The Spokes
The Spokes is the first and premier all-female collegiate a cappella group created by Jaclyn Cohen and the Grammy nominated country artist, Cam Ochs at the University of California, Davis in 2004. They have taken performance tours throughout the West Coast, stopping in places like Portland, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco. Their goal for the academic year is to showcase their evolved sound and unique style at various a cappella shows, ICCA, and finally their annual a cappella showcase, HellaCappella, which for the past few years has had sold out the Robert & Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts for the past few years. The Spokes have won several awards at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella over the years, including Best Choreography on 2011, Best Beatboxing in 2016, 2nd Place at the Northwest Semifinals in 2016, and Best Choreography in 2018.
The Spokes also work to capture their sound through their recorded albums or EP's each year and strive to highlight women's empowerment through music. This year, The Spokes consists of 12 motivated and talented female-identifying singers who are excited to put on the biggest a cappella showcase in Norcal, HellaCappella 2020, on April 10th. Tickets are on sale as of February 12th, 2020, and will be available .
History
The Spokes were created in January 2004 by two former members of the coed a cappella group, the Liquid Hotplates. Co-founders Camaron Ochs and Jaclyn Fromer posted fliers around UC Davis to find entertaining and talented girls who were interested in forming an all-female group. After several rounds of auditions, there were eight Spokes. They practiced in the music room of the Infill dorms at Davis and in members' apartments.Performances and appearances
The Spokes have toured cities in California including Berkeley for the annual West Coast A 'Cappella showcase hosted by the California Golden Overtones and UC Men's Octet, Los Angeles for the annual California A 'Cappella Festival hosted by Random Voices, and Claremont for the annual SCAMFest hosted by the Claremont Shades. The group also hosts its own annual concerts including "HellaCappella: The Biggest A Cappella Showcase in Northern California", and "Local Tones: An all-Davis, all-A Cappella Concert". The group also goes on a musical and bonding retreat every Winter as well as attending a cappella festivals like SheSings by the Women's A Cappella Association and LAAF.Spokes have been featured on Good Day Sacramento and KXJZ's Capital Public Radio. So far in the 2019-2020 school year, The Spokes have performed at the California Firefighter's Memorial Ceremony in Sacramento, SCAM Fest at the Claremont Colleges, Alottacappella at UC Davis, the VoCal Holiday Show in Folsom, Lady's Night at Analy High School in Sebastopol, and Davis Idol at Davis Senior High School. The Spokes will perform every Thursday at 11:55am for Quad Singing during Winter Quarter 2020, the ICCA Quarterfinals in Oakland, Good Day Sacramento on March 8th, and the Farmer's Market in Davis on March 14th.
The group prides itself on its commitment to philanthropy and in the past has donated a portion of their profits to local charities including Daraja Academy and the Women's Empowerment Center in Sacramento, CA.
Albums
Goldmine (2019)
- Invincible
- Gone
- Greedy
- Blow Your Mind/New Rules
- Hurt
- Bass Song
All I Need (2018)
- Radar
- Say
- I Will Survive
- Move Like U Stole It
SIN (2017)
- I Feel a Sin Comin' On
- Focus
- Here
- Diva
23 Hours (2016)
- Car Wash
- Ghost
- Like a Boy/Do It Like a Dude
- One Time
- Nobody Love
- Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
- Boogie Wonderland/Let's Groove/September/Sing a Song
- See You Again
Shades of Pink: Volume II (2015)
- 99 Problems
- Say My Name/Toxic
- Figure 8
- Awake Me Up
- C'mon Talk
- Fleetwood Mac Medley
- Bones
- Man's World
- Unwritten
Shades of Pink: Volume I (2014)
- Wings
- More
- Sweet Caroline
- Never Ever Getting Back Together/Gives You Hell
- Us Against the World
- Wonder
- I Need Your Love
KaleidoSpoke (2014)
- She Wolf
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot/Just What I Need
- I'll Be Waiting
- Happy Ending
- Fighter
- Smile
- | 2 |
- That Thing You Doo Wop
- Say A Little Prayer
On The Wall (2011)
- Breathless
- ABBA Medley
- Ridin' Solo
- Top of the World
- Heartbreaker
- King of Anything
- Seven Nation Army
- She Will Be Loved
Waking Up in Davis (2010)
- Maybe
- Disturbia
- Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours/Super Duper Love /
- My Moon My Man
- Waking Up in Davis
- Street Spirit
- Nothing Ever Hurt Like You
- And So It Goes
- Let Your Love Flow
- Annie Waits
- Hands
- Alone
The Pink Album (2008)
- I Need a Hero
- Street Spirit
- You Don't Own Me
- I'm Yours
- Annie Waits
- Spokehemian Rhapsody
- Cellotape
- Not Myself
- It's Raining Men
- Sweet Escape
This Means Go (2006)
- Hazel Eyes/Sugar, We're Going Down
- In Your Eyes
- My Love
- Have A Little Faith In Me
- It's Raining Men
- Fix You
- Bohemian Rhapsody/Golden Slumbers
- Another White Dash
- Don't Turn Around
- I Can See Clearly
- Gold Digger
Just Ride It (2004)
- Fever
- All this Time
- Ring My Bell
- Fools Fall in Love
- Either Way
- Kiss da Girl
- Bohemian Rhapsody/Golden Slumbers
- Love me Tomorrow
Awards
- ICCA Quarterfinals Best Choreography: Kacie Contreras on Top of the World
- ICCA Quarterfinals Best Beatboxing: Anya Stewart on One Time
- ICCA Quarterfinals 2nd Place
- ICCA Quarterfinals Best Choreography: Amanda Beardsley on the entire set Bass Song, Hurt, and Greedy
Spokes alumna
- Amanda Beardsley
- Taylor Muldrow
- Tatiana Boyle
- Kassandra Jensen
- Molly Huff
- Anusha Suresh
- Elizabeth Hall
- De-Vonne Sonuga
- Emily Laskin
- Mary Grafilo
- Crystal Lucio
- Anya Stewart
- Alyssa Gire
- Tanya Rodman
- Miranda Stever
- Lynsie Mason
- Sara Ellis
- Rachel Riley
- Megan Wiley
- Rachel Forer
- Caitlin Sanhamel
- Camille Martinez
- Kayla Ruben
- Emily Korwin
- Mercy Albaran
- Kacie Conover
- Greer Shivley
- Julie Athans
- Kirsten Vincent
- Emily Randall
- Katie Darfler
- Jennifer Pugh
- Sara Scheller
- Meredith Laird
- Claire Krohmer
- Katie Bowen
- Amelia Hassani
- Emily Peña
- Lena Schiffer
- Shauna Payyappilli
- Paris Perrault
- Andrea Pasiliao
- Alexi Elconi
- Annie Pestolesi
- Emily Sklar
- Kate Brody Adams
- Jordan Steiner
- A.Tianna Scozzaro
- Alicia Flor
- Andrea Howard
- Allie Pedrazzi
- Katrina Hoo-Soo
- Elana Segal
- Jaclyn Fromer
- Katrina Hoo-Soo
- Cameron Ochs