Sparta is an American rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band currently consists of Jim Ward (vocals, guitar) and Matt Miller (bass), who are touring as a three-piece with rotating session drummers. Founding members Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar were members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, forming Sparta in 2001 after the break-up of their former band. The band went on hiatus in 2008 for Ward to focus on his solo career and side projects, reuniting from 2011 to 2013 for a series of shows and permanently reuniting in 2017. The band has released five studio albums to date; their fourth, Trust the River, was released in 2020 after a 14-year break between releases.
Sparta's music has been described by Pitchfork as "anxious, epic guitar rock",[4] and by SPIN Magazine as having "a reliably cathartic and emotionally charged presence".[5]
History
Austere (2001–2002)
After the demise of their previous band, At the Drive-In, drummer Tony Hajjar and bassist Paul Hinojos talked about forming a new band.[6] Hinojos contacted former At the Drive-In guitarist and back-up vocalist Jim Ward to take the role of lead vocalist. After a brief stint with Erick Sanger, the three recruited Matt Miller, a native to El Paso and then bassist of the band Belknap to permanently fill the position of bassist,[7] with Hinojos switching to guitar. The band then scored a deal with Dreamworks in 2001. The band released their first EP, entitled Austere, in early 2002 under the name Sparta. The EP met with mixed reviews, with most believing that the group had talent and the ability, but had yet to find their voice.[8]
Wiretap Scars and Live at La Zona Rosa (2002–2004)
In August 2002, Sparta released their debut full-length album, Wiretap Scars. The album, although not well received by all of the mainstream post-hardcore audience, brought well-earned respect and relieved some of the pressure brought on by the shadow of At The Drive-In. The record was deemed a cleaner, more accessible sound than ATDI's distortion-fueled offerings.[9] True to their roots, the opening song, "Cut Your Ribbon", was described as "splintering, power-hungry rock",[9] and other tracks such as "Cataract", "Glasshouse Tarot" and "Mye" were noted for their emotion and "absurdly exuberant melody".[10] Sparta maintained its underground following with shows at smaller venues throughout North America and Europe. They were also exposed to a wider audience in April and May 2003, opening several shows for Pearl Jam. While on tour for Wiretap Scars, Sparta employed the help of their friend Gabriel Gonzalez to play third guitar and keyboards; he can be seen in the music videos from 2003's Big Day Out festival, among other videos circulating online. Gonzalez now performs with his own band, Volador, and is a member of Ward's side project Sleepercar. Gonzalez rejoined Sparta in 2017. On May 25, 2003, Ward's cousin, Jeremy, died of a heroin overdose. Jeremy was at the time the sound manipulator for The Mars Volta, created by former At the Drive-In bandmates Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López, and frontman of De Facto. The loss of his cousin would have a profound and lasting impact on Ward.
The band resumed writing new material, and on March 19, 2004 recorded a live album at La Zona Rosa. The album had seven tracks and six songs, including two previously unrecorded tracks: "Lines in Sand" and "La Cerca". The album captured some of the live performance experience, but was not sold in stores and only available as a promotional CD. Videos for the songs "Cut Your Ribbon", "Mye", and "La Cerca" can be found online, recorded by the music television station Fuse TV.
In July 2004, the band released their second album, Porcelain. Despite popular belief, none of the tracks are fueled by the loss of Jeremy Ward (Jim's cousin and sound manipulator for the Mars Volta). Tracks such as "Death in the Family" and "Travel by Bloodline" stem from other personal losses, such as Jim Ward's grandfather and a close friend. In a 2004 issue of the magazine Alternative Press, Ward describes his feelings towards these events, and how they have affected him. "...he will admit that he hasn't yet made sense of it, and, perhaps for that reason, there isn't a song on Porcelain about Jeremy. I don't think I'll ever make peace with that," he says. Immediately prior to the release, Sparta toured as the opening act for Incubus, after which followed their own headlining tour.
