Born from a lifetime of solo test runs, PR Newman, AKA Spencer Garland, has stepped out of the abyss of side-man roles, from such notable acts as Black Pumas and Matthew Logan Vasquez, and into the songwriting game where he has found a sense of belonging. Dubbed “Punkrock Randy Newman” by Basement-owner Kevin Grimes, the band takes its cues from its given name, leaning into the classics with a humorous yet insightful style and take. Recruiting fellow members from such notable acts as White Denim (Jeff Olson), Black Joe Lewis (Jordan Cook), Mother Falcon,Erika Wennerstrom (Sam Pankey), the band leans on strong musicianship for simple yet subtle arrangements to back the tongue-in-cheek, inward inflecting lyricism that front-man Spencer Garland has crafted through years of travel, touring, and insights on the industries that govern our world. PR Newman has toured the US extensively as well as eastern Canada and Europe. Their new album “Private Lives” highlights all of these aspects with lyrics hitting topical subjects with a Tom Waits flare of “analyze and toss aside” attitude, and spares no genre without a twist of modernity.
