Meet Dan Spencer, Post Malone’s “F-1 Trillion” Opener and Americana’s Most Macabre Antithesis

If you’re wondering how central Tennessee native, former embalming apprentice, and decidedly anti-Americana artist Dan Spencer found his way onto the lineup of Post Malone’s 2024 national “F-1 Trillion” tour, you’re in good company. Dan’s pretty surprised by the whole thing, too.

But for those who watched Dan perform in basements, scuzzy DIY venues, and bars over the years—myself included—the only shocking thing was finding out that for a brief time, Dan was about to hang up his dream of becoming a career musician to be a full-time funeral director instead. (Luckily, Post Malone and Dan Spencer’s paths crossed before musical rigor mortis set in.)

As much as he might wince at the establishment jargon of this phrase, Dan’s star is quickly and well-deservedly rising. We wanted you to meet him while he’s on the way up.

Meet Dan Spencer, Post Malone’s Opening Act

If you were to combine the lyrical stylings of Jason Molina (of Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. fame), the melancholic country spirit of Blaze Foley, the folky absurdity of Dan Reeder, and a healthy one-two punch of black metal, you’d come close to capturing Dan Spencer’s musical essence. Half tongue-in-cheek, half gut-wrenchingly authentic, it’s clear why a chameleon artist like rapper-turned-country star Post Malone would’ve taken notice.

I caught up with Dan in between his driving shifts as he continues his cross-country tour with Post and fellow opening act Muscadine Bloodline. This national venture was a surprising turn of events for Dan and his band, who had just concluded their own tour in August when they received the invitation to join Post on tour. Of course, by this point, Dan had already shared a bill with Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Eddie Vedder as part of an early 2024 benefit concert in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

Still, even a star-studded regional benefit show is no national tour, and Dan and crew have been soaking it in since they first joined Post Malone in September. “Everyone working on the tour has really gone out of their way to make us feel at home and tell us how happy they are to have us,” Dan told me. “Not to mention, I get to go to a Post Malone concert every night. It f***ing rocks.”

A Country Goth Metalhead with a Penchant for Wordsmithing

A self-described “morbid weirdo,” Dan Spencer somehow manages to make music that appeals to the masses while decidedly not trying to appeal to the masses. His latest release, Return to Your Dark Master, opens with a fat, fuzzy guitar tone that offers a laughably stark contrast to the saccharine opening lines of “Cult Leader”: You like teddy bears and poetry; you live inside a china doll. The next track, “Fat Vampire,” opens with four seconds of death metal wails just begging to blow out your speakers before making a breakneck transition to beautifully serene guitar and synth.

Is it country? Kinda. Is it rock? Sure. Is it metal? Depending on the measure, yeah. Whatever you want to call it, he isn’t worried about it. “I don’t really feel a lot of pressure to do anything, artistically speaking,” he admitted, “and have been blessed to work with people who don’t want to change anything I’m doing.”

Dan’s lawless approach to writing music is certainly a breath of fresh air. Unlike carbon copies sucking the lifeblood of their musical influences (while insisting on their unmatched originality), the “Lazy Vampire” singer does the opposite. He does whatever he wants, and if something inspires him in the process, he leans into it, “whether it be Joni Mitchell or 200 Stab Wounds. Being yourself isn’t good enough. Be your whole self all the time. That’s how you do something different.”

Return To Your Dark Master While You Still Can

Dan’s story is the perfect testament to an American songwriter spirit, which is partially why I was so excited to talk to him for this story—besides the fact that he’s just generally a nice, chill dude who’s pleasant to talk to. Dan didn’t hawk his wares like snake oil or sell his soul at the crossroads to land his spot on Post Malone’s tour (although either vignette would fit nicely within his pseudo-religious, macabre repertoire). Instead, he stuck to his guns, released his music on his terms, and said, ‘There. If you like it, great. If you don’t like it, great.’ What a concept.

In a world where everyone is trying to sell a commodified version of the past with a schmoozy story, Dan serves as an inspiring, fresh antithesis with a wicked sense of humor and humility that only adds to his charm. As he puts it in “Tennessee Buddha” from his 2022 release Bursting With Country Fresh Flavor (a great place to start if you’re diving into his material, by the way), Nostalgia is the enemy of everything, so I’m-a take a hammer to the memory bank. Nostalgia is the enemy of everything, so I’m-a take a hatchet to the old world’s face. Doo, doo, doo.

There’s something for the metalheads, the country lovers, the folkies, and the suckers for good poetry that punches you in the gut and gives you a smooch on the forehead at the same time. Post Malone’s tour won’t be the last you hear of Dan Spencer, but the “F-1 Trillion” tour is a golden opportunity to hop on his bandwagon while it’s parked in your town.

We recommend starting with “Tennessee Buddha,” “Eternal Platitude,” or “Cult Leader.” You can thank us later.

Photo by Matt Matheson