SnapShot Press Release: A Web worth Tangling | Spider Creek 7
/Community & Collaboration is undervalued.
[Did that statement sting a bit? If it didn’t then you must be oblivious to the power of social capital.]
You hear the overtone of these words in many spaces but their merit in the creative realm changes everything. It can be the difference between success and sabotage. Which is why Spider Creek, “a music collective based out of Milwaukee Wisconsin full of an eclectic group of artists ranging from musicians and producers to visual artists”, is prolifically moving through today's scene. SAINTRÈ, .IanJames., Makatà, Lizzie Kay, Keyba, and LOVEPeso, are the full time members of the crew that are growing a relatively large communal family.
in tymless studios “no face no case” | /Cw image
If you're a music lover in Milwaukee then of course the formula sounds familiar. [Don’t say their names, we don’t have time to go down that rabbit hole. But clearly that’s the point of me bringing it up]. With so many artists making waves as a unit but still posturing as vivacious forces in their own right, how can Spider Creek maintain their positive trajectory?
“We are actually like a family”, said Saintrè, while catching the reggaeton vibes of a song being recorded by producer Keylime, for duo Gego y Nony featuring Cam Will at Tymeless Studios.
Sneak peak of Cam Will & Keylime in the writing room [ Gego y Nony not in frame | /CW video footage
[Wait, but why are we here?]
Spider Creek 7, aptly named for its seventh installment of collective recording sessions meant to inspire “artists of all genres and skill sets . . to create great music with other talented people they may have never worked with before”, brought your /CW Fam right into the heart of creative genius on April 22nd, 2023. The two day recording session [which ran from 12:00PM to 12:00PM on both the 22nd & 23rd] was filled with a nostalgic energy that reminded us of our own origin story, just reincarnated into new era tastemakers, creatives, and dreamers.
“It started with the four of us and now it's like the whole city of Milwaukee”, Saintrè noted.
Is that an exaggeration? Not really. Including the core members of Spider Creek, 32 artists [& counting] were invited to the “lock in sessions” including some heavy hitters that almost every MKE based artist would want to hop on a track with, and even some of the /CW Fam [like $hunmillion$ who was featured in CopyWrite Magazine Issue 10, The Surge]. But of course we have the receipts so you can be the judge of that.
Spider Creek 7 Invite List
Makata - @makata.888
Saintrè - @aka.saintre
Keyba - @itssolowkey
LOVEPeso - @7939peso
.Ian James. - @the.ianjames
Lizzie Kay - @_lizziekay_
Ja dubb - @ja_dubb
Adrienne - @spell.Adrienne
Ash - @ashouttafocus
Darylanne - @darylanne.music
Felix Ramsey - @felixramsey
Zonk - @zonkrolan
Aya* - @ayainthesky
Quies Terry - @quiesterry
Cam will - @_camwill
NileXNile - @nilexnile
Lake - @lakehomie
$hunmillion$ - @shunmillions
Odiefromthego - @odiefromthego
Grey genius - @grey_genius
Eli $tones - @elistizzy
Mocity - @mocitysw
Shadi - @th3_shadi
Gego y nony - @gegoynony
Fred the black kid - @fredtheblackkid
Holly Mae - @iamhollymae
Paperstacks - @bigdog_stacks
Duwayne - @Duwayne.mp3
MeloChld - @calvinlharmon
2 hi - @im_2hi
Dj the Jenius - @djthejenius
Keylime - @officialkeylime
And they only want the list to get bigger.
“This is definitely a dream. We are going to always try to get this feeling”. Saintrè said, and was followed by Cam Will’s testament to not knowing what to expect when invited but being pleasantly surprised. “Everybody has egos but if you put everyone in one room they become connected”, Cam said while jotting down lyrics to another beat.
The social capital that comes with being a part of something bigger than yourself is indispensable in our underfunded, overlooked, and under reprepresented market. Building relationships, letting down walls, and creating opportunities is a narrative that weaved through every conversation that we overheard while at Tymeless Studios. “But it's also about execution”, someone chimed in.
Shadi, Keyba, Makata sitting in a studio session | /CW Image
The execution is natural for this bunch. With space to vibe, the skill to perform, and the technology to “put it on wax”, the formula Spider Creek originally intended for their own creative stimulation is being put to communal use.
When we arrived the scene was already set. We walked into three active sessions. Three active sessions, with three different vibes.
One was giving Reggaeton. . .
Cam Will was getting spanish pronunciation lessons from Gego y Nony in the writing room, “You can say, De eso…” and “Or you can make it just one word like Desso”.
The next was giving Indy, alternative. . .
NileXNile was held up in the booth trying to get his verse just right, “One more time” he repeated ten times until the imperfections became the nuanced perfections the track needed. “This is my favorite kind of environment. All good energy.” Someone reassured, as they waited for their turn.
The other session was giving classic Hip Hop, turned all the way up. . .
Deshun Jetson was cooking up fire [ask him about the Spacecraft track], while 2Hi commanded the booth [crazy bars], LOVEPeso [such a lively persona] geeked up Keyba [whose cadence mixed with the requested autotune had this sonic playfulness we really enjoyed], while preparing to do a “deep voice” overlay of the hook, “So I should put the base in it like I’m in my bag?!?”, type vibes.
Keyba in the booth | /CW Image
“This happens every time.” - .Ian James. , said when I questioned if the aura of each space was intentional.
But the vibes [I need to coin a new word for vibes smh] are natural. Everyone finds their space, and the rotation ebbs and flows. They intrinsically are guided by what calls to them, and they zone in as if nobody's watching [& you know WE were watching, with inquisitive eyes, and the most eavesdropping of ears. LOL it comes with the journalistic territory].
Well, they have done this six times already and if Ian’s math is right, the last three times they had multi-studio locations where the subtlety of genre came into play. [We think it's a good formula for musical magic.]
“This just keeps getting bigger. The [Spider Creek] collective keeps growing. And as it grows we get to [see] what the city can create”, Lizzy Kay said [& I’m paraphrasing because yall know I don’t believe in voice recording in the stu. We are not the feds!”
Lizzy kay in the booth | /CW Image
The things we witnessed are inspiring. The discussions being had were noteworthy for all stakeholders and gatekeepers that intersect with the music industry around these parts. The rhetoric of professional music makers was present and robust.
Milwaukee is beyond talented and Spider Creek sees it beyond their own contributions.
So I guess what I am really trying to convey to any one who may read this is that YOU should really want to be a part of this legacy. You should show up & show out for your city. You should pour into the talent that is here. You should collaborate when able. You should contribute monetarily, with resources, with SOCIAL CAPITAL, or use whatever skill you may have to be a part of the positive shift so that ten years from now Spider Creek is not just “one of those things” that used to be. But instead are seasoned vets in the game championing collaboration and a fraction of the creative industry that has more legs to stand on then a . . . spider.
See y'all at Spider Creek 8 [Speaking it into fruition].
Love & All Things Urban,
Lexi S. Brunson | Editor-in-Chief /CW
P.S. - Send me all those tracks! I need it in my life.
