Spencer Miles Abraham Allen, as is his full name, comes from Rochester in the state of New York. With his middle name Miles—of course inspired by the great Miles Davis—his parents practically set him on a musical path from birth.
While his artistic career slowly began to take off, they remained skeptical. When Spencer left college to focus on his music career, his parents were far from happy. He promised them that if things didn’t work out, he would be back in the lecture hall within a year. But by that time, he had already racked up a few million streams on Spotify and secured a record deal with 4AD—so his seat at college has remained empty for now, and his parents can rest easy again.
Proclaimed by Fader and Pitchfork as one of the acts to watch in 2021, Spencer can look ahead with confidence. With his single “Automatic,” he had already scored a small underground hit in 2019. With shimmering sounds somewhere between R&B, soul, and hip-hop, along with heavy basslines and indie guitars, Spencer sounds like few other artists right now. He mostly writes, produces, and records his music on his own.
He recorded his debut album “Are U Down” during the pandemic in Brooklyn, where he now lives and works. His new home, Bedford-Stuyvesant, has creatively inspired him—a fact that comes as no surprise, as this part of Brooklyn is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in this cultural melting pot. Artists like Clairo, Snail Mail, Binki, and Cautious Clay live in the immediate vicinity. They help, support, and inspire each other—just as good neighbors do.
The album was created with contributions from Luke Diamonds (guitar), Jake Aron (production parts), and Becky and the Birds on “After the Show,” who is also musically affiliated with 4AD.
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