We recently announced the release (1st November) of Black To Red on Distiller Records by Sparrow and the Workshop. This is the first new song to be released since the Glasgow-based trio’s acclaimed debut album, ‘Crystals Fall’.
This EP has been getting a lot of early worthy attention since it’s unveiling. The title track opener Black to Red is the clincher, it has balls! Jill’s rising crescendo of “wrap your hands around my neck” finale is not what I was expecting…it’s bloody awesome! It has the musical guts of early White Stripes / and the raw addictive drive of The Black Keys…not that they dig the same furrow. Medal Around your Neck has distant reminders of Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow (1967)…The final track…Just What I Needed has a lo-fi carefree way that, let’s face it, is the only respectable way of delivering romantic mush…a leaf from Moldy Peaches
maybe…
Just get it…you won’t be disappointed!
Download from Amazon: Black To Red
Download from iTunes: Black to Red – Single – Sparrow and the Workshop
Biography
The band comprises of Belfast born, Chicago-raised Jill O’Sullivan (vocals/guitar/violin), Welshman Nick Packer (guitar/bass) and Scotsman Gregor Donaldson (drums/vocals.) Jill’s voice has developed into a powerhouse of flexibility, allowing her to soar from keening Sandy Denny-esque tones to the sensual peaks evocative of PJ Harvey. They have also slowly incorporated subtle elements from metal, grunge, doo-wop and country into their songs, leading a friend of the band to recently describe one new song as ‘Joanna Newsom backed by Black Sabbath’.
The band has had an extremely busy and successful year. After a couple of tours with Idlewild and shows with British Sea Power, Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre) personally invited them to be the special guests on their European tour. Then they headed across the Atlantic for the first time to perform three New York shows, the first of which was again supporting the BJM. In addition to numerous shows across Europe, the band has put in some stella festival performances at T in the Park, Bestival, and The Green Man Festival. The latter set prompted Observer newspaper music critic Ally Carnwath to call them his best discovery of the festival.
They are currently working on their follow-up album, which is due to be released early next year.