Red Sparowes is an American, Los Angeles-based

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

band, comprising current and former members of Isis, Marriages, The Nocturnes, Halifax Pier, Angel Hair and Pleasure Forever. Their sound is characteristic of soundscape-influenced experimental rock, with an otherwise uncommon extensive use of a

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a Console steel guitar, console-type of steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings to enable playing more varied and complex music than any previous steel guitar design. Like all s ...

History

Red Sparowes formed in 2003 as a side project for its members. They signed to Neurot Recordings, Neurosis' record label. They recorded some demos for their debut album, and this led to tours with The Dillinger Escape Plan and Made Out of Babies in 2004. The debut was recorded in May 2004 by engineer Desmond Shea, with the resulting sound in the vein of guitarists

Bryant Clifford Meyer Bryant Clifford Meyer (sometimes credited as Clifford Meyer, BC Meyer, Cliff Meyer or Bryant C Meyer) is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist, best known for his tenure with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the ban ...

and Jeff Caxide's band Isis, Chicago

/ metal outfit

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

, as well as bands as varied as

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

and The Cure. Members Jeff Caxide and Dana Berkowitz relocated in late 2004, thus forcing them out of the band. Red Sparowes' first studio album, '' At the Soundless Dawn'', was released in February 2005, following Clifford Meyer's Isis in their initial tours in support of ''

Panopticon The panopticon is a type of institutional building and a system of control designed by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept of the design is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be o ...

''. Shortly after this release, a split 12" album was released with Gregor Samsa. The Red Sparowes side contained the second track from ''At the Soundless Dawn'', "Buildings Began to Stretch Wide Across the Sky, And the Air Filled with a Reddish Glow," as well as a track recorded during the album's recording sessions with guitar by Michael Gallagher of Isis, initially only available on the Japanese release of the album. Following the release of the album, the band headlined a tour in Europe and participated in an American tour with

, Big Business and Breather Resist. After touring the band released their follow-up record, '' Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun'', in 2006. This release was followed by more touring of North America and Europe, including shows in the US with

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...

. In 2008 Josh Graham parted ways with the rest of the band to pursue musical project A Storm of Light. In May 2008, Red Sparowes recorded new material with engineer Toshi Kasai (

Melvins Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...

, Big Business, Tool), and in August that year the EP

Aphorisms An aphorism (from Ancient Greek, Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often hand ...

was released digitally. Red Sparowes began recording their third full-length studio album with Kasai on August 24, 2009. The album, titled '' The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer'', was released on April 6, 2010. Red Sparowes had more or less been on an indefinite hiatus since late 2011, but in late September 2019, the band was announced to be playing at the 2020 edition of the Roadburn festival, as part of a lineup curated by guitarist

Emma Ruth Rundle Emma Ruth Rundle (born October 10, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and visual artist based in Portland, Oregon. Formerly of the Nocturnes and Marriages, she has released five solo albums and is a member of Red Sparowes. Early ...

; former

Baroness Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher th ...

drummer Allen Blickle and Brendan Tobin were returning to the band for the show. On March 24, 2020, the band announced via their official Facebook account that their show had been postponed, as many concerts and tours apart from them had been, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the same post the band also confirmed that they were working on a new album.

Band members

Current *

(guitar) of Isis * Andy Arahood (guitar/bass) formerly of Angel Hair * Greg Burns (bass/pedal steel) of Marriages & Halifax Pier * David Clifford (drums) of Pleasure Forever,

The VSS The VSS was an American rock band from Boulder, Colorado, United States. History The VSS formed in 1995 after the breakup of the hardcore group Angel Hair. Vocalist Sonny Kay and guitarist Josh Hughes had both played in Angel Hair; the rest of ...

(guitar) of Marriages & The Nocturnes Former * Josh Graham (guitar) of Neurosis (visuals), Battle of Mice, A Storm of Light * Jeff Caxide (guitar/bass) of Isis * Dana Berkowitz (drums) * Brendan Tobin (guitar) of Made Out of Babies

History

Band members

Discography

Studio albums

Other works

See also

References

External links