Sparta are taking ‘Cut A Silhouette’ on the road this month, with a run through Latin America beginning August 14 before the band returns to Texas for 2 September shows with Jimmy Eat World.
The album itself is already out, released May 29 after being recorded in just 7 days with producer J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Recording Studio. Its 10 songs grew out of a year of writing in hotel rooms, studios, soundchecks and rehearsal spaces as frontman Jim Ward rediscovered how much he enjoyed making music with Sparta.
“This is a love record,” Ward says. “I want it to leave an impression, and at this point in my career, that’s what I yearn for. I’m working so hard to make something meaningful to me, and I really want people to get a chance to feel it as well.”
The title came from an unexpected source. Ward was watching a documentary about John Candy when he heard Macaulay Culkin describe the late comedian as someone who could enter your brain and “cut a silhouette.” The phrase stuck with Ward as an ideal description of what he wanted Sparta’s sixth album to accomplish.
‘Cut A Silhouette’ opens with “Split Lip” before moving into “Crater,” one of 2 songs Ward wrote with Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance and L.S. Dunes. Iero also co-wrote “Mouthbreather,” while Kemble Walters contributed to “See You Soon” and plays on the track alongside pianist Adrian Bourgeois.
The sessions widened Sparta’s circle further, with Robbins and Jawbox bandmate Brooks Harlan appearing across the album and Chicano Batman guitarist Carlos Arévalo contributing to “Midnights.”
At the centre are Ward, bassist Matt Miller and drummer Neil Hennessy. Ward has described the record as the point where Sparta began feeling like a fully functioning band again, with the 3 musicians writing together in the same room and responding directly to one another.
That chemistry gives ‘Cut A Silhouette’ some of its strongest moments. There’s urgency in “Crater,” melodic lift in “See You Soon” and enough rough edges throughout the record to keep the performances feeling immediate.
The band now gets to carry that energy into a seven-date Latin American run covering Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Mexico. Sparta will then support Jimmy Eat World for shows in Austin and Irving in September.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
August 14 — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ Casa da Glória
August 15 — São Paulo, Brazil @ Burning House
August 16 — Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Club Cultural Bula
August 18 — Santiago, Chile @ Club Ambar
August 19 — Lima, Peru @ Yield Rock
August 21 — San José, Costa Rica @ Amon Solar
August 22 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Hendrix Bar
September 9 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater*
September 10 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
* supporting Jimmy Eat World