Spero
San Diego, CA | Established. Jan 01, 2012 | SELF
Music
Press
Jesse Hofstee and Hillary Laughery play off of each other wonderfully to create their own dynamic sound that comes off a little folksy when upbeat and a little psychedelic when downbeat. - Richard MacDougall - Blues Rock Review
On their sophomore release, Spero have crafted a cohesive Mobius strip of an album with "Pride." Clocking in at 25 minutes, the record's six songs range from funeral procession folk dirges to sepia-toned barroom brawl blues bombs and fuzz rock explosions. The atmospheric, somber affair sounds painstakingly pieced together; the throbbing, tremolo guitar of "Better Man"; the percussive hi-hat and stick-click intricacy of "Can't Get More"; the sprightly piano on "Friend" -- all contributing to the songs' surprisingly svelte transitions. Indeed, most of the tracks are shape-shifters -- starting as one thing and eventually launching into another, as though the band (vocalist/guitarist Jesse Hofstee, vocalist/pianist Hillary Laughery, bassist Nick Hankins and drummer Ryan Malette) has some kind of musical attention deficit disorder. Spero, "Pride" EP -- out nowIt works to their advantage: Instead of drowning in the pool of blues/rock bands that started popping up like bad acne after hearing "I Got Mine" by the Black Keys, Spero confront the burden of the stale genre head on and brush it off. Case in point: "Talking Up," which begins with a lurching stomp and leans into a slow, distorted bass line that plays over swampy electric piano. It could have easily ended up with some boring, mainstream radio–ready chorus but instead erupts into a cavalcade of swirling organ and crunchy guitar riffage -- all while Laughery snarls and spits her way through volcanic refrains of "So go on/And look me in the eye/And do what you do best/Lie." They're some of the most vitriolic, embittered vocals that have echoed through San Diego in a while. After the soaring slide guitar of the closing track ("They Say") settles, an all-too-brief atmospheric piano (reminiscent of Elliott Smith's "Bye") concludes the record and perfectly bridges the end of the EP with the beginning notes of the first track -- an endless loop, if you will. Which ain't a bad idea at all, considering you'll most likely have "Pride" on repeat. - Dustin Lothspeich - SoundDiego
Next up was San Diego band Spero, another band who seemed to surprisingly blow away the crowd. Sounding like they crawled out of Tennessee backwoods, this band was pure energy and rock n roll. Every member trashed, screamed, and head-banged the shit of out their tracks, with infectious energy and passion. - Amanda Martinek - ListenSD
Discography
"Eclipse" Produced and Mixed by Vance Powell (May 2016)
1. Firebreather
2. Broke the Cup
3. The Sounds
4. Weight of It
5. Eclipse
"Pride" recorded at Rarefied Studio (2014)
1. Can't Get More
2. Friend
3. Pride
4. Better Man
5. Talking Up
6. They Say
"Rational Paths" recorded at Big Fish Studio (2013)
1. Bones
2. Growing Blues
3. Reading Minds
4. We Will Be
5. Quiet Down
6. Interlude
7. Black Crow
8. Broken in Four
9. Rational Paths
Secrets- Single (2012)
Photos
Bio
Sperø started with a self taught guitarist (Jesse Hofstee) and a classically trained pianist (Hillary Laughery) spending 8 hours straight in a room in Alpine, CA trying to create something based on the bands they loved. Together they created a rock and roll style that pulled influences from modern and classic rock that they had listened to through out their lives. Immediately, they clicked, started writing, and soon found a bass player and drummer to join with the same drive and passion as them. With each member bringing their own background and influences to the table, Sperø was able to create a heavier blues sound with rich, gritty tones. Their sound has been compared to many artists including The Dead Weather and The Black Keys. They pull influences from the classic rock bands they grew up on as well as an array of more modern artists. Spero has had success by playing at local San Diego venues such as: The House of Blues and The Casbah. They have also had success away from home by playing tours up the coast and at RedGorilla fest during the SXSW music conference in Austin.
They most recently were invited to Nashville, TN record their upcoming EP “Eclipse” with grammy winning engineer and producer Vance Powell. It is a serious testament to the hard work the band put into writing their songs and the result is a reflection of their collectively dark brooding mindsets. The nature of the album also directly defines their live show, which has always been a high energy passionate affair. With the new release set for May 2016 Spero is ready to push their new sound to new audiences and places, sharing their passionate mindsets and rock and roll attitude.
Band Members
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