Getting To Know... Duncan Spencer

Following on from the glorious success of his debut single '99 Shades' in the middle of last year, London-based singer and songwriter Duncan Spencer recently returned at the end of March to deliver his hotly-tipped follow-up cut 'Satisfaction'.

Produced by Jamie Evans (Wildwood Kin, A.A Williams, Reigning Days), 'Satisfaction' was recorded in the Belgian city of Antwerp, a city known for its bubbling music scene and inspiration for many roaming musicians. Much like his previous release, his latest offering looks to channel the bold and euphoric side of the British indie-rock scene, lacing it with his own uplifting and thunderous aesthetic throughout.

So with the frontman back on our radar, we sat down with him to find out more about his humble beginnings and what inspired his creative passions.

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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?

Guitar or more specifically Noel Gallagher’s Union Jack guitar!

What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?

I think just the ability to be creative and the satisfaction (excuse the pun) that it brings is what inspires me the most. I suppose it's an addiction and therapy in equal measure. I am a firm believer in the train of thought that creativity is like a tap: if you don’t use it, it gets clogged up. You can certainly tell in my everyday demeanour if my tap “gets clogged”. As far as musical inspiration goes, anything early Springsteen or Waits never fails to hit the spot. That conversational style of storytelling and song writing has definitely had the biggest impact on how I write songs.

What kind of music did you love as a teenager?

Like many In the 2000’s I went through the Nu Metal and Heavy Rock phase. I was already into bands like AC/DC and Guns n Roses in a big way and then progressed onto the excessively baggy jeans phase and bands such as Linkin Park, System of a Down and Tool. In my late teens I was lucky enough to go on tour with bands such as Shinedown and Soil which blew my younger teens mind! I was still very much in the guitarist rather than Singer/Songwriter camp at this point. That all changed as I reached my 20’s.

Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?

Whether it was the first I can’t say for certain, but I remember watching the Bruce Springsteen live in New York City HBO recording and being absolutely captivated by the whole experience. More specifically the song ‘Atlantic City’ stuck out to me as being the coolest thing I’d ever heard. That may still be true to this day.

When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?

Erm, I made my eggs this morning to the soundtrack of Tom Waits’ The Heart of Saturday Night and that was a winner! My usual go to would be something more rhythmical to get me going. African rhythms are great for that so something like Blick Bassy or Adama Yalomba.

How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?

I think nearly all of them are written about people in my life, be it directly or indirectly. Some start out as a direct result of my feelings towards/about specific people and situations, whereas others may be about what at first glance seems a less personal or even fictitious subject matter but usually ends up being influenced by people I know.

What has been the most memorable moment in your career so far?

Probably going over to Antwerp to record Satisfaction and 99 Shades. It was my first time recording as a solo artist and was completely out of my comfort zone. At the time I felt I needed a new start and after talking to Jamie(Evans/producer) the option of Antwerp came up which really intrigued me. Like many of the best things, I went there not quite knowing what to expect and was blown away by the place. It’s a city that just seems to breed creativity. Being somewhere like that really helps you get in the “zone” for the writing/recording process. It also meant I got to enlist some great local musicians to play on the songs including Jon Birdsong (Beck, Calexico) and Roel Poriau (Think Of One, Antwerp Gypsy-Ska Orkestra).

Outside of music, what is your biggest passion?

I have always had a passion for the natural world, more specifically wildlife and conservation. I previously worked for ZSL (Zoological Society of London) so got to see first hand the problems our world and wildlife is facing. My girlfriend is also a Zoologist so we’ve been lucky to travel and see some incredible places and wildlife.

If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?

You can probably guess from my previous answer, but I would have gone down the wildlife conservation path. In fact I kind of did for a bit before music came calling again.

And what advice would you give to those looking to start a career in music?

My first bit of advice would probably be don’t listen too closely to most other people’s advice! Everyone and their dog will offer it out but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worth anything. It is a vast industry with millions of differing opinions and I don’t think anyone has the magic formula. The flip side to that is find people you trust. Having a group of people to bounce ideas off, try things out on and who can offer a valued input and opinion is invaluable.

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Duncan Spencer's latest single 'Satisfaction' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.