Ritch Spence

Ritch Spence

I’ve written music since I was first allowed on the piano and played my first gig when I was 12. I write constantly; lying in bed at night, on the piano at home and on the road with a guitar. I like words too; metaphor, double meanings, layers underneath layers and evocative imagery…I often start songs with words first and write music around them.

I was born in London, England, grew up in Yorkshire and studied a BA hons Music at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, although my mother and father taught me most of what I know today.

Other than music, my lifelong love is for novels and literature. The words of the writers I read while growing probably have as much influence on my sound and artistic direction as the bands I listened to...

…I like Tolstoy, Tolkien, Anne Rice, George Orwell, Philip Pullman and Dostoevsky...

...I also like REM, Pearl Jam, Fiona Apple, The Wildhearts, Smashing Pumpkins, Tori Amos, The Wallflowers, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Chopin and Debussy.

One of my dreams is to record and perform with an orchestra.

I became interested in music production while living in London in my early twenties and spent time working in two recording studios there. I soon wrote and recorded my debut album “Labyrinth Tracks in 2009, along with a suite of instrumental pieces.

I moved to the USA and became involved in the American musician business from 2007 onwards as a founding member of the Country-Rock group Emma King and the Heartsets. I also wrote songs for and produced the EKH debut album “Life Under Lights” in 2008, which received 5/5 and was described as ‘Stunning!” by Country music magazine Maverick.

Listeners often say my work sounds like ‘film music’.... come and see if you like it!