Spencer Graham: “The most beautiful part of what I do is when I see someone escape their day, the worries in their life, and find a moment of peace and joy”
Spencer Graham is a Pennsylvania-based singer/songwriter who, just three days ago, released his debut album, Reasons to Smile. Track two on the record, Worth the Wait, was a song I had stumbled upon at the end of last month and fell completely in love with. A little country-infused gem, it only increased my anticipation for the full album, which I can now declare an absolute winner!
Keen to get to know the man behind the music, I was stoked when Spencer said he'd have a chat with us! Going in depth about Worth the Wait and its birth, his adoration for Ed Sheeran, and what “being successful” in the music industry would look like for him, please give a warm welcome to our new friend Spencer Graham!
Hello and welcome Spencer! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! Before we get into the nitty-gritty, please tell us a little bit about your musical journey. When did your love affair with music begin?
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share a little about myself and my music.
My musical journey really started when my brother got a guitar for Christmas in 2008. I ended up picking it up and playing it for a couple of days, got frustrated, and gave up. I never even tried again until 2012. My oldest brother, who was very talented at playing, took the time to teach me while I was home sick from school.
Looking back, nothing I have done or who I became would have been possible without my oldest brother. I was tone deaf and could not sing to save my life, but for some reason, I loved trying. I really have no idea when I found my voice, but my freshman year of high school, I sang at a party, and the rest is history.
Through choir my senior year and working with a great teacher and friend, to working with vocal coaches in Virginia, I just kept pushing to get better. I never felt like I was any good since I didn't grow up singing, or have singers in my family. Definitely not something I was born with, and not something I got on my own.
Your intimate and beautiful new single, Worth the Wait, is a deeply personal offering. If you're comfortable, would you share with our readers what the song means to you and what sparked it into life?
It honestly was a very personal song, and was written during a really hard time in my life. Anyone who has done long-distance relationships, I think, has experienced some unique challenges that really can be hard to get over. I found myself in a position where I was just really unsure in life, and at a pretty low point in general. I was frustrated with myself, with my circumstances, and trying to navigate through my own problems that I hadn't addressed yet and got help with.
Love is tough, but it proved to be worth waiting it out and making things work. This was almost a literal message to the girl I was going through this with, and I think it is relatable because of how literal and direct it is. I really think my best music is created this way, organically.
Your debut single, Some Songs, has over 40,000 plays on Spotify. How on earth does it feel to know that so many people are listening to and resonating with your music?
It still feels pretty surreal for sure! I was 19 years old when that song came out; it was the first song I ever wrote, and I was active duty in the Navy at the time. I still remember to this day coming back from a long day and getting back to my barracks and seeing that it had over 2,000 streams in one day, and my heart about stopped. I was so fortunate to meet Alan Price down in Charleston and work with him. I had no idea what I was doing at the time, and in hindsight, he really committed to me in order to get that song to where it ended up.
You never know when a song is going to blow up or fall on its face and I try not to think about streams too much as a way of measuring success, but it sure did feel good when Some Songs broke 40k. Having that many people from all the over the world hear my song made me really think about how even a small indie artist like myself could still reach people and move people with a song.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences? And who would I see under “Recently Played” on your streaming service of choice?
Ed Sheeran is probably my favorite musician of all time. His early work was some of the first music I learned to play and sing. Autumn Leaves was the first song I sang to my mom, and I will never forget watching her cry in the living room because she was so taken aback by my love of music. That was such an important moment in my journey as a singer/songwriter.
When I lost her in 2020 to colon cancer, I played Ed Sheeran in my final moments with her. Ed Sheeran will always hold a special place in my heart. More recently, you would find Zach Bryan and Red Clay Strays. Lyrically, those two have inspired me so much.
What aspects of being a musician do you cherish most? And on the flip side, what would you say have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered?
The best feeling as a musician is never about myself. It has never been how I feel, or how much people cheer for me, or how many eyes are on me. The most beautiful part of what I do is when I see someone escape their day, the worries in their life, and find a moment of peace and joy. Even if it only lasts 3 minutes, the moments when people are completely engaged in the music are the best. I have made people cry, including my mother, close friends, and even strangers.
Knowing you can help someone feel things that might not be easy to tap into is beautiful to me. I always pray before every gig that I can bring joy to someone who needs it. Someone who finds peace through songs.
The hardest part for me is not losing track of what matters. There was a time when the only person who would listen to me was my dad in my dirt-floor garage. Things have changed so much now, you sometimes forget how far you've come. At times, I'll get disappointed if there aren't enough people at my gigs, or if people don't seem engaged. I always try to remind myself, in these moments especially, how lucky I am just to get the opportunity to play for people and make music.
We’re always fascinated by the different approaches that artists turn to in their creative process or processes. How do you take an idea and turn it into a complete song?
I wish I had a fascinating way of writing songs, but the honest truth is that when I get motivated, I sit down and have the lyrics and melody with guitar done within an hour. After that, I will refine the song and touch up areas or change lyrics, but it always just flows when I am in the right mindset.
Worth the Wait, I wrote start to finish in an evening. What I do is easy though. I get lyrics, chords, and a rough outline, then take it to my producer Adam Bell who turns it into a song. I would not have any of my music without his vision and talent. There are a lot of incredible people who help make my music that have the same if not more contribution than me.
What would “being successful” in the music industry look like for you? And do you see it as an imperative or more of a cherry on top?
I think being successful in the music industry is being able to do what you love and enjoy every second of it. I don't care if I am playing at a dive bar in the middle of nowhere or at the Grand Ole Opry, I am so happy doing what I do for the people I do it for. In a perfect world, I could do music full-time and live off of it and never have to work a day in my life.
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us Spencer! It’s been awesome getting to know you better. Do you have any words of wisdom that you’d like to leave us with?
This was a pleasure, and I'm so thankful you found my music and were able to do this. One thing that has always stuck with me is a saying my dad always told me: "Anything worth doing is worth doing right". Everything I do with my music, I will always give 100% and never forget about what it's all about.
My album Reasons to Smile, which features Worth the Wait, is now available, and I hope that anyone reading this checks it out. God bless!
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