Meet FREDDY of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to FREDDY

Hi FREDDY, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always wanted to be a singer. A popstar specifically, like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. But I was a shy and very nervous, fearful child. My father was in the music industry and was one of the first VJs on MTV in 1981. He played every genre of music for me constantly on the weeks he had me. My parents divorced when I was four. I did school plays and talent shows occasionally growing up, but singing was mostly something I did in secret in my childhood bedrooms. I moved a lot. Like A LOT A LOT. I would put on shows for my stuffed animals and that made me happy. I imagine it was my escape or distraction from the impermanence and ever changing place(s) I called “home”.

After graduating from Agoura High School, I went to San Francisco State University for only two years. During my Sophomore year I wanted to drop out and just dive into music for real, all out. Shoot my shot for lack of a better phrase.

I lived with my mom in California the last three years of highschool, while my dad made a home in New York City so I’d visit a lot. A LOT A LOT. I randomly met this guy in Times Square at that surf shop chain called Quicksilver, on a trip to Manhattan to visit my father. The guy played guitar and wrote songs, we exchanged phone numbers, and said we’d stay in touch. I was 17, he was 2o something.

A couple years later an opportunity came my way. My best friend’s mom ran an artist showcase for years called Sunset Sessions, where for one weekend a year music execs, A&R, and anyone in music business would attend and watch new music that was booked from morning til night. I had an opportunity to play when I was mouthing off about dropping out of college. My friend’s mom offered me a spot; playing the “late night lounge” for 15 minutes at 11:30 PM no stage just in a hotel room to close the night.

I had only written like two songs when I was 11 or 12. So I had no idea what to really do to prepare. I ended up calling the guy I met in Times Square. He was on a plane to San Francisco within 48 hours. We wrote 5 songs in one week. Played my first open mic down the street from my school. And attended the showcase. Before I even played my late night lounge spot, we were playing in different hotel rooms for different executives. I booked my first festival, called Mountain Jam in Woodstock NY on one of the side stages.

I left the bay. Moved home to LA, and started networking with different producers and songwriters for the next few years. Booked a reality show Linda Perry was doing, but then dropped out due to relationship drama with my cowriter and guitar player. It all became too much with stuff I am not willing to talk about openly, so I gave up and started to learn/play around with studying comedy. I went to The Groundlings, studied improv, got an agent started auditioning, got super deep into yoga and meditation, came back to singing, writing, recording, Collaborated with different producers and songwriters from Los Angeles to Nashville to New York to Miami.

In 2016 I put out an EP under the name Spencer Emanuelle. I thought I’d become Beyonce overnight. NOPE. Kept writing and recording and meeting more people in the industry. I started putting out music in 2020 under the name FREDDY; standing for Freedom Really Exists Deeply Doing You. A little country, a little rock, a little pop. I’m still currently bending genres.

Took another breather to lean more into my own voice instead of my collaborators, and started releasing music again in May of this year. I planned to put out one song a month, and start booking live gigs. I have a show next week at a bar in West Hollywood called Employees Only. Playing my most recent releases in addition to stuff that’s coming out soon. My next single drops at the end of the month; August 30th – it’s called “Goin Strong”. A Nashville, dive bar inspired kinda silly, super rocky song.

Also preparing to shoot my first music video in October in Nashville. Very excited about that, as I currently don’t have any visual content.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
HA! Anything but smooth! There has been collaborator drama, love triangle drama, the sad but typical young girl in the industry being sexually harrassed drama. I’ve been shamed and belittled, too afraid to speak my mind in a writing session. The list of challenges is honestly steep. Through my yoga practice and meditation practice however I am learning to let the old story go though. It’s all just a part of it. I am detatched. Honestly I am grateful for the hiccups and set backs. They have made me tougher and more resilient. Also, I haven’t been a peach every single step of the way. I have been so blind to my “IS THIS IT?!” possibilities that I have walked away from collaborators that I really respected, admired, and loved. I have apologized but I still don’t think it’s enough. I miss one writing relationship so much and sadly I think I just fucked it up too badly. But you live and learn. And I send him love and thanks weekly when I meditate. I hope one day our paths cross again. He is killing it right now and I am so happy for him.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To keep a steady paycheck I teach yoga and meditation at an incredible studio in Westlake Village called The Ritual. It grounds me and keeps me optimistic as I chase my popstar dreams.
I am a singer, songwriter, and recording artist otherwise. I am proud of my resilience to all the rejection I’ve received. I am proud of my ability to forgive myself for my past mistakes. I am proud of myself for trusting my own words in the art I am currently making. I won’t release or perform anything anymore that doesn’t feel authentically ME. More specifically that I haven’t wrote more than half of myself. I am trying to trust in my campy nature and odd quirks instead of hiding them and feeling there is no right lane for me. I am thrilled to be working with three incredible men who respect me and believe in me and make me a better. artist. Eric Scullin, Tyler Thompson, and Eric Dash I love you and I am so grateful for you and all that you do for me. You are incredible musicians and producers and more so incredible friends. Lucky to work with ya’ll.

I think what sets me apart from others is that no one sounds like me. Sure you may be able to hear my vocal inspiration: Joss Stone, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Leon Bridges, Shania Twain, but the voice I have been given is uniquely mine. The way I write is different than most because I don’t play an instrument (well) I draw inspiration from the present moment alone. I topline acapella – to nothing at all but the sound of my thoughts. I am genre-less because I really believe I can do it all. I want to be country, I want to be pop, I want to be R&B, I want to be rock, I want to be me. And if it takes 10 more years for people to hop aboard the FREDDY farm, so be it. I have spent too long allowing the shy, fearful child in me to lead. A much free-er version of me is now directing the show. Guarantee once you hear me sing, you will always know, oh that’s FREDDY.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe in God, faith, prayer, meditation, manifestation, persistence, work ethic, and the right timing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamfreddyspencer/
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5GnLVQCGJivQwbauZRqOoo?si=RYHe1-J3RsG7qgfJvUZbCw

Image Credits
Jordan Knight – the professional shots // not live show shots