Born in Lubbock and raised in the country outside of a town called Paducah, Grady Spencer’s roots dig deep into Texas soil. By day, Spencer is a superintendent for a commercial construction company. By any other time, he’s songwriter and front-man of Grady Spencer & The Work.

The Work was originally formed in 2013 on the stage of Paradox Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Drummer Blake Sager was joined by bassist Johnny Hatcher in 2016, followed by guitarist Tyler Martin in 2018. The Work’s music reflects its members: honest, good-timing, with a nod to blue-collar roots.

In 2013, the band recorded and self-produced its first album at 1916 Studios in Kyle, Texas. Sleep featured Spencer and Trevor Powell on guitar and vocals, Blake Atwell on guitar, Sager on drums, and Josh Brandenburg on bass. The album was released that same year and was the band’s first introduction to the Fort Worth music scene. “Things to Do” was eventually picked up by the Fort Worth Visitors Bureau via Tom Martens, and in 2017 the city sent Spencer and The Work to Niles City Sound to rerecord and release the track as a single.

Sophomore record The Line Between was primarily tracked at January Sound in Dallas, Texas. The band worked with Magnolia Records and released the album in 2016. Spencer’s vocals and guitar were once again accompanied by Powell on guitar and Sager on drums, with Steve Moore on bass, producer Ryan Tharp on guitar, and Cody Culberson singing harmonies. This album carried the band beyond Fort Worth city limits—a following started to crop up across the state, and numbers rose on streaming platforms, catapulting The Work to their next album.

Celebrate, The Work’s most recent album was recorded with Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, Texas in 2018. This time Spencer was joined by Hatcher on bass and vocals, Martin and producer Austin Jenkins on guitar, and Sager on drums.