the team
David Hilker, Founder/CEO
Phoenix, AZ Office
David Hilker launched his lifelong music career as a teenager and never looked back. He spent years fronting touring bands, writing and recording songs, which segued into music production and studio ownership. Hilker soon realized you don’t have to play by the rules of the majors to succeed and began forging an independent path to success. He founded Fervor Records and Mount Pilot Music Publishing in 1989, followed by the launch of Wild Whirled Recording studio in 1991, 2 the Groove Productions in 1997, and, in 2002, he co-founded Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. with Jeff Freundlich. Instead of chasing gold and platinum records, David combined his musical knowledge with innovative business strategies to build Fervor’s unique legacy.
Jeff Freundlich, COO
Phoenix, AZ Office
A native of New York City, Jeff graduated Cum Laude from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Following gigs at EMI Records, tech startup Net2Phone, and consulting giant Accenture, Jeff co-founded Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. in 2002 which is now the umbrella company to Fervor Records, affiliated recording studios, and publishing companies. His focused and charismatic leadership style has propelled the company to international prominence in the film, television, and advertising industries.
Christy Spencer, VP of Publishing and Administration
Salem, OR Office
Wielding a music degree and a resume running nonprofits, Christy Spencer shifted gears and came on board with Fervor Records in 2012 and took the company by storm. Christy handles all aspects of music licensing with the label’s diverse clients, ranging from first-time indie filmmakers to major entertainment industry juggernauts. If that wasn’t enough, she manages artist, writer, publisher, and label agreements and serves as the liaison for international PROs. In her spare time, she continues to develop Fervor’s proprietary database.
Jacob Nathan, Sr. Director of Artist & Repertoire
Los Angeles, CA Office
University of Michigan grad Jacob Nathan spent the first six years of his career in Los Angeles as a music coordinator, consultant, and music supervisor on some of the most prominent films and television shows of the 2010s. This man has read an enormous number of scripts and cleared some of the most significant copyrights in the history of recorded music. In 2016, we were proud to welcome Jacob to the Fervor Records family. With his deep expertise in integrating music with media, along with exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, it’s no wonder he quickly rose to head Fervor’s A&R department.
Thomas Bowen, Chief Engineer
Phoenix, AZ Office
Monterey, CA native Thomas Bowen is a guitar junkie’s best friend. As a young guitarist, his deft chops landed him a gig at a Monterey music academy. He soon was parlaying his encyclopedic knowledge of guitars, amps, and stomp boxes into the realms of everything audio, studying at the Audio Institute of America. Thomas served as the operational assistant and youth director at a California-based church for 7 years and was enlisted to plant and establish a second campus in Virginia. While in Virginia, he opened his own studio, recording and producing local artists. In 2017, armed with an impressive résumé, Thomas relocated to Phoenix and was quickly recruited by Fervor Records, where he helms the controls at Fervor’s long-running Wild Whirled Recording. His consummate organizational skills and golden ears have been shaping the label’s sound ever since.
Mic Quinn, Engineer
Phoenix, AZ Office
Mic Quinn, often hailed as Scotland’s smartest man in rock ‘n’ roll, boasts an extensive list of global touring credits too vast to fully list here. But we’ll drop a few names: Justin Timberlake, Jet, KONGOS, Empire of the Sun, and Cut Copy. His roles have included tour manager, production manager, stage manager, FOH engineer, monitor engineer, and backline technician, but at Fervor Records, he prefers the simple title of “Engineer.” Since 2004, when not on tour, Mic has maintained the label’s ever-expanding arsenal of recording gear. In 2021, we were thrilled to welcome Mic aboard full-time, where he works his magic at Fervor’s recording facility, The Bomb Shelter. His audio expertise has translated seamlessly into Fervor’s workflow. Want detailed info on any piece of recording gear ever manufactured? It’s Mic. Need a 2-inch multitrack baked and transferred? Mic is your man. Digital restoration work on a 1947 tune transferred from a 78? Mic delivers again. Not to mention his mind blowing skillset at recording Fervor’s roster of indie artists.
Keagan Stromberg, Engineer
Phoenix, AZ Office
A graduate of Oglethorpe University in Georgia, Kentucky native Keagan Stromberg first came to the attention of Fervor Records in 2023 as an up-and-coming R&B artist. After securing a spot on the label’s indie roster, it didn’t take long to realize that besides his innate musical skills, he had some serious studio chops. It also didn’t take long to realize he needed to come on board full-time. Keagan now heads up Studio C at The Launch Pad. Working in tandem with Thomas and Mic, Keagan perfectly rounds out the label’s studio staff. His infectious smile and natural charisma always bring the good vibes.
Bennett Young, Digital Distribution Coordinator
Phoenix, AZ Office
Bennett Young started as an intern in 2022 and quickly proved his strong work ethic, attention to detail, and impressive knowledge of music that precedes him by decades. After a stint at NAU in Flagstaff, Bennett returned to Phoenix and joined the Fervor team. Bennett heads up digital distribution of the label’s expanding roster to all B2C streaming platforms, as well as Fervor’s domestic and international B2B biz partners. The ever-enterprising Mr. Young still finds time to further his studies at ASU and entertain the masses in greater Phoenix with his band Tengo Suerte.