In 2005, after pulling the band off the road mid-tour, Ward said he needed to re-group. "I walked out in the middle of a tour.... I needed to get away from everything and everyone. I wasn't enjoying myself at all, and I didn't feel my life or the band was where I wanted it to be... I needed to step back and reassess everything." For two months, he retreated to his home without speaking to anyone in his professional life. In an article with PE.com, Ward said, "When I left, I honestly didn't know if I was going to continue the band or not, so I told everyone to pursue whatever they wanted,". During that time, Hinojos left to join The Mars Volta as their new secondary guitarist and sound manipulator, filling the void left by Jeremy Ward's death. Hinojos was replaced by Keeley Davis.
Eventually, Ward went to visit Hajjar in Los Angeles. They began writing new material without the restrictions of a deadline, and soon Ward had rekindled his desire to perform. In January 2006, the band announced that they had signed a deal with Hollywood Records, and announced their intention to release a short film, titled Eme Nakia, based on Hajjar's experiences as a child in Beirut, Lebanon.
Threes and "Eme Nakia" (2006–2008)
On March 9, 2006, by way of their official website, Sparta announced a new album, entitled Threes. Two days before the release, the entire album was available for streaming on their MySpace page. The album was released on October 24, 2006. Their first single off the album was "Taking Back Control", and "Erase It Again" was released as the second single in mid-2007.
Davis' first show with the band was at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, in July 2006. However, the band looked at the show as a "warm-up" and the show at Los Angeles' Troubadour, July 29, 2006, was referred to as their "first show to the public in 15 months" by Ward. They played three songs off the upcoming album: "Crawl", "Weather The Storm", and the single "Taking Back Control". At this show Ward also told the crowd about what happened when he left the band the previous year, saying he would rather have the crowd hear it from him, than the press in the following months. Sparta played at Chicago's Lollapalooza festival the following week. The band toured the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe heavily after the release of the album with bands such as Lola Ray, Aloha, As Tall As Lions, Sound Team, Moneen, MeWithoutYou, Lovedrug, Straylight Run, Deftones and My Chemical Romance. On February 19, 2007, the band played a free concert with Lydia Vance in Las Vegas for the XPOZ Coalition, an anti-smoking organization. While touring with Straylight Run and Lovedrug, Sparta allowed Lovedrug to continue touring by letting them use their instruments and equipment after Lovedrug's gear was stolen following a show in Detroit, Michigan.[11]
In conjunction with the album Threes, Sparta also released a 16-minute film entitled "Eme Nakia". The film, the soundtrack for which is performed by Sparta, is about drummer Hajjar's early life, set during the Lebanese civil war of 1975–1990. Hajjar fled at the age of five to the United States, settling in the sprawling west Texas border town of El Paso. When Hajjar was 14, his mother ("Eme") died after a bout with cancer and his father, who had been distant, left the family. His brother, 18 years old at the time, assumed responsibility for the family and raised Hajjar and his sister. The film follows Hajjar's early life story, showing his challenges and ending with him in present day. The independent film received good reviews and is available for free with purchase of the Threes album. The word "Eme" is Arabic for mother, and "Nakia" was Hajjar's mother's name.
Hiatus (2008–2011)
In June 2008, Ward stated that Sparta is "currently on hiatus and label-less", and that he will be focusing on his project Sleepercar.[12] In January 2009, when asked if a return to Sparta was foreseeable, Ward stated that he has no plans to reunite with his bandmates: "I don't right now, no. Who knows what the future will bring?"[13] In July 2010, sleepercarmusic.com stated that "Sparta is not broken up, Sparta is taking a nap."
First return (2011-2013)
Following a three-year "nap", Sparta played their first show since 2008 in November 2011 in their hometown of El Paso, Texas.[14] They performed on November 17 and 18 at Tricky Falls, the newly renovated venue co-owned by frontman Jim Ward. The band headed into the studio that fall to begin work on their fourth LP, the follow-up to 2006's Threes. A short tour of the southwestern US followed in May 2012.
Sparta released a new song on May 17, 2012 called "Chemical Feel". The song was free to download, and was the first new song the band had released in six years.[15] In January 2012, At The Drive-In reunited for a series of shows, splitting up once again at the end of the year. In January 2016, At The Drive-In reunited for the second time. However, days before the tour start in March 2016, it was announced that Ward had been replaced in the band by his former Sparta bandmate Keeley Davis.
