After the roaring response to his much-loved debut EP 'One Step Forward' last year, Manchester-based artist Alex Spencer is back once again to deliver his hotly-tipped sophomore EP 'There's Gotta Be More'.
Featuring the previously shared anthems 'Love And Let Go', 'Nightmares' and 'Fear Will Kill The Future', this new four-track collection makes for a vibrant return for the frontman. Brimming with bright and infectious textures, a shimmering atmosphere, and his own stellar vocals at the helm, 'There's Gotta Be More' continues to cement him as one of the more exciting names on the rise today.
So with the new EP available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most recently.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with and was so fascinated to play was the guitar. Whilst travelling in Thailand we had a guitar and that would pass the time I found it so interesting and the first song I dedicated loads of time to and a proud accomplishment of a song to learn was blackbird when I was about 12 years old.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I enjoyed all types of music when I younger but my parents introduced me to arcade fire which is one of my favourite bands and also a lot of the Beatles tunes I loved. I had a little book gifted to me on my 12th birthday of every Beatles song with chords and lyrics which I learnt loads of songs on.
What was the first album you remember owning?
I never really owned any albums but I remember when the AM album came out and we’d listen to that a lot.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I wish I wrote Mardy Bum but the Arctic Monkeys.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
When I try writing new music, I tend to switch locations for writing, I think it gives me different ideas and clears my mind to write.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
At the moment I’ve been listening to loads of different artists and genres like Catfish and the Bottlemen, Rex Orange County, Blossoms, The Kid Laroi, Noah Kahan, The Snuts, The Royston Club, Dave, Two Door Cinema Club, bakar, I enjoy listening to anything tbh.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
If I could open a show for anyone right now I’d love to support Sam fender or even Coldplay. I love to entertain the crowd and would love to put on a show like Coldplay one day. Also as catfish and the bottlemen are back I’d love to support them at one of their shows.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
The most rewarding part of being a musician is the probably the amazing opportunity you get. Also it’s mind blowing how rewarding it is all the support and love your receive from the fans for example after playing a show and you go into the crowd and people are asking for photos etc, it can be very rewarding. Another rewarding thing is seeing fans sing your songs back to you at concerts. It’s crazy!
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is sometimes spending hours on your phone to keep updated with social media since it’s a big part of music marketing aswell as so many things go wrong so there’s a lot of problem solving.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
The best piece of advice I’ve received is just to keep going, keep writing and don’t stop and I look at myself 3 years ago and I see how far I’ve come now. Imagine in the next 3 years how far I go and what I will achieve!
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Alex Spencer's new EP 'There's Gotta Be More' is out now. Check it out in the player below.