An Interview With The Soulful Pop Singer SPENCER SUTHERLAND On New Music and More!

This Spring, one of BMG’s latest signings, soulful pop singer-songwriter, Spencer Sutherland released his debut EP, NONE of this has been about you.

The five-track effort is an introspective journey that spotlights his signature tone and falsetto, reminiscent of the 60s with stripped-down 80s-inspired production. Listeners can hear traces of his major influences on the record, ranging from Marvin Gaye and Bruno Mars, to Prince, Elvis, and The Temptations. Spencer’s honest and relatable approach to lyrics, in tandem with his powerful live performances, culminate in what is being lauded as a fresh new sound in pop.

Praise in the Press for Spencer:

“…falls somewhere between Jon Bellion and vintage Prince.” –Idolator

“Spencer Sutherland might very well be pushing pop music into a fascinating new place.”–PopMatters

 Watch Spencer perform his standout single, “Sweater,” on the Elvis Duran show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC9XVF8AUOA

Learn more about Spencer Sutherland in the following All Access interview with him:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you? 

Thanks for having me! I’m somewhere near Sacramento while traveling to Seattle for the first show on my first national headline tour.

Now that we are half-way through the year, how has 2019 been treating you? What are some goals that you have for yourself this year? How close are you to reaching them?

2019 has been the best year ever! I’ve already reached so many goals I had set. I wanted to release my first project, and I was able to do that with my debut EP, “NONE of this has been about you.” I also wanted to headline my first ever tour, and I’m literally heading out to that as we speak!

Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?

Music was everything to me growing up. It was my first love, and I can remember feeling so much passion and excitement the first time I heard an Elvis Presley song. It really sparked a huge feeling of “I want to do this.” It was a super easy choice to make

Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?

I have definitely had a few moments where things got tough and I didn’t know what to do, but ultimately, music was going to be something that I had to do. However, if I couldn’t be a musician, I would probably be an actor or doing something in the fitness world.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

The biggest surprise so far is probably that it’s all about being yourself. I used to think that it was sort of a business in the way that you act, dress, and speak, but people just care about who you really are.

Let’s talk about your newest EP that was just released called “NONE of this has been about you.” What was it like making this collection? Did anything surprise you about the overall process of making it?

It was great making this project because it was the first one that I’ve ever done. I feel like it really embodies me as a person since all the songs are about something in my life. I loved every second of making the EP, from writing to composing and producing. It was also super cool to relive the personal stories in my life that I wrote about on this effort.

What are some of your favorite songs on this new EP? What was the inspiration for them? How did they get to be on this collection?

I think my favorite record off of the EP is probably “Sweater.” It really is a true story, just a bit embellished since it actually happened when I was in the eighth grade.

Where can people see you perform next? Do you plan to tour at all this summer or later this year? What has been a favorite performance of yours so far?

As we speak, I’m currently on the way to my first ever headline tour, “The Freaking Out Tour,” and we’re hitting 14 cities in August. I’m so excited to see all the fans, and I’m thrilled because half the shows are selling out too. I can’t believe it. I’ve only headlined a few shows ever in my career, and those have been my favorites so far.

How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started making music? 

I think the biggest way that I have grown is that I’ve started being myself 100%. Also the whole idea of practicing something for 10,000 hours is kind of true. I’ve written hundreds and hundreds of songs over the past six years or so, and I think it’s made me a better writer and artist.

What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now? What has -social media done for your career so far?

Social media has done a lot for me because my fan-base is all super active on all platforms. It’s not that hard to stay up-to-date because I love talking to my fans and like letting them know what I’m up to. I think sometimes if I’m in the studio for 12 hours then I could end up neglecting my social media, but I usually find time for a tweet or two.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

My biggest inspiration is Elvis. I have so many different ones such as Bruno Mars, Outkast, and Marvin Gaye, but Elvis is my number one. I would love to work with Bruno in the future, as well as Pharrell.

If you had an unlimited budget and your schedule was free, what would your dream music video look like?

My dream music video would be one that has footage on every continent in the world, so I could travel to bunch of places that I’ve never been, while shooting a really cool visual.

What has been the coolest place/TV show/commercial that you have heard a song of yours? Where would you still love to hear a future song of yours played?

I think The Today show was the coolest place I was lucky enough to perform and have my song heard on. I would love to have a song in a Seth Rogen movie because his work is my favorite kind of comedy.

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music? 

I really just want people to connect with my music and feel something from it. I know a lot of people go through a lot of horrible things in their life, and I just want to make people happy for the short time that we are on this earth. Peace and love.

Would you like to share anything else with our readers about your music?

I hope that you check out my music and connect with it. I think that my songs are unique in the way that they have a message with a bit of comedy and a bit of soul.