If you’re a fan of John Mayer, OAR or 311, you’ll love the Spencer Reed Band. We caught up with the Ohio Rock Band as they get ready to Release their debut Album Titled “Heavy in my Head”
Why did you choose the name Spencer Reed Band?
The lead singer, Spencer, had a previous career in solo acoustic music. We wanted to take the traction he garnered as an independent musician and develop it into a larger sound that would attract bigger audiences.
How did you guys get into creating and writing music?
Creating and writing music is something that, while difficult, comes somewhat naturally to artists/musicians. While others find ways to convert their inspirations/energy in their own specific way, we are lucky enough to do so through music. One day in college, we all just sat down and started playing together and we ended up jamming for hours. We have fun with it and we love playing the music we create.
How would you describe your music for the public audience reading this who have never seen or heard of the Spencer Reed Band before?
We are a fusion of multiple genres – rock, college rock, jam, alternative, adult contemporary, jazz fusion, etc. Our fans have come to realize that we are “playing by the beat of our own drum” by establishing ourselves outside of the traditional ‘rock’ genre.
How did the group come about and how long have you been together now?
Spencer (vocals/guitar), Austen (guitar), and Jesse (drums) actually lived together for a couple of years in college where they started playing together regularly. Only recently have we decided to expand our act by taking on new musicians, the most of which we met through our producer, Dave Douglas of Danger House Studios in Cleveland, OH.
There are a wide range of instruments in your music, what do you feel distinguishes and artist from just a musician?
Artists have the ability to conceive an idea in their heads and translate it into music by incorporating a variety of instruments. Becoming an artist (in any sense of the word) requires certain aspects of innovation, drive and character – most of which come through in the music they create.
What are the band's immediate music career goals? (Next 1-3 years)
As a band, our aspirations involve growing our fanbase, getting signed and hitting the road to promote ourselves.
Labels and management companies want so much control, how much creative control do you have over your own music?
Since we are an unsigned band, we have the ability to completely control the music we produce. We take great pride in being able to express our personalities in the music we perform. It gives us the ability to define ourselves as the way we want the world to see, listen and perceive us.
Are you planning to go the indie route and build your own brand or are you looking for record deal?
Ideally, we would love to be signed by a record company. There is no substitute for experience in music. Earning a record deal has always been the biggest goal for the band and we truly hope to achieve that goal in the near future.
Do you feel paid streaming services and the freemium music model is hurting the music industry?
The music industry is an ever-changing game in the internet age. Music used to be all about selling records. Nowadays, I think streaming services are both hurting and helping artists – they hurt artists in the sense that they will not sell as many records, but they help spread the word about a variety of musicians which will then lead to widespread interest and eventual increases in show attendance and fanbases.
Does anyone of you have your own favorite type of music and is it any different from what the band plays now?
The different members of our band have significantly different musical interests – but that’s part of the reason we create such a unique sound. Spencer is into mellow music and is a trained jazz guitarist; Austen loves hard/grunge/alternative rock and experimental; Jesse is into jam bands; Dave Kasper (saxophonist) is a jazz-trained musician. When all of us come together to create music, we bring our own unique ‘flare’ to the table and create a truly peculiar sound.
If you had to describe your music in three or four words what would you call it?
Jazz-infused college rock
What has been the biggest challenge for you so far in the music industry?
The biggest challenge in the industry today is getting your music in front of the right people. Unfortunately, a lot of good bands will remain unnoticed due to their inability to market themselves and get their music into the ears of the right people. This is the issue facing many musicians, but we have taken steps to improve this issue by beginning a PR/Marketing campaign with Starlight Music Group and we plan to begin actively working with the Hit Music Collective for artist development.
What’s next for the Spencer Reed Band?
We are dropping our debut album in May/June of 2016 and will be subsequently gigging hard to promote our music.
Where can people get in touch with you?
People typically get in touch with us via our website message board or any one of the major social media platforms that we are on.
