Spencer Seim is an American musician, born January 28, 1981, best known as the guitarist in the band Hella. He is 45 years old as of October 2026. He also drums in the Nintendocore band The Advantage and records solo work as sBACH. That covers most of what people mean when they search for the Spencer Seim band or Spencer Seim guitar.
Seim is a cult figure in math rock and noise rock rather than a mainstream celebrity. Most searches about him come from three places. Fans of the Hella guitar-and-drums duo want his gear. Death Grips listeners know his bandmate Zach Hill. Viewers remember a drum cameo on a comedy show.
This article separates what reliable sources confirm from what internet search suggestions imply. Several popular queries, including Spencer Seim fly fishing, Spencer Seim NASA and Spencer Seim Telecaster, did not turn up any reliable support. Those are flagged below instead of being invented.
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Spencer Seim Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Spencer Seim |
| Known As | Spencer Seim; solo project name sBACH |
| Date of Birth | January 28, 1981 (reported on Wikipedia) |
| Age | 45 (as of October 4, 2026) |
| Birthplace | Not reliably confirmed in sources reviewed |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Musician (guitarist, drummer) |
| Main Bands | Hella, The Advantage, Solos, Byre, Crock |
| Solo Project | sBACH |
| Genres | Math rock, experimental rock, noise rock, instrumental rock |
| Years Active | Hella formed in 2001 |
| Spouse and Children | No reliable public information found; not covered here |
| Net Worth | No reliable figure confirmed |
| Current Status | Hella technically active, with no new album since 2011 |
Who Is Spencer Seim?
Seim plays electric guitar in Hella, alongside drummer Zach Hill. As teenagers, both were members of the Northern California band Legs on Earth. That shared history explains why the duo sounds so locked together.
In a 2007 interview, Seim said he did not sit down to learn other people’s songs when he started on guitar, because he figured he was supposed to write his own. That instinct shaped his whole career, from Hella’s chaotic instrumentals to his Commodore 64 flavored solo work.
Spencer Seim Age
Seim was born on January 28, 1981, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia lists him at age 45, which matches the date. His birthplace did not appear in the sources checked, so it is left out here.
| Detail | Information |
| Date of Birth | January 28, 1981 |
| Current Age | 45 |
| Birthplace | Not reliably confirmed |
| Evidence Status | Reported (single reference source) |
Spencer Seim Band: Hella
Hella formed in spring 2001 and built a following around Sacramento. That led to a record deal with 5 Rue Christine and a debut LP, Hold Your Horse Is, in 2002. The band became known for a frantic, technical sound built on a guitar and a drum kit.
In 2006 and 2007 the band expanded to a quintet, adding Josh Hill, Carson McWhirter and vocalist Aaron Ross. They moved to Ipecac Records and released There’s No 666 in Outer Space. In 2009 the band returned to the original two-man lineup, and Tripper followed in 2011 on Sargent House.
Hella Lineup History
- 2001 to present: Spencer Seim (guitar) and Zach Hill (drums), the core pair
- 2005: Dan Elkan and Jonathan Hischke joined for live performances only
- 2006 to 2009: Aaron Ross, Carson McWhirter and Josh Hill joined the lineup
- 2009 onward: back to the Seim and Hill duo
Hella Albums and Releases
Hella’s catalog includes EPs, a tour DVD and several full-lengths. Sources disagree on how to classify some releases. For example, Qobuz calls Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass an LP, while TV Tropes lists it as an EP. This article uses the labels from the cited sources and flags the conflict.
| Title | Year | Type | Notes |
| Hold Your Horse Is | 2002 | Album | Debut on 5 Rue Christine |
| Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass | 2003 | LP or EP (sources differ) | Released on Narnack |
| The Devil Isn’t Red | 2004 | Album | 5 Rue Christine |
| Church Gone Wild / Chirpin’ Hard | 2005 | Double album | Suicide Squeeze |
| Acoustics | 2006 | EP | Late 2006 |
| There’s No 666 in Outer Space | 2007 | Album | Ipecac, quintet lineup |
| Tripper | 2011 | Album | Sargent House |
Church Gone Wild/Chirpin’ Hard is a double-solo album. Zach Hill and Seim each recorded a full disc independently. Seim’s disc, Chirpin’ Hard, fuses 8-bit Nintendo music with punk and math rock.
Spencer Seim Guitar and Gear
Seim’s longtime workhorse is a green Scott French custom guitar. It is neck-through with no truss rod, has an unusual scale length, and has a pickup for each string. It also carries a microphone, a built-in egg shaker and, per the interview, pieces of Seim’s beard hair.
For a Pedals and Effects video, a rig was built around the guitar’s six per-string outputs, with one pedal and one amp per string. The interview came out in March 2018.
What Searchers Ask About Gear
- Flower guitar: No source reviewed uses this phrase. It may refer to the Scott French guitar’s decoration, but that is unconfirmed.
- Telecaster: No reliable source shows Seim playing a Telecaster. Results for this query pointed to a different guitarist named Spencer.
- Equipboard: The Equipboard results found belonged to Spencer Hazard of Full of Hell, not Seim.
