The Sparrow and the Workshop announced themselves with the excellent Crystals Falls album, and consolidated their increasing reputation with a second album, Spitting Daggers, which further enhanced their talent for twisting the tabernacles of folk rock until it turned white with shock. Drawing comparisons as diverse as Jefferson Airplane, PJ Harvey and the Pixies on the one hand, and being labelled as surf rockers, folk rockers and post rockers on the other simply indicated the difficulties reviewers have had in pinning them down.
No surprise then that forthcoming album Murderopolis confounds the obvious expectations once more and the sinewy, often angular guitar lines have been enticingly beefed up for what feels undeniably like a foot-to-the-floor rock’n’roll record.
Pre-order the new album Murderopolis from Song By Toad Records here. In the meantime see what singer Jill O’Sullivan has made of our Five to One questions…
One book you’d recommend to an alien:
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, with a note that said ‘This is exactly how earth is…Tea on Tuesday? My place or yours?’
Five bands (or albums) that have most influenced you:
Roses in the Snow by Emmylou Harris
I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash
Emoh by Lou Barlow
Lioness by Jason Molina
Mountain Battles by the Breeders
…this list could go on and on and on…..those are the first five that came to mind.
One moment in time you’d like to have witnessed:
Probably Martin Luther King giving his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech…also, on a less serious note, I wish I could have caught Elvis in Vegas.
Five people (living or dead) you’d love to share a stage-jam with:
2Pac’s hologram, the three Beatles that are not Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton. Imagine how mental that would be.
One biggest regret in your career (to date):
Not taking a picture of the time when we were lost in Newcastle and had no choice but to ask a mental Timmy Mallet for directions.
Five things on your perfect rider:
Socks, underwear, a deck of cards, a full Sunday roast and a multi-pack of colourful sharpies.
Five perfect songs:
I’ll make it 10, songs that can be about Ghouls, Ghosts, Vampires, Zombies, Night Creatures, etc…that’s the theme…
Sebadoh -Vampire
Of Montreal – Chrissie Kiss the Corpse
Toots and the Maytals – Night and Day
Neil Young – Vampire Blues
Suicide – Ghost Rider
The Gun Club – Ghost on the Highway
Songs: Ohia – Riding With the Ghost
Pixies – I Bleed
Mogwai – Dracula Family
Kristen Hersh – Your Ghost
The Mad Mackerel 