Some artists find their instrument. Spencer Ludwig decided his was the trumpet — and that single, defiant choice has shaped everything since.

Born in Los Angeles to a Filipino mother and a Russian-Jewish father, Ludwig grew up steeped in jazz before teaching himself trumpet on a whim in high school and promptly announcing he'd be attending the California Institute of the Arts on it. He got in. From there, the trajectory was anything but conventional.

After CalArts, Ludwig became the original trumpeter of the multi-platinum band Capital Cities, turning him into a fixture at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and late-night stages everywhere from Fallon to Letterman. But his real story began when he walked away from that spotlight — and built his own.

In 2016, Warner Records came calling. His debut single "Diggy" landed in a global Target campaign, the film Happy Death Day, and Just Dance 2018 simultaneously. Then, in 2018, he went fully independent, founding Trumpet Records and rewriting the rules of what a trumpeter-turned-pop-artist could be. A year later, he earned a Latin Grammy for co-writing and performing on Fonseca's Agustín — proof that his reach crosses every border a genre tries to draw.

Today, Ludwig is one of music's most genre-fluid forces: a vocalist, producer, DJ, and musical director whose trumpet has graced recordings by Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Snoop Dogg, and Big Boi, and whose songs have soundtracked campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Xbox, and Toyota. His trumpet-forward track "Vamos Por Más" currently serves as T-Mobile's brand anthem, anchoring their global World Cup campaign. He's contributed to the score of the new Super Mario Galaxy film. He's shared stages with Harry Styles, toured with Katy Perry, and DJ'd for Diplo.

Now, with his sophomore album on the horizon this November, Ludwig is gearing up for the next chapter.