The ancient power of storytelling meets the modern force of in your face rock n roll.

13 MP3 Songs
SPOKEN WORD: With Music, ROCK: Classic Rock



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Formed in 2005, the Spoken X consists of Peter Parker and Ted Golder. The duo had been working on a different project in Peterâs home studio when the idea for the Spoken X was born, that idea being for Peter to lay down music while Ted performed his poetry on top of it. That initial concept has morphed and progressed over the past couple of years, maturing into a collaboration that spans various musical genres and spoken themes.

The Spoken X benefits from the vast experience these two men have in the world of music. Peter Parker, known most prominently for his bass skills, grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Yes, the Rolling Stones, and The Who, picking up his first guitar at age thirteen but soon focusing on the bass. He grew up with five brothers, watching them play along to rock classics and hit the road to go on tour. As his own skills developed, thanks in part to his studying bass guitar and music theory in college, he realized that writing and performing music was what he had always wanted to do. And he hasnât looked back since, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, his hands on his guitar, and his foot on the distortion pedals. Peter has played with several prominent bands throughout his career, from a Phil Lynnott tribute gig with all of the original members of Thin Lizzy to his most recent gigs with Dirty Fuzz, a four-piece rock combo based in London. He has toured extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Europe, and recently he has added production skills to his musical repertoire, which allowed him to take charge of the knobs when it came time to create the Spoken Xâs debut, Wild Child.

Ted Golder began playing guitar and writing songs, poems, and stories while traveling the world in his teenage years. He first realized he wanted to be on a stage when attending his first rock concert, featuring the sights and sounds of the Grateful Dead. Whether studying the sitar in India, literature at the University of Oregon, comparative religion at the University of Chicago, or getting involved in theatre and working his way up through various minor roles to take the lead in a production of Shakespeareâs âTwelfth Night,â Ted has always harbored a fascination with the power of words. Recently, several of his poems have been featured in publications such as the Fishtrap Writing Anthology. Today, he continues to perform his poetry and folk/rock songs in a wide range of venues, including the Willamette Folk Festival and a recent art exhibition opening in Barcelona. But the Spoken X is where rock and roll gives him a chance to fully express the power of his lyrics.

So what happens when these guys combine their musical powers? Well, anything can happen, and the songwriting process can change from day to day. âSome songs were instrumentals first and Ted put his vocals on the track,â explains Peter. âSome songs I had written the music and sang the chorus and Ted put the vocals over the verse. Other tracks I put the music behind Tedâs poetry.â The result is somehow rocking and energetic, yet thought-provoking and textured. The music itself shows off influences that range from rock to blues to beyond, while the lyrics take on a variety of subjects. âI believe that good lyrics come from listening to great lyrics,â says Ted. âI draw from the classicsâ¦Greek tragedy, Shakespeare, Bob Dylan, Jim Carroll, and so on. I digest high literature and then bring it down to the street level and talk about real, concrete, modern things. I can always tell the difference between a street poet who has imbibed great stuff and those who havenât. Then there are those stuffy types who have read great stuff but who have no connection to life. It has to be made relevant to modern life. The words have to be lived.â

Right now, the guys just want the results of their combined efforts to be heard by as many people as possible, to give their unique style of music a chance to spread its wings. They admit that getting their songs heard is the biggest challenge of being part of a relatively new project such as the Spoken X, but they have faith in their creations and they believe commercial success and artistic integrity can be achieved at the same time. âOne without the other seems incomplete to me,â says Ted. âThe words, the music, and the art cannot be compromised.â

For more information, visit www.thespokenx.com.