Wesley Spangler began his music career in a two-man garage band in high school. His friend Brian had first learned to play drums, and approached him about joining. Wesley initially lied about playing guitar to get in, but then made good on his promise by learning.
Today he plays six other instruments; including keyboards, bass, drums, and the fiddle.
“We listen to everything,” Spangler says, “rap, rock, heavy metal – everything. We used to listen to heavy metal a lot – and then we started a country band.” He laughs as he adds, “I have no idea how that happened.”
As far as country music goes, Spangler loves the work of Keith Urban, and Brad Paisley. In
fact, Spangler has shared a stage with Paisley before, right alongside Blake Shelton. He
remembers it at his most memorable performance to-date.
After the show, he says Shelton got pretty drunk and sang karaoke with him. It was a night
to remember, for sure, with “Ebony and Ivory” belted from the side of the stage.
These opportunities and others have taken Wesley Spangler all along the south, and east
coast, and to many states in-between. He’s played shows in Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Alabama, and South Dakota, but has yet to land a show in the ever-elusive Kentucky.
“I have three friends that live in Kentucky, and they always say ‘You gotta play here’,” he
says. “But it never works out.”
Spangler has also shared a mobile stage with other big acts on the Country Cruise, which he
hopes to join again in 2017. Another memorable ‘gig’ was an impromptu performance near
Giza, just for the heck of it.
In spite of all this, Spangler still yearns for the true tour experience – in a bus going across
the United States, and other countries. “I don’t have to be a household name,” he concedes,
“but I’d love a legit tour, for one season or more. Just that and I’d be a happy camper.”
While he closes in on that goal, Spangler is also in the studio working on a brand new EP,
which will feature tracks like “Something I Ain’t” and “Ten Point Buck.” The latter has
achieved resounding indie-success; and fans who know the band well, even put together a
dance at the shows, every time they perform it.
When asked what advice he might pass on to other newcomers looking to reach and even
surpass his success, Spangler says, “Do every single thing as professionally as you can. Look
at your idols… investigate how they do things.”
He also advises performers to, “Play your A-Game every time – whether there’s 20 or 1000
people in the audience.”
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