- Pedals: The only confirmed pedal detail is the per-string rig described above.
Spencer Seim Death Grips and Eric Andre
Seim is not a member of Death Grips. Zach Hill, Hella’s drummer, is better known for his work with that group. The link in search results comes from Hill’s schedule, not from Seim performing with Death Grips.
Paste reported that Seim played drums in a closing-credits sketch on The Eric Andre Show, because Hill was touring with Death Grips at the time. That article misspells his name as “Spencer Heim,” which may explain some odd search variants.
Evidence Check: Eric Andre Cameo
| Item | Detail |
| Confirmed | Seim appeared as a drummer in an Eric Andre Show credits sketch |
| Source | Paste Magazine, “Eric Andre’s 10 Funniest Musical Moments” |
| What It Shows | The cameo happened because Zach Hill was unavailable |
| What Remains Unclear | The exact episode and date were not verified |
The Advantage and Side Projects
Seim is the drummer in The Advantage, a Nintendocore band. The band released a self-titled album in April 2004 and Elf Titled in January 2006, both on 5RC. Advantage bandmate Carson McWhirter later joined Hella’s expanded lineup.
In 2012, Spin covered Solos, a project pairing Seim with Aaron Ross, with Seim behind the drum kit. Seim’s other projects are listed below.
| Project | Release | Year | Label |
| sBACH | sBACH | 2008 | Suicide Squeeze |
| Crock | Grok | 2011 | Jackpot Records |
| Solos | Beast of Both Worlds | 2012 | Joyful Noise |
| Byre | Here in Dead Lights | 2018 | Joyful Noise |
| Solos | SoloS | 2020 | Dowd Records |
Spencer Seim Interview and Public Statements
The most detailed recent interview is the Pedals and Effects feature from March 2018. The host toured with Hella while they opened for System of a Down and The Mars Volta, and stayed friends with the band afterward. Treat that piece as a friendly, first-hand account rather than neutral reporting.
A 2007 newspaper interview offers earlier context. Seim spoke by phone from his home in Grass Valley, California, and said Hella was inspired by Nintendo game music. That interview is the only residence detail found, and it dates from 2007, so it should not be read as current.
Spencer SeimHella Timeline
| Year | Career Stage | Key Development |
| 2001 | Formation | Seim and Hill start Hella in Sacramento |
| 2002 | Debut | Hold Your Horse Is released |
| 2004 | The Advantage | Self-titled debut on 5RC |
| 2005 | Double album | Church Gone Wild / Chirpin’ Hard |
| 2007 | Quintet era | There’s No 666 in Outer Space |
| 2009 | Return to duo | Band reduced to Seim and Hill |
| 2011 | Latest album | Tripper |
| 2022 | Live clips | Videos of “Headless” and “Self Checkout” posted on Zach Hill’s Instagram |
Spencer Seim Current Status
Flood Magazine described Hella as technically still active, with their last release being a 2013 single. On October 31, 2022, videos of Hill and Seim playing songs from Tripper appeared on Zach Hill’s official Instagram account.
No newer verified Hella or Seim development was found in the reliable sources reviewed. Treat anything claiming a reunion tour or new album as unconfirmed until it appears on an official channel.
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What Could Not Be Verified
Several keywords had no reliable support. This does not prove the claims are false, only that no trustworthy source was found.
- Fly fishing: No reliable source connects Seim to the hobby.
- NASA: No credible link was found between Seim and NASA.
- Backroads Travel: No source tied Seim to this phrase.
- Net worth: No reliable figure exists, and none is given here.
- Reddit: Reddit threads exist as fan discussion, but they are not authoritative sources.
- Marks and Spencer Seim: This looks like a search-engine mix-up with the retailer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Spencer Seim?
Spencer Seim is an American guitarist and co-founder of the band Hella. He also plays drums in The Advantage and records as sBACH.
How old is Spencer Seim?
He was born on January 28, 1981, which makes him 45 as of October 2026.
What band is Spencer Seim in?
His main band is Hella, with drummer Zach Hill. He also plays in The Advantage, Solos, Byre and Crock.
Is Spencer Seim in Death Grips?
No. His Hella bandmate Zach Hill drums for Death Grips, but no source shows Seim as a member.
Did Spencer Seim appear on The Eric Andre Show?
Paste reported that he played drums in a closing-credits sketch. The exact episode was not verified.
What guitar does Spencer Seim play?
A longtime main instrument is a green Scott French custom with a pickup for each string. No reliable source confirms a Telecaster.
What is the Spencer Seim flower guitar?
No reliable source uses that name. It may be a search shorthand for his custom guitar, but that is unconfirmed.
Is Hella still together?
Hella is described as technically active, though the last full album was Tripper in 2011.
Conclusion
Spencer Seim is a respected figure in experimental rock, known for Hella, The Advantage and a long run of solo and side projects. His age, main bands and signature guitar are well documented. His link to Death Grips is indirect, running through Zach Hill.
Many popular search terms attached to his name have no reliable support. Until an official source or interview says otherwise, claims about fishing, NASA or a Telecaster should be treated as unconfirmed.