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Sparrows (band)

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This article is about the band formed in 2010. For the 1960s band, see The Sparrows (band).
Sparrows
Sparrows performing in Toronto, Ontario in 2018. From left to right: Dan Thomson, Jon Busby, and Justin Sears
Sparrows performing in Toronto, Ontario in 2018. From left to right: Dan Thomson, Jon Busby, and Justin Sears
Background information
OriginOttawa, Ontario, Canada
GenresPunk (early), post hardcore, rock
Years active2010-present
LabelsSound Anxiety Records,[1] New Damage Records,[2] Dine Alone Records
MembersDan Thomson
Jon Busby
Alex Pley
Past membersJustin Sears
Jack Panic
Jaret Maillet
Kevin Dennison
Matthew Sears
Rembrandt MacLeod
Devlin Morton
Brandon Desjardins
Krys Blaney
Marco Celucci
Richard Hill
Websitesparrows613.com

Sparrows was a three-piece post-hardcore band originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Formed in 2010 the band consists of vocalist/guitarist Dan Thomson, guitarist Alex Pley, and drummer Jon Busby. In March 2015 the group was named one of Alternative Press magazine's "100 Bands You Need to Know".[3]

History

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In 2010 lead vocalist and guitarist Dan Thomson recruited Marco Cellucci to form a band which would become the original Ottawa based iteration of Sparrows.[4] After releasing their first EP Goliath in May 2011 (with the addition of bassist Richard Hill and touring guitarist Krys Blaney) the group shifted into a complete lineup change the following January in which Devlin Morton, Brandon Dejardins, and Rembrandt MacLeod would replace Hill, Blaney, and Cellucci.[5] The band released their LP Cold Ground in July 2013 through Broken Heart/Kat Kat Records[6][7][8] before moving to Toronto and continuing to tour extensively performing across Canada and the United States including festivals; SXSW, NXNE, Canadian Music Week, and the Ottawa Bluesfest.

In April 2014 Jon Busby, and Justin Sears would replace Morton, and MacLeod with Matthew Sears taking over from Brandon Dejardins during the fall of that same year. In 2015 the group was signed to Toronto-based aggressive rock label New Damage Records[9] and shortly after released their second EP Dragging Hell in August of that year.[10][11] Following the release of their EP bassist Matthew left the band (citing personal reasons) and was replaced by Kevin Dennison and after another series of North American tours the band released their debut LP Let the Silence Stay Where It Was in October 2016 on New Damage Records.[12] In March of the following year bassist Kevin Dennison ended his tenure with the group with replacement Jaret Maillet stepping in until October 2017. Prior to the departure of Maillet the band supported Grammy Award winning American metalcore group Norma Jean during their "Polar Summer Tour".[13]

In May 2019 the group announced their third studio album Failed Gods via Sound Anxiety Records with the addition of bassist Jack Panic.[14][1] The following month the group debuted the video for their single "Fifth Helena Drive" featuring local Toronto venue Sneaky Dee's, the same day the restaurant announced their collaborative dish "Fifth Helena Homefries".[15]

In November 2019 the band announced via Facebook a new lineup featuring Thomson, Busby, and the addition of guitarist Alex Pley.[16]

In September of 2020, Sparrows released the two song EP Death Crown digitally. These two tracks were recorded earlier in 2020 with Mario Quintero of Spotlights.

Sparrows played their final show on Friday the 13th of March, 2020 in Oakville, Ontario. Initial Covid-19 lockdowns began around this date. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Sparrows' Daniel Thomson and Alex Pley began writing songs for what would become their next and current project, Toronto band lowheaven. lowheaven has already toured the United States supporting headliners Holy Fawn.

