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Spencer Ludwig
Background information
Birth nameSpencer Ludwig
Born (1990-06-24) 24 June 1990 (age 34)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Trumpeter, songwriter, producer
Instrument(s)Trumpet, vocals
Years active2011–present
LabelsWarner Bros., Trumpet Records
Member of
WebsiteSpencerLudwig.com

Spencer Ludwig (born 24 June 1990) is an American trumpeter, singer, songwriter, producer and musical director from Los Angeles, California. The former trumpet player for the band Capital Cities, he recorded on their debut album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery and toured with them from 2011 to 2015. He has also performed with Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Gallant, Mike Posner, Foster the People, Portugal. The Man, Fitz and the Tantrums, RAC, Joywave, St. Lucia, Cherub, and The Wailers. In 2018, he went independent and formed his own label, Trumpet Records.[1]

Early life and education

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Ludwig is the son of a Filipino mother and a Russian-Jewish father. He grew up in Los Angeles, California.[2] He attended Oakwood School and began playing saxophone in the fourth grade due to his school's support for performing arts.[3] Ludwig grew fond of jazz music and performed in the school's jazz band during his middle school years.[3]

Ludwig learned to play the French horn in high school but decided to apply to college as a trumpet player.[3] He started off by teaching himself how to play the trumpet going into his senior year of high school.[3] He was accepted to California Institute of the Arts where he studied jazz.[3] He supported his way through school by playing with local bands from Los Angeles and teaching trumpet part-time at his former high school.[2]

Career

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Ludwig was part of the local Los Angeles music scene, performing with numerous bands.[4] He began performing while in college, forming a cover band with friends that graduated from Oakwood School a few years before him.[5] It was in 2011 that Ludwig got his break with Capital Cities.[6]

While playing at a local music festival with a band called Sister Rogers in 2011, Capital Cities band members Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian watched him perform, later asking him to join the group as its trumpet player.[7][8] Ludwig shifted his focus to solely playing with the band and recorded and toured with them for the next four years.[9] He recorded trumpet on the group's platinum debut album, In a Tidal Wave of Mystery.[10]

In 2015, Ludwig signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records as a solo artist.[11] In July 2016, he released his first two singles "Diggy" and "Right Into U".[12] The song "Diggy" was featured in Target's fall style TV campaign, which premiered on September 14, 2016.[13] "Diggy" also appeared in the feature film, Happy Death Day,[14] and the video game Just Dance 2018. In 2018 Ludwig left Warner Bros. Records to pursue a career as an independent artist and to form his own record label, Trumpet Records. In March 2018, he released his first single as an independent artist "Just Wanna Dance" and he collaborated with five-time Latin Grammy winner Fonseca on his song "Por Pura Curiosidad",[citation needed] which was featured on his album Agustín and earned a Latin Grammy in 2019 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.[15]

In 2017, in front of 46,556 fans, he performed the national anthem on trumpet at the 2017 NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri featuring the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues (a first for the Winter Classic). That same year he became the official band leader and musical director for the annual NFL Honors Awards and in 2021 he became the musical director for the ESPY Awards.[16]

Discography

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Solo releases

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Year Title Album
2016 "Diggy" Non-album singles
"Right into You"
"Midnight Special"
"Good Time People"
"Diggy" feat. Sofia Reyes
2017 "Fuel to the Fire"
"Legend"
"Got Me Like"
2018 "My Trumpet" feat. MC Davo
"Honeymoon"
"Just Wanna Dance"
"Watch Me Walk"
2019 "Best Life"
"Jungle in Me"
"My Nature" feat. Zak Downtown
"Brand New"
2021 "From the Vault (Instrumental)" From the Vault
"From the Vault"

Songwriting, recording and production credits

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Year Artist Album Credit[17] Certifications
2011 The Belle Brigade The Belle Brigade Flugelhorn
2013 Capital Cities In a Tidal Wave of Mystery Trumpet RIAA: Platinum[18]
2015 Never Shout Never Black Cat Trumpet
Iration Hotting Up Trumpet
Wale The Album About Nothing Trumpet
2017 Magic Giant In the Wind Trumpet
Sofia Reyes Louder! Trumpet, songwriter, featured artist RIAA: Gold[19]
Dua Lipa Live Acoustic EP Trumpet
2018 Fonseca Agustîn Trumpet, songwriter, producer, featured artist
Wingtip Ghosts of Youth Trumpet, songwriter
KUURO What U Wanna Do Songwriter, featured artist[citation needed]
Mini Mansions Flashbacks: A Collection of B-sides from the Great Pretenders Trumpet[citation needed]
2019 Syn Cole Cool with That Songwriter[citation needed]
2020 Too Many Zooz Make Room Songwriter, featured artist[citation needed]
Various artists 100 Greatest Covers Trumpet
Spencer Zahn Sunday Painter Trumpet
2021 Fitz Head Up High Trumpet
Aloe Blacc Made from the Stars Trumpet
Various artists Despertar Contento Trumpet
Sofia Reyes Más Trumpet, songwriter, producer
2022 Kill the Noise EMBRACE Trumpet, featured artist
Jaded Can You Feel It Trumpet, songwriter
Harm & Ease, Fefe Dobson Lemonade Trumpet, songwriter
2023 Travis Scott Utopia Trumpet
Boy in Space Ciao Trumpet, songwriter, producer
Pigeon John Step On Out Trumpet, songwriter, producer
Galxara Umami Trumpet, songwriter, producer

References

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  1. ^ "Spencer Ludwig - About". spencerludwig.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  2. ^ a b Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  4. ^ Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  5. ^ Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  6. ^ Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  7. ^ Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  8. ^ Harrison, Daniel (15 October 2013). "Spencer Ludwig Takes Life By The Horns". Gainesville Scene. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  9. ^ Church, Yunus (20 March 2015). "Artist Spotlight: Spencer Ludwig". Jam Feed. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  10. ^ "Diez imperdibles del Lollapalooza 2014". Rolling Stone. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  11. ^ Mishan, Ligaya (13 July 2015). "Capital Cities' Spencer Ludwig Sings the Praises of the Lowly Wooden Spoon". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  12. ^ "Spencer Ludwig Gets You Moving With Diggy & Right Into U". Warner Bros. Records. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016. [verification needed]
  13. ^ Spencer Ludwig Releases 'Diggy' + Appears in Fall TV Spot [verification needed]
  14. ^ Happy Death Day (2017) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-02-16
  15. ^ "Latin GRAMMYs". Latin GRAMMYs. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  16. ^ "Presenters and Attendees Announced for The 2021 ESPYS Hosted by Anthony Mackie this Saturday on ABC". ESPN Press Room U.S. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  17. ^ "Spencer Ludwig | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  18. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  19. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
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