrrhic Victory (V2, 2006)
• Kingdom of Contradiction (Tiefdruck-Musik/Universal, 2009)

Extended play

• The Original Acoustic Rumshop Sessions Vol I (INterTWINE, 2010)

Live recording/DVD

• The P.U.R.E. Session (Dureco, 2004)

Singles

• "Happy?" (Dureco, 2003)
• "Get Outta My Head" (Dureco, 2003)
• "Way Out" (Dureco, 2003)
• "Let Me Be" (Dureco, 2004)
• "Cruel Man" (Dureco, 2004)
• "Slow Down" (V2, 2005)
• "You" (V2, 2005)
• "Peace of Mind" (V2, 2006)
• "Feel It" (V2, 2006)
• "Solo" (V2/INterTWINE, 2007)
• "Cut Me Loose" (V2/INterTWINE, 2008)
• "Perfect" (Tiefdruck-Musik/INterTWINE, 2009)

Albums

Album	Release date	Peak chart position	Duration on chart (weeks)
Intwine	03-10-2003	17	21
Perfect	27-09-2004	18	28
Pyrrhic Victory	14-10-2006	43	4
Kingdom of Contradiction	14-08-2009	71	1

References

Year	Single title	Associated album	Highest chart placement
			Dutch Top 40	Dutch Top 100
2003	"Happy?"	Intwine	3	4
	"Way Out"		22	24
	"Get Outta My Head"		32	44
2004	"Let Me Be"		-	50
	"Cruel Man"	Perfect	7	11
2005	"Slow Down"		-	56
	"You"		38	24
2006	"Peace of Mind"	non-album single	-	84
	"Feel It "	Pyrrhic Victory	-	24
2007	"The Chosen (Assassin's Creed)" (ft. Brainpower)	non-album single	-	43
2008	Solo	Pyrrhic Victory	-	90