Pop singer Spencer Sutherland is a Columbus native.  His first single ‘Heartstrings’ was released in December. Credit: Courtesy of New Entertainment Company

Pop singer Spencer Sutherland is a Columbus native. His first single ‘Heartstrings’ was released in December. Credit: Courtesy of New Entertainment Company

Spencer Sutherland said he still gets excited when he hears his single “Heartstrings” on the radio.

“Even to this day, every time I hear it, I scream like a girl. It does not even seem real still,” Sutherland said.

With a new single called released on iTunes, small-town Ohioan Spencer Sutherland is now a rising singer, performing among various high-profiled artists such as Ariana Grande and Big Time Rush.

When he began to perform in a variety of locations, Sutherland said his career began to grow.

“I would just play at all different kinds of restaurants and most of the time it was for free — like a Greek restaurant on Monday, a Mexican restaurant on Tuesday. I just knew I had to sing in front of people,” Sutherland said.

He said his passion was also manifested in his involvement in musicals and show choir while attending Pickerington High School North just outside of Columbus.

“I never can get enough of singing. I would be in the studio for 12 hours, and I would still come home and sing,” Sutherland said.

Through singing covers of mainstream songs, Sutherland has received attention from Live on the Air radio host Ryan Seacrest.

Sutherland said his cover of Eminem’s latest single “The Monster” is set to be featured on as one of the best covers of the original song that fans can vote for on Seacrest’s website.

Despite performing in front of smaller crowds in the past, Sutherland has been given the opportunity to open for bigger artists, such as Emblem3.

“Going from 20 people to 20,000 people is the biggest jump ever,” Sutherland said.

To get to where he is today, Sutherland said becoming a self-taught musician was imperative.

“At the time, I didn’t have a band, track or something to sing to, so I had to force myself to play guitar and now I love it. I get better every day,” Sutherland said.

Building on his passion for singing and songwriting, Sutherland said he has recently been able to co-write music with producers and released his first single “Heartstrings” on iTunes in December. He heard his single played for the first time on local pop radio station WNCI 97.9 while surrounded by his family and manager.

“It’s just about when you think you’re with someone and they’re hot and cold,” Sutherland said. “One minute they say they love you and the next minute they’re leaving. I think it’s something that a lot of people can relate to”

In addition to his single, Sutherland also sang and shot in a music video cover for Taylor Swift’s song “Everything Has Changed” with Disney Channel star, Stefanie Scott.

“It was a great experience, and we got a lot of great feedback,” Sutherland said.

“Everything has Changed” got the attention of USA Today, which streamed the cover before is release date. Entertainment Tonight also posted the video to its website.

He heard his single played for the first time on local pop radio station WNCI 97.9 while surrounded by his family and manager.

“That was just crazy to me,” Sutherland said.

Through meeting fans and performing live, Sutherland said the experience has all been surreal.

“I’m all about positivity and I think it impacts people’s lives. I’m living my dream. How can I not be positive?” Sutherland said.