Musical style

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Sparrows is considered post-hardcore utilizing melodic elements of punk and rock throughout their music.[17] In 2013 Alternative Press described their sound as "If Moneen sounded evil" as Moneen guitarist/vocalist Kenny Bridges[18][19] had produced three records for the group.[2][5] A 2019 article from Metal Injection compared the group's blasts of distortion and use of dynamics to the American alternative metal group Deftones[1]

Band members

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Final Line-Up

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Former members

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Discography

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Sparrows have released three EP's and three albums

EPs

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  • 2011: Goliath[19]
  • 2015: Dragging Hell
  • 2020: Death Crown

Albums

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  • 2013: Cold Ground[7]
  • 2016: Let the Silence Stay Where It Was[19]
  • 2019: Failed Gods[1]

Music videos

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  • "Cave Eater" (2016)[20]
  • "References To The Dead" (2016)[21]
  • "The Written Rules Of Choking" (2017)[22]
  • "A Little Crowded Death" (2019)[1]
  • "Fifth Helena Drive" (2019)[15]
  • "Worship Song" (2019)[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Sparrows Goes Quiet And Then Explodes On New Song "A Little Crowded Death", Greg Kennelty, Metal Injection, Retrieved from MetalInjection.net, 2019-05-29
  2. ^ a b Sparrows - New Damage Records, Retrieved from newdamagerecords.com, 2018-04-13
  3. ^ Whitt, Cassie (March 2015). "100 Bands You Need to Know". Alternative Press. No. 320. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Retrieved 2018-05-17.
  4. ^ Sparrows says Ottawa is ‘the perfect size’ for aspiring talent, Griffin Elliot, Retrieved from Charlatan.ca, 2012-12-04
  5. ^ a b Loud local rockers Sparrows bask in debut US tour, exciting new releases, Ryan Pepper, TheFulcrum.ca, 2012-09-18
  6. ^ Whitt, Cassie (May 2013). "Song Premiere: Sparrows, "Coffin Fever"". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  7. ^ a b Adams, Gregory (May 2013). "Sparrows Announce Debut Album". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  8. ^ "Exclusive: Sparrows Premiere New Album, Cold Ground". Revolver Magazine. No. 72013. New Bay Media. July 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-08-03. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  9. ^ Adams, Gregory (June 2015). "Sparrows Sign to New Damage Records for New EP". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  10. ^ Exclusive Stream: Sparrows – “References To The Dead”, Retrieved from NewNoiseMagazine.com, 2018-05-17
  11. ^ Toronto's SPARROWS Sign With New Damage Records; New EP Due This Summer, Retrieved from Bravewords.ca, 2015-06-04
  12. ^ New Damage Records announces Fiends of Winter tour, Cassandra Popescu, Retrieved from CanadianBeats.ca, 2016-12-22
  13. ^ Norma Jean - Polar Summer Toronto, Retrieved from Norma Jean Facebook, 2017-05-23
  14. ^ a b Exclusive Premiere of Sparrows New Video for “Worship Song”, Outburn Magazine, Outburn.com, 2019-07-30
  15. ^ a b Watch Toronto Post-Hardcore Unit Sparrows' New Video for "Fifth Helena Drive", Joe Smith-Engelhardt, Exclaim.ca, 2019-06-27
  16. ^ Hello Everyone, Sparrows Facebook, Retrieved from Facebook.com, 2019-11-16
  17. ^ From the Road: Sparrows, Alex Auxier, Retrieved from OrangeAmps.com, 2013-10-22
  18. ^ Heisel, Scott (August 2013). "If Moneen Sounded Evil". Alternative Press. No. 301. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
  19. ^ a b c Slingerland, Calum (September 2016). "Sparrows Take Flight with 'Let the Silence Stay Where It Was' LP". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 2016-09-24.
  20. ^ Sparrows Cave Eater (Video), Gregory Adams, Exclaim.ca, 2016-08-16
  21. ^ Sparrows "References to the Dead" (video), Sarah Murphy, Exclaim.ca, 2016-01-27
  22. ^ Video Premiere: Sparrows – “The Written Rules Of Choking”, Retrieved from NewNoiseMagazine.com, 2017-07-10
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