The band on Under This Yellow Sun is truly an incomparable group of people:'
DAVID HENRY (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Vienna Teng, Josh Rouse, Widespread Panic, Indigo Girls, Cowboy Junkies)
PAT BUCHANAN (Rodney Crowell, Mary Chapin Carpenter ... and, the man Paul McCartney called "a f***ing genius" at a party for Buddy Holly)
JOHN DEADERICK (Patty Griffin, James Taylor, Emmylou Harris)
STEVE BOWMAN (Counting Crows, the Bittersweets, and one of the nicest famous people ever)
AARON SANDS (Jars of Clay, multitasker extraordinaire)
MATTHEW BURGESS (Third Eye Blind, Brandi Carlile... general badass)
DANIEL DENNIS (Owner, Prime Cut Records/ Prime Cut Studios)
JOE “THE BONE” RATHBONE (Philly-born independent artiste who kindly guest-appeared on the record)
AARON BLAKE (Tori's road companion for the eight solid months of shows and mad adventures in 2006).
PRODUCED BY DAVID HENRY AND TORI SPARKS.
LIVE...
Tori has toured that crazy country called America, France, England, and Ireland -- both solo and with company. So, who's in the current line-up??
TORI SPARKS does the steel string, gut string, vocals. And songwriting. And mayhem.
SERGIO WEBB (Dave Olney, Gail Davies, others) rocks out on electric and slide guitars.
BROOK SUTTON (Good Souls, Ben Graves, sessionista extraordinaire) is in charge of some serious bass. And dancing.
MATTHEW BURGESS (see above) is the master of all things drums, percussion, groove... and is the Official Water-Spitter.
When we're lucky, we sometimes feature producer DAVID HENRY (see above) workin' the cello and trumpet and paint can and shaker. Yay.
Influences
Definitely in no particular order...
Tom Waits, U2, my mom, Ben Harper, Aziza A, Etta James, Mrs. Janoff's English class, Martin Sexton, Joni Mitchell, Soular System, Pea 2, Ani DiFranco, NPR, Ayn Rand, Janis Joplin, the maintenance guy at my crappy secretary job when I first moved to Nashville, Wayne Hall, Murphy's Loft, Waffle House, Billy Bragg, The Plant Formerly Known as Prince, Prince, Amos Lee, Amy Correia, Bill Withers, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, coffee, Radiohead, coffee, Regina Spektor, coffee, coffee, Amy Steinberg, Mia Zepeda, Dung Nguyen, random acts of kindness, The Beatles, The Boss (mainly just Nebraska), Ben Folds (who thinks I sound like the Pretenders, which is fine), Chris Isaak, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Bonnie/Sheryl/Alanis/Tori/Jewel/
any-other-female-artiste-that-no-girl-rocker-wants-to-admit-to-in-order-to-seem-completely-and-totally-original, Colleen McFarland, Caroline Brewer, Feist, Juno, exes, David Bowie, Cecilia the Band, anyone who cuts across the grass, Jed Shoemaker, Siesta Key Beach, Threadless, David Gray, the windshield I cracked in half, Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Mitch Hedberg, Ray Charles, Lightnin' Hopkins, rain when I'm working, A Love Song for Bobby Long, Sante Fe, the red Mustang (rental), Peabody Shoe Repair, Ryan Adams, Vienna Teng, kettle corn, Elmer's Glue, Pete's Candy Store, Nirvana, the White Stripes, Iron and Wine, Wilco, any and all blues (yay blues!), local bands, people who like local bands, booking guys who are human, humans who experiment, odd strangers, stranger friends, the road, and a couple of skeletons in the closet.
“The talented Tori Sparks… is a knockout…”
--Joe McCombs, The Village Voice
“Here’s a singer/songwriter with the strong, eloquent vocals of Bonnie Raitt and the guitar mastery of Joni Mitchell. Her second indie release Under this Yellow Sun is a bounty of subtle rock and haunting blues…
--Nancy Dunham, Relix
“Tori Sparks’ voice isn’t one of those passive instruments that treats a lyric like it’s a classified ad… Here is a supple, teasing voice that flutters and flies seemingly without effort from note to note, line to line, so that weepy sensitivity and pleading vulnerability cozy up with tough resilience and firm resolve so seamlessly you never even notice the mood swing.”
