It’s hard to believe the young 5 foot something boy from Indiana we met back in 2011 is already in his sixth year of pursuing a music career.
Rivenmaster published one of the first articles about this budding young star with a smooth tenor voice. In fact, it’s been a remarkable journey watching Spencer grow into a handsome young man who recently moved from home to his own place in the music capital of the world, Nashville, Tennessee.
Spencer Kane is about to turn 20 years old in October, has toured since he was 15, been on a TV sitcom for 2 seasons, appeared in the recent national film God’s Not Dead 2 and is slated to make a cameo in the upcoming family film CAMP COOL KIDS (Spring 2017).
His musical style has evolved through the awkward season of male puberty which can wreak havoc on a boy’s voice. Starting with more of an acoustic pop genre similar to Jason Mraz, he experimented with an electronic dance sound on his first EP titled ONE OF THE KIND in 2013. The music video for the anti-bullying title track yielded over 100,000 views on Youtube in less than a few months to make his internet presence known among young teen artists. In 2014 he released a full album which featured another shift in genre including the Billboard charting #2 single “RUNWAY”. The track was produced by Grammy winning Tyshane (Lecrae) and provided a strong foundation for Spencer’s national presence as an upcoming artist to be taken seriously. In 2015, he garnered his first award with the NEXT BIG THING title from the We Love Music Awards organization. With over 150 live shows and some 70,000 miles under his belt across the U.S. in a few short years, he began work on his new independent album titled KANE.
“I think working with so many professional producers in Nashville helped me understand how to create in the studio and when I was given the chance to write music the way I love to listen to music, it really opened my creative side,” said Spencer about his new album. “I love vocal production that is very detailed and involves a lot of harmonies and ad-libs and this new album really showcases my voice like never before.”
Commuting to Atlanta and Chicago in the fall of 2015 to record this latest album, Spencer explored a few music styles from ballads to straight pop and pure urban R&B, to even recording his first rap in the song called Love a Lil Bit. He released the album’s first single NEW LEVEL in early June and is seeing several radio adds around the country.
Most important to Spencer is his Christian faith and this new project is the first full faith based album he has recorded. Most of his previous work held a dual audience approach wherein the lyrics were positive and faith based, but could be played easily on a non-faith radio station. This new project is 100% centered around his faith walk with God and the lyrics clearly demonstrate his journey as a Christian teen. Songs like “God Stole My Heart”, “Love A Lil Bit” and “Diagram” are overtly written about a Christian life and some of the challenges a person faces. The single NEW LEVEL speaks of how God helps us to move to newer levels of faith and how we should do our best to keep climbing closer spiritually to God.
After recording half the album, Spencer was invited to audition for Island Records in Los Angeles by the former manager and creator of the world famous One Direction. He spent four days meeting with label executives and returned home only to receive a heartbreaking call that while they love his talent, he was not the right fit for their vision at the time. It was only a few days later that he received a phone call from founding member Caleb Grimm of the Pop Christian Group, Anthem Lights in Nashville. Alan Powell, another founding member, chose to continue his professional entertainment career as a movie actor and film director and was leaving the band. They had watched Spencer’s career over the years and felt he may be a good fit to join them. In a matter of 48 hours, they flew him to Tampa to meet at one of their concerts and within a week they extended an offer for him to replace Alan. This was early November. By January, he worked through details of joining Anthem Lights and on February 5, 2016, he was announced as the newest member of the group. The caveat being that he was not required to quit his solo music or acting career. In fact, they felt it would only enhance his membership in the group to have him staying involved in his solo brand.
I posted a Patriotic Music Medley that the boys produced for Independence Day on my personal Facebook this past July 4th, but its just too amazing not to share again in this publication.
Since joining Anthem Lights, Spencer finished a spring tour of six states with The Millennial Tour as a solo artist and concluded dates in the Hawaiian islands in April also as a solo artist. He moved to Nashville in early March and recently signed his first apartment lease. He tours and records with Anthem Lights while releasing songs on iTunes and Youtube with the group as well as his own cover songs and original music.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for his development as an artist, but more in seeing how God is using his notoriety to reach young people with the Christian faith. He is not pushy about it but just connects with his fans on social media and through his lyrics in a way that seems to be helping them,” stated his dad and manager, Patrick Hess. “I remember the first video he posted on YouTube and the massive hate he received from school and community young people because he was pursuing music in addition to his basketball and baseball passion. I remember his crying at times because it got so bad. Looking back though, I see the fingerprints of God on his path and how he has been able to take that adversity and help others along the way,” he added.
Spencer’s social media following has grown to well over 100,000 fans on his different accounts and more recently increased after Anthem Lights America Medley surpassed 11 million video views in only 4 days over the fourth of July weekend. It was a truly inspiring song that reached young and old alike and exposed his musical talents to a whole new audience that have chosen to follow his solo career as well.
The new album RELEASED TODAY JULY 22ND on all digital platforms and the first single NEW LEVEL shown above, features an official music video that shows scenes from his spring tour dates.
Spencer is now 6’3” and sporting beard stubble while living on his own in Nashville. All I can say is that it’s been a pleasure to watch him grow in his character and skill as an artist and become a very likable young man and role model to a generation normally forced to listen to destructive lyrics and music.
In closing I want to leave you with Spencer’s Most Popular Music Video. In fact this video Cover Song, has garnered about 400,000 streams on Spotify and is his #1 all-time download from iTunes to date. ENJOY!
Congratulations Spencer and we’ll keep an eye out for you in the music scene and on the big screen.
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