The Spring Verdict EPK | Audio Science

With the release of his debut album Echolocation, The Spring Verdict takes some of the best parts of several genres and builds a sound all his own. Lush with addictive melodies, a crisp indie-pop sound, and an array of instrumentation, the record boasts the aesthetic of alt-pop anthems.

The first single "In Front Of Me" is a tasteful and infectious song built with pop tones that make the song shine.

"‘In Front of Me’ was about becoming more aware of how I get in my own way, the emotions associated with that realization, and the impact that can have on others. We're all so connected ultimately, and there's this very real synergy, I think, between living our best, most constructive life on one hand, and then impacting other people positively, in both our actions and simply in the energy we put out. It's definitely a reflective song, and by design not a very flattering one about me, but in the music, I think, there's a certain optimism about how things could be, about self-awareness and the potential for change. So, there's a very literal, on-the-nose significance to the name 'In Front of Me', in that I picture myself literally blocking my own path," explains songwriter Geoff Trautman of his single.

Although the single speaks volumes for the album, to get a full understanding of where The Spring Verdict is really coming from, the full album is a must hear.

"These past two years have been such a whirlwind, but a fun and rewarding learning and growing process in terms of music production. I think I'm really just experimenting more, trying out new tricks and techniques, and leaning more into the things I like about the music I'm making and not giving as much thought to the rest, if that makes sense. Sonically, this album is definitely more polished than my former stuff (I very informally put out a couple of EPs as I was just getting started)," says Trautman of creating the album.

The Spring Verdict is the brainchild of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Geoff Trautman, who began taking classical piano lessons when he was just 8 years old. He stuck with it for more than a decade, and attributes the development of his ear for music and foundational knowledge of music theory in large part to those years of learning.

Through his middle and high school years, Trautman performed in marching band, jazz band, concert band, small ensembles, and more playing trumpet and bass. During that time, he played bass and sang backup vocals in several pop punk bands, performing at Warped Tour with one of those bands.

As a member of UC Santa Cruz’s Acquire A Cappella, Trautman co-arranged an a cappella version of The Lonely Island’s “ I’m On A Boat,” which was filmed and went viral on YouTube with nearly 3 million views.

Even as he attended law school, Trautman played in a top 40's cover band called Shake Shake Shake.

It wasn't until around 2019 that Trautman decided he wanted to begin building out a home studio. When the pandemic hit, he decided to spend his newfound free time honing his recording, mixing, and creative abilities.

It was then that he realized he had something special, and decided to create The Spring Verdict, a project performed and produced almost completely by Trautman himself with the help of a few others. Echolocation stands as a testament to that decision.

“I realized that I had this opportunity to step back from the hectic life I had been living and taking for granted, look inward, and evaluate, and writing and producing music ended up being the perfect vehicle for doing that,” says Trautman.

While the album reflects The Spring Verdict’s current sound, Trautman is always eagerly working on new material for upcoming releases.

“I'm working on a second album right now that should be even more polished and more of what I think makes The Spring Verdict what it is with, just more experimental angles at play and maybe even more of an edge than Echolocation. Lyrically, Echolocation was pretty introspective and self-explorative, the new stuff I'm working on will probably be a little more focused outward, a little more outwardly observational," says Trautman of creating the album.

Echolocation is available on all digital streaming outlets now.