Today, emerging artist Auditorium—the musical alias of multifaceted musician Spencer Berger—releases the deluxe reissue of his debut album, Be Brave. Berger recorded Be Brave with a single microphone in the bedroom of his first Los Angeles apartment, featuring only three elements—acoustic guitar, electric bass and vocals. By using just two instruments to propel the songs, Berger conjured a wholly unique sound, blended eloquently with his classically trained voice and multi-layered harmonies.
“Last year marked the 10th anniversary of Be Brave, and I found myself exploring my old recordings from that era,” explains Berger. “Nine of the ten bonus tracks on the deluxe edition are demos for songs that didn’t make the final cut—but there are elements of those songs that made it onto the album. For instance, the rhythm guitar in ‘The Best Story I Know’ inspired the sound of ‘Sunday,’ and the background harmonies in ‘This One’s for You’ influenced how I approached recording harmonies throughout the album. The one live track is ‘Young’—it’s one of the first songs I ever wrote, and this is the only recording of it that exists. It was captured at a small coffeehouse across the street from my college campus.”
I was inspired to write the song because of a movie idea that a friend and I were collaborating on at the time, but the song wasn’t the right fit for the film either. But I’ve always remembered that there were a few close friends who I showed the demo to all those years ago who were very supportive of it—so the memory of their kind words spurred me to put the demo on the deluxe edition.”
Tell us about yourself as an artist
I get excited by projects that I’m not quite sure if I can pull off, and by collaborating with people whose brains can do things that mine can’t. The music video for “Sunday” is a perfect example of the latter. I’m not a particularly visually oriented person, so it’s a joy to collaborate with someone like Ben Barnes (the video’s director), whose mind churns out one beautiful image after another.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
I’ve got two little kids, so at this moment, they’re pretty much dominating my universe. But I’m grateful to be ruled by them. Except when they’re stomping on my skull. Or sitting on my skull. Or throwing objects at my skull. I need to start wearing a helmet.
What makes “Sunday” special in your opinion?
It was a scary song for me to write, because I had never been so lyrically direct. So, as a songwriter, it’s special to me because it helped me knock down some creative barriers. Up to that point, I had always resisted weaving specific autobiographical details into my songs. If not for “Sunday,” there are several songs I wouldn’t have had the courage to write over the past decade.
What inspired this track?
The song was written while I was falling in love with the person that I would eventually marry. At that time, we were living 3,000 miles apart. Writing “Sunday” was my way of wishing for a future in which we could spend our lives together. I got my wish.
What are some of the core messages here?
The final line of the song is, “There’s no sense in planning for joy we’ve been told, but every Sunday, we can’t help but hope.” That sums up where my head was at as I was writing the song. I was grappling with the fact that I could be setting myself up for a crushing blow if my hopes for the future didn’t come true. But I didn’t want to stop hoping. And that’s still where I’m at today. I’d prefer to keep hoping, even if it hurts me.
How do you think tik tok and social media are contributing to change an artist’s career?
My social media game isn’t particularly strong, but I do think it can be an invaluable tool for connecting with people who appreciate your art. It’s empowering to be able to put something out there on your own and see it spread to corners of the Earth that you never expected your work to reach.
What excites you about your life?
The knowledge that I’m still unknowledgeable about so much—and the desire to keep learning. I’m not the best student, but I am an eager one. My kids have taught me a lot about curiosity. They have no shame about asking questions and proclaiming their ignorance. I aspire to approach that level of shamelessness.
What are some of your core values as a human being?
I’m pretty big on the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. I have a vivid memory of my mother dropping that bomb on me when I was a kid. I can’t claim to always be successful at following it, but it’s something to aim for. The only problem with the golden rule is that you have to be prepared to not have the same courtesy extended towards you.
What are your projects for this year?
I’m already deep into working on a new, full-length Auditorium album, which I’ll be releasing in 2023. Finishing that album will most likely take up the bulk of my time this year. Ben Barnes and I are also in the very early stages of working on a film project that has nothing to do with Auditorium—but the details are too amorphous to share at this point. Even we aren’t entirely sure what we’re working on yet. But, like I said, I get excited by projects that I’m not quite sure if I can pull off. And this is certainly one of them.
