“These songs exist as documents of where you were at, as an artist, at that time”—Erik Zobler
(sound engineer for K. Loggins, George Duke).
Spencer Lewis Releases First EP, “The Grower”Feb. 20, 2024 (Bethel, VT)
Spencer Lewis and Woodstone Mountain are pleased to announce the release of Lewis’s first EP, The Grower. Containing six once-
forgotten songs with evocative lyrics too compelling to ignore, The Grower incorporates rich sounds from several of Lewis’
long-time collaborators in the studio. As Lewis has reflected on his archive of 26 albums and
other unreleased material, this collection represents a musical journey in which Lewis sought
ways to expand on the folk-rock genre. By adding vocals to his signature layered instrumental
compositions, he creates a free-form lyrical approach combining the poetic expression of
hard-earned wisdom with a serendipitous lightness of being.
The title track is meticulously remastered from the 1990 cassette Songs of Change. It features
acclaimed jazz pianist Eugene Uman with Lewis on guitar and vocals in their intuitively
explosive performance. It was recorded and mixed in an all-analog sonic footprint from
Spencer’s 8-track reel-to-reel to the legendary White Crow Audio studio in Burlington, VT. Uman
is director of the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro Vermont, and has also featured on several
of Lewis’s albums, including Dirt Road Instrumentals (2002) and The Healing Distance (2005).
Percussionist Barry Miller is featured on the tender and haunting song “What If Time.” Written in
the wake of tragic loss when Lewis’s parents both died together in 2008, Miller’s organic
percussion is fluidly juxtaposed to the personal transformation of grief. This previously
unreleased song was recorded in 2013. The song speaks to the dual nature of love and loss
and the healing power of music to entwine both aspects of humanity.
“To All Fathers Missed" is a 1:58 excerpt from the rambling eíght-minute track from Lewis’ 2012
all-instrumental folk-rock tome “Vermont Resurrection.” Jeff Berlin’s dramatic drum tracks were
recorded at Bow Thayer’s Woodshed Studio in Gaysville, VT by the eminent studio engineer
Tim Mikovitz (Aaron Neville, D.Chopra, Catamount Arts, VT State U faculty).
“Say No More” is a lyrical meditation of self-examination, thriving on the single mantra:
“All the rays in me”.
“See the Clear” builds upon a series of structural tempo changes, concluding with the ethereal
and pristine vocals of Lewis’s daughter, Ariana Lewis.
“Zephyr Ride” uses the rollicking, swirling Americana stew of fiddles, octave mandolin, banjo,
bass, and drums to bring home its earnest message:
I want a cool breeze and a fair wind
And a sweet zephyr ride
to help me to glide through the change
The Grower is a bold departure from Lewis’s instrumental ‘music that paints the rural landscape
and quiets the mind.’ It posits a deeply felt meditation on lived experience and the creative
process laid bare.
Stream/download “The Grower”
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Spencer Lewis (born 1953, Manhasset, NY) has spent his life fusing his love of nature with
music. Starting at age 8, he studied classical violin for four formative years. At age 13, he
learned guitar at Long Island’s (NY) beloved Guitar Workshop, which introduced him to folk
music and its culture. The violin and guitar continue to be Lewis’s primary instruments today.
With a catalog of over 26 albums, the influence of these early musical teachings and the
merging of classical and contemporary folk can be heard in his signature sound and original
compositions.
Lewis founded his Quartz Recordings label in 1983. He has performed nationally and across the
state of Vermont, where he has lived and worked since age 19. As a writer, producer, and
recording artist with over 120,000 units sold and 100K+ streams per year, he combines his
best-selling instrumental series with the singer-songwriter work that started his career.
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