Spencer Sutherland

Soulful pop and R&B vocalist Spencer Sutherland fuses vintage '70s rock-opera theatricality with modern pop instincts. Public notice first arrived during his 2017 stint on the U.K. edition of The X Factor, after which he issued the 2019 single "Sweater." His 2023 debut full-length, In His Mania, spotlighted his powerful voice and dramatic rock swagger, a direction he pursued further on the 2024 follow-up The Drama.

Born in Pickerington, Ohio, near Columbus, in 1992, Sutherland sang throughout childhood and participated in high-school musicals and show choir. Local gigs at restaurants and other spots soon followed. After relocating to Los Angeles he began co-writing and releasing early singles, including "Heartstrings" in 2013, "Bad Influence" in 2015, and "Girls" in 2016. Wider attention came in 2017 when he traveled to London for The X Factor; his audition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" carried him to the live shows. The next year he opened dates for JAGMAC, released the single "Talk," and signed with BMG. In 2019 the EP None of This Has Been About You appeared, led by "Sweater," followed in 2020 by the EP Indigo and its single "Wonder."

Acting opportunities surfaced in 2021 with a co-starring role opposite Victoria Justice in the Netflix film Afterlife of the Party; the pair also recorded the duet "Home" for its soundtrack. That year he guest-starred on the Amazon series I Know What You Did Last Summer and launched his own What a Shame Tour. Additional touring came in 2022 as support for Big Time Rush. February 2023 brought the full-length debut In His Mania, a collection of hook-driven pop and theatrical rock numbers that included a Meghan Trainor guest spot on "Chicken Little" and coincided with the In His Mania tour.

May 2024 saw the arrival of the single "Alive," which introduced his sophomore album The Drama, released that October. The record deepened Sutherland's classic '70s rock-opera aesthetic and yielded further singles "Let Me Loose" and the title track while featuring a duet with Rachel Platten.