Second return, line-up changes, Trust the River and Sparta (2017–present)
On November 13, 2017 a new line-up was announced, consisting of returning members Ward, Matt Miller and Gabriel Gonzalez, along with former Cursive drummer Cully Symington. A new song, "Graveyard Luck," was released on the same day.[16] Another song, "Cat Scream", was released in April 2018[17] together with a tour announcement.[18] The band played in several North American cities throughout the rest of 2018.
The band announced the release of the single "Believe" on January 23, 2020, through their Instagram account – along with a new music video and a date for their new album, Trust The River, which was released on April 10, 2020. The band also shared information on a US tour to start in San Francisco on April 23, 2020 – though this was ultimately cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] Both Gonzalez and Symington exited the band in 2021 and were not replaced, converting Sparta into the duo of Ward and Miller. Sparta played their first live shows in over two years at Ward's own restaurant, Eloise, in El Paso across two nights on March 18 and 19, 2022.[20] They later announced a North American tour in support of The Get Up Kids.[21]
In August 2022, Sparta announced their fifth studio album – a self-titled release, which marked the band's first as a duo. Ward and Miller made the album with assistance from members of Thursday and musician Kayleigh Goldsworthy. The band also shared two singles from the album to coincide with the announcement: "Mind Over Matter" and "Spiders". Sparta was released on October 14, 2022, via Dine Alone.[22]
Members
Current members
Jim Ward – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards (2001–2008, 2011–2013, 2017–present)
Matt Miller – bass, backing vocals (2001–2008, 2011–2013, 2017–present)
"Taking Back Control" was featured in the movie The Invisible. In addition to being in the album released for the movie, the music video is a special feature on the DVD release.[28]
"Each Brave Eye" was released in 2002 as a B-side on the "Cut Your Ribbon" single.
The band also performed a cover of "Kiss the Bottle" for the Jawbreaker tribute album, Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault.
The songs "Farewell Ruins" and "Bombs and Us" were released on the Japanese version of Porcelain. "Farewell Ruins" was also released on a 7" vinyl and iTunes. Ward confirmed[29] that "Bombs and Us" was written about the late songwriter Elliott Smith.
An earlier version of "Taking Back Control", originally titled "Future Needs", appears on the video game Madden NFL 07.
There are three B-sides for Threes: "As Far As We Go", which was handed out upon purchase of Threes at participating stores, "Blood Spills", an iTunes exclusive, and "Born and Buried," a bonus track on the European version of the album.
The intro to the song "Cut Your Ribbon" has been used for the show True Life, which can be seen on MTV.
At the Drive-In was an American post-hardcore band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals), Omar Rodríguez-López, Paul Hinojos (bass), Tony Hajjar (drums) and Keeley Davis.
Relationship of Command is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on September 12, 2000. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. While it continues in the alternative style of At the Drive-In's previous albums, Relationship of Command is seen as a more well-rounded album than its predecessors. Initially received positively by critics, the album is now seen not only as one of the most influential post-hardcore albums of the 2000s, but also as one of the most accomplished recent works in the wider rock spectrum. Relationship of Command was voted twelfth out of 100 in the Albums of the Decade by NME, and the 37th most influential album of all time by Kerrang!. It was the band's final album to feature founding guitarist Jim Ward.
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, whose partnership forms the core of the band. The band's current line-up also includes founding member Eva Gardner (bass), Omar's brother Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, Leo Genovese and Linda-Philomène Tsoungui (drums).
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a Puerto Rican guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including The Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the dub band De Facto. He has embarked on a solo career, both in studio and in concert, frequently described as experimental, avant-garde, or progressive. He has also collaborated with numerous artists, such as Damo Suzuki, John Frusciante, El-P, Mon Laferte and Calle 13.
Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, Straylight Run and The Needles the Space, as well as three EPs, Prepare to Be Wrong, About Time, and Un Mas Dos. In 2010, the band announced that they would be going on indefinite hiatus, but might reunite in the future. Two of the members, John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, previously played in Taking Back Sunday and have since rejoined the band.
