Red Sparowes
Red Sparowes is a Los Angeles based instrumental group known for its epic, heavy and sprawling sounds heard over the course of two full length albums -- At The Soundless Dawn (2005) and Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun (2006) both on Neurot Recordings -- three split discs and the recently released Aphorisms (2008) digital EP. The band consists of current and former members of Isis, Halifax Pier, Pleasure Forever, Angel Hair, Made Out of Babies and The VSS.
Red Sparowes was formed in 2003 by guitarist Clifford Meyer (also of Isis), bassist/pedal steel player Greg Burns (ex-Halifax Pier), guitarist Josh Graham, bassist/guitarist Jeff Caxide (Isis) and drummer Dana Berkowitz. Caxide and Berkowitz relocated in 2004, leaving the band.
Drummer David Clifford (ex-Pleasure Forever, ex-The VSS) and guitarist Andy Arahood (ex-Angel Hair) joined shortly thereafter in the fall of 2004. The band toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe following the release of At The Soundless Dawn. A split EP release with Gregor Samsa was released in 2005 on Robotic Empire and the Black Tar Prophecies Vol. 1 split EP with Grails followed in 2006 on the same label.
Red Sparowes second full-length release, Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun, was recorded at Prairie Sun and Louder Studios in San Francisco with producer Tim Green (Comets On Fire, The Fucking Champs, The Melvins). The album was released in September 2006 and the band toured even more extensively throughout 2006-2007, including its first show in Moscow.
Earlier in 2006, the quintet's van was broken into in Stockholm and much of their rented equipment and personal gear was stolen. The band released the limited edition live recording from the performance earlier that night, titled Oh Lord, God of Vengeance, Show Yourself! in order to help raise funds to pay for the rented equipment that had been stolen. After considerable touring, the band began working on material for its third album in late 2007.
In January 2008, Graham left the band. For Aphorisms and touring Graham was replaced with Made Out of Babies guitarist Brendan Tobin who had already toured with the band several times. Red Sparowes went into the studio with engineer Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business, Tool) in May 2008 and the resulting 3-song EP Aphorisms was released digitally that July via Sargent House.
A physical release consisting of 12" vinyl will be out in November of 2009. The band has just finished recording their third full-length album, with their new permanent guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle and returning again to producer, engineer Toshi Kasai.