--Jeff Tamarkin, Harp Magazine
“Sparks needs little in the way of effects or layering to get her music across… strong and fabulous…”
--Jason MacNeil, PopMatters
“Under This Yellow Sun, the second offering from songbird Tori Sparks, is drenched in drama, featuring Sparks’ torrid vocals splashed over self-penned, alternative roots-rock numbers that sizzle with authenticity.”
— LCB, Performing Songwriter
"With the grit of Chrissie Hynde, the sadness of Martha Davis in the Motels, and the pure sensualness of Margo Timmins from the Cowboy Junkies, this girl hurls you onto planet Sparks and leaves you there... you’ll listen to [Under This Yellow Sun] once, then you’ll listen to it a second time and also a third. ...[Tori Sparks] is truly, one of the most original artists I have heard in a long, long time."
--Rebecca Rego, Music News Nashville
“Those are the songwriting skills of someone like Roseanne Cash…Providence RI [from Under this Yellow Sun] has Springsteen a la Nebraska or Darkness on the Edge of Town magic about it.”
--Jon Delange, Tinderbox Music
"Tori is a treat to have live in the studio... An excellent songwriter with incredible, fun energy."
--Nick James; WFPK 91.9FM Louisville
"Like Natalie Merchant and Madeline Peyroux getting together to do heroin... in an awesome sultry way."
--CJ Watson
"[Tori] is an excellent songwriter... Her songs are well crafted, personal and at times introspective. ... More than anything, Sparks deserves to be recognized for her voice. It can take her about anywhere she wants -- it's that good."
--David Bowling, The DailyVault
“There is a very sensual quality to her voice. It just drips with emotion. ‘Out of the Void’ is damn near heartbreaking…The songs are well written, interesting and catchy without being trite. The musicianship is fabulous… this is a fantastic album.”
--Amy Lotsberg; Collected Sounds
“[Sparks] packs a wallop of a voice… each song proves that she’s more than just a pretty face.”
--Paul Barbatano; Dayton City Paper
“[Tori] should add The Pretenders to [her] list of influences. In a good way. I’d take that any day.”
--Ben Folds
"Tori Sparks sounds suitably dislocated... in the manner of some funky New Orleans guitarist -- Snooks Elgin, or Walter 'Wolfman' Washington... swinging, controlled performances..."
--Edd Hurt; The Nashville Scene
"[Tori's] dynamic live show is equal parts soulful singing and zany stand-up-style humor... falls somewhere between Dixie rock, folk blues, and Americana."
--Joyce Arnold; City at Night Magazine
“Sparks’ bluesy vocals and intensely rhythmic groove paints a sexy and sultry sound that’s a joy to hear in any venue… [the] songstress rocked the room, drew listeners from tables in the back to the stage front and pulled people in from off the street (yes, during SXSW) to hear her…”
--Anny Randel, Savvant Music
“Sparks. . . [has] stuck to her muse and it was exactly what people wanted.”
--John Stoehr; Savannah Morning News
"A fearless performer, she is notorious for her blend of quirky humor and fiery delivery and has fused a sound and astyle that is unmistakably her own."
--Cassaundra Baber; Utica Life & Times
“I found her vocal stylings interesting, different…Her music possesses a grit and angst not heard much today…”
--Brooke Welu, Northeast InTune Magazine
“…Both concise and taut mixtures of lyrics with music that are thoughtful and evocative without being pretentious. … Discover Sparks’ powerful voice now…!”
--Ron Saranich, Cosmik Debris
"All of her hard work is starting to pay off... Yet, with all the apparent beginnings of commercial success, Sparks remains incredibly focused on the reason she sings and plays: the passion that fuels the creation of her music."
-Don Swaby, Melt Magazine
“Tori can rock so seductively then revert to a striking emotive process. . . there is nothing formulaic that you can pigeon-hole."
--Carmine Pascuzzi; Media Search (Australia)
“This multi-talented artist really struts her stuff on [Under This Yellow Sun]. Her warm gutsy vocals are full of soul… mixed with lots of attitude. You’ll want this one for your record collection.”
--Brad Fischer, Nashville Music Guide
“Sparks lets go of the typical restraints of the singer-songwriter stigma… She makes me want to grab hold of life, take a breath and push my boundaries to find my inner self. [Under This Yellow Sun] is not only sexy, beautiful, and enticing, but Sparks shows something that many artists forget—the truth.”
--Jeff Russell, Murfreesboro Pulse
Cold War released on Paste Magazine New Music Sampler, June 2008 (Issue 43).
