Introducing Spencer Radcliffe (And Everyone Else)

I played Spencer Radcliffe (and his experimental electronic offspring, Blithe Field) on my humble college radio show so often last year, hearing new stuff from him kind of feels like getting a letter from an old friend. Or friends, now, I guess, considering the addition of “& Everyone Else” to the project's moniker. With the new syllables comes a new single: “Wrong Turn” is debuting below, our first taste of the Run For Cover-signed collective's new LP, Enjoy The Great Outdoors.

"Wrong Turn" is definitely an exploration in collaboration, an intersecting point on the paths of many. “Maybe we’d enjoy the great outdo-o-o-o-o-ors,” Radcliffe sings, stretching the word out endlessly. The band, who he's been playing live shows with since last year, seems to react almost instinctively: the militia-like drums push forward, while the guitar chords cast weird and warped shadows.

“I felt like, for now at least, the crest had been reached for the theme of [an] individual playing every instrument on a recording,” Radcliffe told The FADER over email. “It's a noble task with merits of its own, but there's the inevitable sacrifice of the magic that can happen with collaboration. Performing with the group had repeatedly shown a real energy added to the songs. Bringing that spirit of collaborating and the exchange of ideas into the studio felt like the only natural step for us.”