KEVIN SPENCER

So how to capture my journey to this point in a few paragraphs?? Impossible. Besides... I'd rather sit down and have a one on one with each person, but thats not possible so I will try and fill in a few blanks using questions I have received from you guys. But remember... Never believe the hype. Believe the music.
WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING.
Being the youngest on both sides of a family of musicians I cant remember NOT playing something. Dad used to give me drumming lessons in the kitchen sink pointing out that each spot in the sink made different tones. That was HUGE for me. From there it was my first drum set at 5, first violin at 7, while singing was a staple. But not at the dinner table Kevin!~
WHEN DID YOU START TOURING
My first touring experiences were not in the traditional rock band sense. My brother who is a couple years older started playing the Bagpipes in a Military band called The Argyll and Southerland Highlanders - Princess Louise's Regiment. So naturally I started hanging around. One day they put a drum on me and the next thing I know... I was playing in a in every Major Parade around Ontario. 6 months later we were touring through England, Scotland, US, Canada, and then Berlin. The Berlin Wall had come down two years earlier and we were invited to march the troops through the Brandenburg Gate and out of occupation in Germany. I was not even old enough to drive and here I am performing for the Queen. Crazy. Standing there waiting to go on... and I look over and there's this really cool looking cat. He says... "Bit young to be here aren't ya?" With a smile I nod yes. He gives the wink and then heads up on stage to sing "Dont you forget about me" with his band Simple Minds. Jim Fuckin Kerr. Are you kidding? And then on top of that they put your picture in history books. Touring in bands came a few years later.
WHAT BANDS HAVE YOU PLAYED IN?
I started my own band while I was a part time military musician and finishing highschool. We were called "The Misunderstood" and I was the singer/bass playing songwriter in that group. We racked up some great accolades over our two releases. Then almost the same day my band decided to take a break, one of the bands we had supported had fired their bass player/backing vocalist. They asked "would you consider helping us fill in some dates?" I talked it over with my folks that night moved to Vancouver the next day. First gig with Rymes with Orange was at the CJAY rock awards at the Saddledome in Calgary to 13,000 people. I was 19 and freaking out!!! Did a solid 200 shows through Canada/Uk and penned the first single for their next record.
Then came Mudgirl (aka Kim Bingham). In six months we went from having the first rehearsal to having finished four tours including Lilith Fair in the US for the Agency Group, signed to Nettwerk Management, Featured in Rolling Stone and Spin. The next few years were spent playing on record after record and touring in support of paying rent with everybody and anybody that could pay or teach me something. Bass, Drums, Guitar, Voice... I would guess I worked for about 30 different groups and recording projects in three years.
IS THIS A BAND OR A SOLO PROJECT.
I grew up listening to bands. The Who, The Beatles, Queen, Radiohead, U2, The Jam, The Clash... So for me its always been about that. We all want to feel a part of something greater than ourselves, but when I started writing and arranging the instruments on the EP it was just me at the kitchen table writing songs, drum parts, bass lines and such. However the answer is at the end of the day. A band is a band. No revolving door. Im lucky to have people that believe.
HOW DID YOU END UP IN RENT?
Well this is a crazy story... but its a lengthy one. Here's the short version. I was just finishing a tour when I received a random phone call. Seems I had met some folks from Bernard Telsey casting while I was on Lilith Fair. They asked me to NY for a meeting. I spoke to them... sang for them... not knowing they had already auditioned 2500 guys. I played Roger Davis for 550 shows over two years. What a wonderful experience. But it def. came out of nowhere for me.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU PLAY?
I play pure form rock music. Meaning... if you cant play it on an acoustic instrument I dont want to play it. Over editing and Auto Tune have no place in my life. For those of you that dont know... Auto Tune is a program that allows you to sing in key when you really cant. Hello half of the artists on the radio today. If you cant sing it every day, twice a day... Dont put it on your record.
Sorry this has been so long... but I think some of these stories help you understand where it is im coming from as an artist. I've been very very blessed with a lot of great experiences that have brought me here today. 99% of which I haven't even touched upon... but we can save those for coffee sometime. ;) Please feel free to send any questions I haven't covered. See you on the Road. Like most of you... Music is my everything.
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