‘Little Wars’
The debut EP by Spencer William
‘Little Wars,’ the self-produced debut EP from Spencer William, is filled with soaring synths, lush harmonies, piercing vocals, and shout-a-long hooks, Spencer William crafts pop jewels out of insecurity and bitterness.
The EP begins with ‘The Worst’, a droning, ever-building rumination on pessimism that falls stylistically between Imogen Heap and Bon Iver.
In ‘Trust Issues’, Spencer paints the aftermath of a falling out over stuttering vocoders and melancholy electric guitar, singing “I feel like I used to be the type to open up / But I guess that I used to be a lot of things I’m not.”
‘Unconfident’ is perhaps the brightest song on the EP production wise, combining distorted horns and stomps with nursery rhyme-esque melodies to create a warped marching band with Spencer as the leader.
In ‘Villain’, Spencer refuses to take the blame, whispering “If it helps you sleep better to think that I’m evil / I hope you’re up all night” over an instrumental that twinkles like a menacing music box.
‘Good Graces’ closes the EP, a minimalistic piano ballad that allows Spencer’s voice to soar and shine, with a reminder that self-doubt becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Music
Little wars
‘Little Wars,’ the self-produced debut EP from Spencer William, is filled with soaring synths, lush harmonies, piercing vocals, and shout-a-long hooks, Spencer crafts pop jewels out of insecurity and bitterness. The EP includes all previously released singles and new song ‘Good Graces.’
Villain
In ‘Villain’, Spencer sings about betrayal, manipulation, and resentment. Over a dark, electronic bed of gothic strings, music box plucks, interweaving harmonies, and distorted drums, he sneers, “If I had a dollar for all of your problems I thought were my fault, then I’d be rich”.
Trust Issues
‘Trust Issues’ is about the pain of being lied to by someone close, and the fear that opening up to new people will only bring more hurt. It describes the struggle of deciding whether to let painful experiences harden your defenses, or to believe that vulnerability is the path to healing.
Unconfident
‘Unconfident’ is a sing-a-long pop anthem for everyone who has ever felt anxious or insecure. Feeling self-conscious and unloveable is something everyone experiences, and ‘Unconfident’ turns those feelings into something to dance to rather than be ashamed of.
The worst
‘The Worst’ is a rumination on why we search for the negative aspects of life and ourselves so much quicker and easier than looking for the positive. Building over humming drones and walls of synths, this song wonders whether pessimism is born from nature or nurture.
Good Graces
A minimalistic piano ballad that allows Spencer’s voice to soar and shine over string-like pads of vocal harmonies, ‘Good Graces’ is a reminder that self-doubt is a self-fulfilling prophecy and highlights that accepting one’s flaws and shortcomings is necessary to find happiness.
Biography
Spencer William
Spencer William is a songwriter/producer-turned-artist whose music sounds like shouting your worst fears off a mountaintop through a vocoder.
Like the lovechild of Sam Smith and Jon Bellion, Spencer crafts raucously insecure left-of-center pop that’s simultaneously introspective and tongue-in-cheek. He is unafraid to delve into the difficult emotions that everybody experiences, letting his haunting voice soar over glittering synthetic soundscapes with a razor edge.
Spencer began writing and producing in late 2014 and studied at Berklee College of Music under legends like Kara DioGuardi (Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk) and Bonnie Hayes (Bonnie Raitt).
After Berklee, Spencer dove headfirst into the New York music scene, writing and producing for artists including Jessie Chambers, Annika Grace, Lyon Hart, Mathes, and Emily Terran.
Spencer released his self-produced debut EP ‘Little Wars’ in spring 2021. Filled with soaring synths, lush harmonies, piercing vocals, and shout-a-long hooks, Spencer crafts pop jewels out of insecurity and bitterness. His songs have been described as “promising, authentic, and refreshing,” and have been featured by We Are: The Guard, Independent Spirits, and thread.
Follow @spencerwilliammusic on Instagram
Press kit available upon request by email.