In this interview spotlight, we chat with Spitzer Space Telescope about releasing the new album as an app, adapting to the digital music world, influences and much more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?

I never expected to be on this musical journey, nobody in my family EVER listened to or cared about traditional folk music. Like a lot of people I discovered a tiny thread that caught my attention and gradually followed it from today’s folk music to the 60’s folk revival to the 30″s folk revival to its much older origins. Still to this day when I find a new song that sounds really ancient it just stops me in my tracks. As a teenager I didn’t think music like that was even still around outside of academic circles or Lord of the Rings movies, so when I learned where to find it I was absolutely hooked.

My drive to push it out to the public is simple: I love showing people how badass this music is. Specifically as a songwriter, I am trying to get really good at writing songs that sound super old but actually address very contemporary subjects. That has become a really hard but rewarding challenge that keeps me motivated to perform this music.

Who or what influences your creativity? Do you have different influences now, than when you started?

My influences have absolutely changed. In a nutshell I used to love the 60’s revival sound, but now I’ve grown a distaste for folk songs that sound too modern. Even instrumental fiddle tunes. If it sounds too modern it just doesn’t interest me at all. This is where I have to admit to myself that I’ve become a total fucking snob about it. What influences me now is my search for masterful folk songs: the ones that don’t just have KILLER melodies and painfully eloquent lyrics, but also deliver a super clear, unambiguous message. They are rare but I’m definitely finding them, and they have become such precious touchstones to me. I feel like the kid in class who is obsessed with his collection of worthless pencils. But in general I’m always inspired by contemporary artists that are writing material that sounds convincingly traditional.

What are you trying to accomplish specifically on Colonies in the Wild Frontier? Creatively or otherwise?

Colonies in the Wild Frontier was created to inspire young, broke artists like myself not to wait around for Sony and Apple to tell them what the future of music is going to be. I love vinyl records, but at the time I didn’t see anyone looking to the future of the music album, only people looking backward. Since the death of the CD, I think all of us young bands have just been waiting for these big companies to tell us what the new standard music format is going to be so we can follow suite, but I decided step up and take a shot at it myself. What all the indie bands out there should know is that I essentially created this whole album on my laptop, the same tool they are probably reading this article on.

What was the last song you listened to?

I actually just got back from England, so I’ve been listening to and editing all the folk songs I recorded there on my phone. I got a couple great ones, definitely going to learn some of them.

Do you ever use Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Other? Why? Why not?

I actually don’t use Spotify or Apple Music. My outlet of choice has been Youtube, but I also cruise Bandcamp occasionally. A lot of people I know are using Spotify, I will probably get an account going with them eventually, but right now I get everything I need from Youtube.

In addition to releasing your music as an app, you’re also planning to release apps for other artists. How are you going about advertising your services to other artists?

I am looking further into the Interactive Music Album format and how I can continue exploring it. At the moment I’m slowly conceptualizing a framework for an IMA that I will be able to customize to any band that I’m working with. The one thing I do know is that the album I design for the next band won’t look anything like mine. Colonies in the Wild Frontier was meticulously crafted to highlight folk music themes and traditions. The trick will be to tailor each band’s IMA specifically to their music, culture, fans and aesthetic. As I develop this framework further I will definitely start thinking about how to advertise my services to labels and artists, but my prediction is that in the next few years the tides will slowly start bringing them to me.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with new fans and reconnect with your old fans?

The biggest challenge in trying to connect with new fans is remembering how much work is needed outside of just putting your music online. That might sound like a weird answer, but its a really easy thing to forget. I think we all know bands and artists who are EXTREMELY talented, but who are sitting around thinking they’ll be “discovered” just because their work is on the internet. Then there are others who have already put in loads of work and assume that their fans are just going to recruit more people for them. These illusions are what keep you from connecting with new fans. This profession is a relentless fucking grind, but in a weird way I do enjoy it.

Anything else you’d like to add before signing off?

Tell your friends to buy my album.