Tori is on the cover of City at Night Magazine (April/May 2008 issue).
Under This Yellow Sun licensed to MTV, Lifetime, and Oxygen Networks. Shows include Road Rules, The Hills, and more TBA. Stay tuned in 2008... Click here for details.
NEW UTYS and "Cold War" teeshirts available now. Click here.
"SAY CHEESE!"
Tori on the road, in the studio, and being just plain wacky. Move the grey slider up or down to change slideshow speed. Roll over photos for captions. You get the idea. More pics on the ToriSparks.com Photo Gallery.
ABOUT TORI...
Tori Sparks calls Nashville home, but spends most of her time on the road in the U.S. and Europe. Called “a knockout” by the Village Voice, her dynamic live show is equal parts soulful singing and zany stand-up-style humor. Tori’s latest album Under This Yellow Sun was co-produced with indie rock veteran David Henry (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, Widespread Panic, Cowboy Junkies) , and features players such as Steve Bowman of Counting Crows, Aaron Sands of Jars of Clay, John Deaderick (Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams), and Pat Buchanan (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dixie Chicks).
Under This Yellow Sun is the first release under the auspices of Tori’s own record label (Glass Mountain Records) and publishing company (Hand Over Foot Publishing). It has been praised by Relix, Harp, Maverick, Skope, The Nashville Music Guide, XM Radio, and others.
After breaking the Top 100 on the RIYL Weighted College Charts, the album was immediately licensed by MTV, Lifetime, and the Oxygen Network for use in their 2008 television seasons. A subsequent feature by XM Radio Unsigned prompted Universal Music France to contact Sparks, has toured in France and other parts of Europe. Universal included Sparks’ single “Cold War” on their double-disc compilation, released internationally in March 2008, which has sold 25,000+ copies to date."Cold War" is also featured on the Paste Magazine New Music Sampler released in June 2008.
Tori’s relentless touring has taken her from New York to Los Angeles to Miami, from Toronto to London to Paris, and through every small town in between. She has shared the stage with Justin Townes Earle, Garrison Starr, Rachael Sage, Maria Muldaur, John & Mary of 10,000 Maniacs, and more. The fearless chanteuse makes the audience her own in any setting. Besides her big black boots, and balls-to-the-wall guitar playing, she is known for being a part of and organizing benefit concerts on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, F.A.C.E., the March of Dimes, and the One Campaign.
Contrary to popular belief, Sparks did not emerge Venus-like from Lake Michigan on a gigantic seashell Tori was born in Chicago, and grew up in Sarasota, FL. She recorded her first EP,Tidewaters, in 2003, while attending Florida State University. . The four-song project attracted the attention of a small independent label based in Nashville. The label snapped her up, promptly recorded her debut album and music video ”Rivers + Roads” in 2005, moved her to Music City… and even more promptly went belly-up. Where some would crumble, Tori emerged from the wreckage and dove into eight solid months of exhaustive touring, radio, and video promotion. Her work paid off, as radio and video airplay in the U.S., Belgium, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and England resulted.
One of the aforementioned eight months was devoted to The Feed Your Soul Guitar Project, a tour and folk art auction benefiting Oxfam America. ASCAP, The Village Voice, Paste Magazine Online, Northeast InTune Magazine, All Music, NBC, ABC, FOX, the Women’s Right to Rock Music Festival and others thought this was pretty cool and said so. Tori's debut music video, "Rivers + Roads," was screened at the Flint Film Festival 2006, and was selected "Best Pop Video" by the Indie Gathering 2006. She was selected as a Unisong International Songwriting Contest Finalist for her politically-charged alterna-blues tune "The Poster Child” in 2005, and again in 2007 for “Cold War.”
Under This Yellow Sun and Rivers + Roads can each be purchased for less than the price of a veggie burger in Los Angeles at one of 100+ digital distributors in 25 countries. These include the ubiquitous iTunes, and 30+ CD retailers, including BestBuy.com, Target.com, Amazon.com, and others. Tori’s guilty pleasures include black jelly beans, cop shows, and 80s music. There is a big map of the U.S. and Europe on her wall, full of little colored pins marking cities she’s played.
Hello Tori many thanks from France for the add it's a real pleasure to be in the lot of your friends it's a nice day for us Long life at your and our music
HOPE TO SEE YOU AUG 9TH. THIS IS GOING TO BE A GOOD NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY. LET'S WORK ON GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU SOON!