Acrobatic Tenement is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1996, on Flipside. The album was reissued by Fearless Records in 2004, along with the band's subsequent albums In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command, and was re-released again in 2013.
In/Casino/Out is the second studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1998, through Fearless Records. Produced by Alex Newport, it is the band's first full studio album to feature bass guitarist Paul Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar, who joined the band in 1996 for the tour in support of their debut album, Acrobatic Tenement.
James David Ward is an American musician. A self-taught guitarist and pianist, he is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band Sparta; he is also a co-founder of the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, which he formed in 1994.
Wiretap Scars is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band Sparta. It was released on August 13, 2002 by DreamWorks Records and peaked at number 71 on the Billboard 200. Only months separated this release from their debut EP, Austere. The album is greatly influenced by the music of At the Drive-In, with whom most of Sparta's members played before their split in 2001.
Pablo J. Hinojos-Gonzalez, also known as Paul Hinojos, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for At the Drive-In, and former touring member of The Mars Volta. He is also a former guitarist of Sparta.
Tony Hajjar is a Lebanese-born American drummer, best known for playing in At the Drive-In and Sparta. As of 2016, he is playing in the reformed At The Drive-In, as well as the new group, Gone Is Gone. Tony also produced and drummed on the forthcoming New Language record. Both New Language and Gone Is Gone made their live debuts on April 27, 2016 to a sold out crowd at the Dragonfly in Los Angeles.
This Station Is Non-Operational is a compilation album by El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released May 24, 2005 by Fearless Records, four years after the band went on indefinite hiatus. Its tracks span the band's career from 1997 to 2000, with selections from El Gran Orgo (1997), In/Casino/Out (1998), Vaya (1999), and Relationship of Command (2000), as well as several rare tracks taken from singles and a previously unreleased cover version of The Smiths' "This Night Has Opened My Eyes". The album also includes a DVD with the music videos for "Metronome Arthritis", "One Armed Scissor", and "Invalid Litter Dept.", an electronic press kit, a discography, and multimedia content. It became the band's highest-charting release in the United States. Its title comes from a lyric in the song "One Armed Scissor".
Porcelain is the second studio album by American post-hardcore band Sparta. It was released on July 13, 2004 by Geffen Records and peaked at number 60 on the Billboard 200. The first single released from the album was "Breaking the Broken."
Sleepercar is the alternative country project of Jim Ward, a member of Sparta and former member of At the Drive-In. Regarding the band, Ward has noted that: "I think it will always be 'my' band. People can come and go as they please: I don’t want the stress of trying to maintain five or six happinesses, I love playing with the guys and when they want to move on, I will support them in whatever ways I can."
Threes is the third studio album by Sparta. The album was released on October 24, 2006, and peaked at number 83 on the Billboard 200. It is their first album with new guitarist Keeley Davis, previously of Engine Down and Denali.
The Needles the Space is the second studio album by American indie rock band Straylight Run. With the release of the Prepare to Be Wrong EP in late 2005, the group completed their contract with independent label Victory Records. Recording for their next album took place at Red Wire Audio and Sapone Studios in August and September 2006 with engineers Bryan Russell and Mike Sapone. By the end of the year, they were shopping the record to potential labels, eventually settling with major label Universal Republic by early 2007.
Matt Miller is a native of El Paso, Texas and the bassist for the Post-hardcore band, Sparta. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
West Texas is the debut album by Jim Ward's latest alternative country project Sleepercar. Although the beginning of Sleepercar dates back to the demise of At the Drive-In, Ward only found the time to focus on the project and make it his full-time commitment after the hiatus of his second band Sparta in 2008, when he started working full-time on the Sleepercar album.
The discography of At the Drive-In, an El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band active from 1994 to 2018, consists of four studio albums, one compilation album, five EPs, six singles, and three music videos.
in•ter a•li•a is the fourth studio album by At the Drive-In, released on May 5, 2017. It is their first studio album in 17 years since Relationship of Command, and their first release since the 2005 compilation album This Station Is Non-Operational. It is also the first studio release by the band since El Gran Orgo to not feature founding member Jim Ward, who chose not to participate in the band's second reunion; as well as the first studio album by the band to feature former Sparta guitarist Keeley Davis.
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