MusicTree Fest will be taking place in Manchester, Tennessee – June 6-7, 9-10. We will be publishing interviews with the performing bands as we close in on the 3rd year of this festival. View the full line-up.

Let’s start with the basics, who are you? Where are you from? What style of music do you create?

My name is Wes Speight, to differentiate between other occupations I have such as filmmaking/videography, for music purposes I typically go by WES SP8. It also seems that people find it easier to remember whether they like the moniker addition of 8 or not.

I got my start in music in Nashville TN, though spent the last 4 years in Seattle WA where I was involved in the music scene as well. While in Nashville in 2008-2009, the music I was releasing was along the folk rock genre. Upon moving to Seattle WA, my music evolved into a more Blues Pop Rock experimental electronic genre. I like to call my genre at the present, “Soul Tribal.”

This is MusicTree Fest’s 3rd year. Is this your first time? If yes, how did you learn about MusicTree?

This will be my first time at Music Tree and I’m very excited to be apart of it! I believe I learned about Music Tree through either craigslist, or indie on the move.

Was there an “ah-ha moment” in your life when you knew you would pursue music?

My “ah ha” moment was when my first recorded EP “Please EP” was released under an indie label at the time called “Radical Notion.” Though Radical Notion no longer exists, I had a good experience and it was great to have support on my first release. Presently, I simply feel compelled to make music whether it’s one person listening or hundreds. My hope is to be a vessel to where someone can gain something positive out of it and then from then on it’s theirs, no longer under my guise.

Who (or what) motivates and inspires your writing and playing style(s)?

I’m motivated by what I would think would be the typical ways of finding motivation, such as life experiences(working shitty jobs, finding and losing love, traveling), watching lots of film, and listening to other great artists. I make valiant attempts to read lots of great literature as well and always find that to be of great assistance in finding motivation. I actually find it very difficult to copy ones style whether I’m blatantly attempting at doing so or trying to steer clear completely. Like it or not, I’ll always be compared to some one or some thing, as it seems there is only possibility for the notion of “it’s all been done before” rather than allowing someone or thing to have originality in a sense, shape or newfound form. I could go on about originality forever, but it’d probably just sound redundant.

What can we expect from your performance at MusicTree Fest 2014?

What you can expect from my performance is this guy pouring his fucking little heart out onstage. I’ve got a couple of RC-20XL loop stations I’ll be performing with as well as simply playing acoustic. My favorite piece of gear is my 65 Fender Deluxe Reverb(the best sounding amp on earth). You can expect to hear loud rocking guitar and vocals, synthesizer and harmonica. All the way down to the intimacy of just an acoustic guitar and vocals.

Where can we connect with you online? Where can we listen or download your music?

My website is www.wessp8.com. There you can find links to download tunes, videos to watch, pictures to look at and lyrics to read. I’ve got some T-shirts for sale as well!

Do you have plans for Bonnaroo this year?

I don’t have plans for Bonnaroo this year unless someones giving me the hook up on tickets.

Any closing thoughts? Shout outs?

I’d like to thank my family and friends in Seattle and Nashville that have been so graciously supportive to me over the years. Making any art a huge part of your life can be difficult and support for art and artists alike is completely necessary. Thank you!