Daniel Spils

Growing up in Anchorage, I became interested in music at a young age, sneaking up the stairs to plink out melodies on my Mom’s piano. I bought my first synth in 1984, a Roland JX-3P, with the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend and that synth remains in my Seattle studio to this day.

I began my formal study of music at University of Alaska Anchorage, taking night classes in Jazz Theory. I yearned for more and soon moved to Seattle to study music at Cornish College of the Arts. But it was in the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the ‘90s that I found my musical footing, playing live for decades in small clubs and theaters. I have played and recorded keyboards and toured with bands including Maktub w/ Reggie Watts, The Long Winters, Pigeonhed, and Dan The Automator’s Lovage.

From my Seattle home studio, I have composed music and sound for clients including Vanity Fair, PBS, The Seattle Times, ExOfficio, Amazon, Toyota, Stoke Space Technologies as well as lesser known companies and artistic projects.

I still have my fair share of synthesizers (eight at last count), but my 1949 Steinway console piano has been my daily jam since I had it restrung and rebuilt.