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Interview with
SPENCER VINSON
from
GO FOR GOLD

(17th February 2022)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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Go For Gold got its start in Little Rock, AR in 2017 as a project with Spencer Vinson and Jared Williams. The band, inspired by Blink-182, Citizen, and The Story So Far, contains a high-energy, raw pop-punk sound. Williams needed vocal talent, so he asked Spencer to do it for fun and found his fit right there. In 2018, the two knew they wanted to make this more than just a hobby and started work on a full-length.

Go For Gold’s first album, Daydreamer, released in 2019 after being recorded in their garage, 100% DIY. Their first show in 2019 sold out a 200 cap venue, along with an album release show bringing in over 500 people who sang along and gleefully stage dived.

The band signed to InVogue Records prior to COVID hitting and shutting the world down. With the label, they released another hit single, “Let Me Go” and the Color Me EP. While quarantined, Go For Gold wrote a full-length album and recorded it with Nick Ingram (Beartooth, Hawthorne Heights, Like Moths To Flames, etc.). Now, the group has solidified its lineup and is eager to fill up 2022 with shows to entertain an audience with brand-new music.

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How did the band come together? Is there someone who is a “driving force”, or do you all make decisions together?
Jared Williams (Guitarist) and I formed Go For Gold back in 2017 as a project that we thought would be cool to do in our local music scene. It’s super cool to watch it blossom into something that’s been able to grow into what it is now. And we are still pushing as much as we can for that growth! But if anything, Jared is the absolute powerhouse of the band. He’s constantly working and showing me how things should be done. What a guy.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
Our sound is a mix of pop punk / alternative rock / emo. We honestly just do what feels natural for us. As far as why people resonate with it, we’ll never understand. We’re just glad someone’s listening, and if we talk about certain topics in songs that do resonate with people going through a similar issue, we’re just glad we can be there for them when it feels like no one else is.

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today?
For me I think Green Day has had the biggest hand in showing me showmanship as far as crowd entertainment goes. When I first got American Idiot, I was just blown away at the album. Still am! But as far as the rest of the guys, we’re pretty much a big melting pot of genres. We all listen to different stuff and bring things to the table.

Your new single Snow Angels has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution.
Snow angels is a lyrical metaphor for time in the song. We’re questioning if we did something impactful and whether we spent our time wisely as we only get a small amount which flies by quickly. We make these imprints on the world but eventually they vanish just like snow melting. Pretty deep stuff for a pop punk band.

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Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
We are always writing new stuff! Whether we use it or not is really the question. Our new LP “COPE” is out on March 4th though, that’s gonna be super cool to see the reactions of people. We’re stoked with how all the songs turned out.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
We try to hit the road as much as possible, but with Covid and how life goes, sometimes it’s just not in the cards. However, we will be hitting a lot of new markets this year and hopefully turning some heads.

How has COVID affected you to date? What have you introduced to balance the losses from missed events?
We signed with a record label a couple months before COVID started and right when we were about to drop our EP “Color Me” is when the lockdown started. We had a few tours lined up, but when they cancelled we tried to balance it out by boosting our online presence. You can only do so much in a time like that!

If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
I’d probably choose Green Day. I know, I know. Basic answer. But they definitely bring the heat live and it’s always a cool show. Plus those guys are old now anyways.

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Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist?
I think just like anyone else who is passionate about music, I’d like to be able to focus on it full time and pay my bills with it. It’s a short and sweet answer without getting into some crazy story about how I just want to be like Kiss and singing the same songs when I’m 70.

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
The best thing is when you’re playing to a crowd who’s familiar with your music and not being able to hear yourself over the PA because the whole room is screaming your lyrics back at you louder than the sound can pump it out. As far as a highlight, we played a benefit show a while back to rebuild the Vinos stage in Little Rock. That venue has been a staple in our music scene for longer than I’ve been alive and we were able to come together with some other cool bands and raise enough funds to completely redo their stage for them.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – American Idiot – Green Day
Artist – Movements
Movie – Jurassic Park
Place to visit – Romance Cliff Overlook
Venue to play – Vinos Brewpub (Little Rock)
Food –  Chinese takeout
Drink – zero sugar rootbeer or Miller lite
Person in History –  Steve Buscemi
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?)  My knees have “Be Good / Be Safe” tattoo’d above them. 

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Stream/purchase ‘Snow Angels’ HERE

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Follow GO FOR GOLD
Facebook – Instagram – Spotify
YouTube – TikTok

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AMNPLIFY – DB