Spencer Ludwig might be outdoing himself with “Hard”
L.A. Based trumpeter, singer, songwriter, producer, and musical director Spencer Ludwig is that one-of-a-kind musician who seems to have a hand in everything all over the industry. When he’s not busy making his own music, he’s writing songs or playing with some of the most prestigious names in the biz; everyone from Fonseca, and Dua Lipa to the legendary ‘Brass house’ kings, Too Many Zooz have had his talent on their corner at one time or another.
His list of accolades and honors is long, but we’ll get to it later, for now, let us focus on his most recent release.
‘Hard’ is the third single from his upcoming Sophomore album, ‘Scrapbook’, which marks a bit of a stylistic turning point for Spencer, who decided to condense his sound and pour his heart out in the lyrics through a slick hybrid Indie Rock & Pop presentation.
” I wanted to strip back the sound of layered vocals and stacked horns that I’ve been known for and instead focus on the storytelling of my truth and in featuring just one singular lead vocal and one singular improvising trumpet on every song on the album.”
The first thing that struck me with Ludwig’s vocals was how genuine and emotionally invested he was in this. Short of calling it “emo” I would just say it’s all very real instead, like with the very first line (This shit is hard!) he’s getting a huge weight off his chest, and if you’re even the least bit empathic, you’re bound to feel the weight come off your own as well; after all: Don’t we struggle every day of our lives?
Listen to the track here!
The track is a brilliant mix of groovy and catchy pop with meaty alt-rock riffs that you can really sink your teeth in, while in his temperance, Spencer chose to give his beloved and characteristic trumpet a spotlight at the gorgeous jazzy climax solo, serving as an emotional counterbalance to the rather tough-to-swallow lyrics about struggle and despair.
“Another reason why ‘Hard’ and the rest of the songs you will hear on Scrapbook are unique is because of the people I wrote and recorded them with. Hard was produced with my friend Ryan Daly (Fitz and the Tantrums, John Legend, Mimi Webb) who also produced the entire album with me. “
Ludwig’s first bump into notoriety first came with his involvement as the first trumpeter for the multi-platinum band Capital Cities. Over the years, Spencer has seen his music featured in a healthy list of commercial campaigns, video games, films, and TV shows, while his very face was at one point part of a global denim campaign by Tommy Hilfiger, all the while making his presence felt across a wide spectrum of stages such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, ACL, Late Night with Seth Meyers, the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live and even on David Letterman’s Late Show.
