Spencer Mulder

Spencer Mulder isn't unlike many young rock musicians mesmerized by the bewitching power of music, creating songs that resonate well beyond the confines of basement jam sessions.
But at 20, with his second full-length album officially released today, Mulder also clearly possesses the kind of mature, extraordinarily inviting songwriting that turns heads: His rootsy, hook-filled tunes complement a voice that sounds older and more confident than his years.
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He can't help himself. Music is all he thinks about.
The Grand Rapids singer-songwriter's new CD, "Rewind," boasts 16 tracks and that's just the tip of his musical iceberg: He came into Mackinaw Harvest Music studios with a whopping 43 songs and wrote another three during recording sessions early this year. "The juices were flowing," he told me. "I write all the time."
It's that insatiable urge to create that drives the best of them, and Mulder obviously is driven "to make music that I want to make."
So much so that Mulder, a hockey star at Forest Hills Northern High School, took off his skates and hasn't "actually touched the ice since our last high school game two years ago. That's when music took over."
He also clearly remembers telling his parents, Kim and Joan Mulder, that he planned to skip college to pursue a career in rock music. Oh yeah, just what dad and mom wanted to hear.
"They just freaked, but I think I just kept saying it the whole time and I didn't change my mind, so now they're definitely supportive," he said. "I just feel like going to college is unnecessary for what I want to do."
So much for the conventional path to success, eh? But hey, John Lennon and Bob Dylan didn't exactly follow the customary, expected trajectory either.
Dylan, Ryan Adams, The Rolling Stones and Wilco certainly have influenced Mulder's musical quest, as has Mackinaw Harvest Music studio owner and Troll for Trout frontman Michael Crittenden, who produced Mulder's new album and 2008 debut.
"The first time he came to my studio, he had just turned 16. I asked him to sing something for me and when he stepped up to the mic, he really delivered, no holding back," noted Crittenden, now also Mulder's manager. "Most kids that age ... are afraid to really commit to a performance. This was certainly not the case with Spencer." And Mulder's come a long way since, improving as a lyricist and performer. "His voice has settled in and he has more control," Crittenden said.

Even Mulder admits his latest CD project was "a lot different" than his first, with more consistent songwriting and a greater degree of comfort in the recording studio. The themes of loss (girls, friendships) and "being your own person" weave their way through the new album in catchy, insightful fashion.
Of course, Mulder, who'll perform with his band (bassist Alex VanHouten and drummer Jay Kolk) in hopes of expanding his fan base beyond Michigan in coming months, has heard the buzz surrounding his music locally. The songs "Rewind" and "Expired" from the new CD already are getting radio airplay on WBFX-FM (101.3 The Fox).
Crittenden even figures the young singer-guitarist has "a great shot at being the level of a Ryan Adams or a Wilco. He's got the voice, the songs, the look, the work ethic, a growing fan base and a team around him."
But as Mulder so bluntly -- and maturely -- puts it, "Nothing's happened yet. ... I'm definitely happy that everyone's digging it. That's exactly what I want to hear. But I'm not about to walk around all cocky yet."
IF YOU GO
When: 5 p.m. Sunday (doors open at 4 p.m.)
Where: The Intersection, 133 Grandville Ave. SW
Admission: $5 at the door, this is an all-ages show - The Grand Rapids Press