They are talented and hard-working, and with their spot on the Letterman show last month and their recent tour with Incubus, Sparta is finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Sparta formed out of the shambles of the celebrated indie rock band At the Drive-In. When At the Drive-In split, guitarists Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar went on to form Sparta. Once they added childhood friend Matt Miller on bass, the lineup was complete.
The foursome from El Paso, Texas has struggled to step out of the shadow of At the Drive-In. The fame of their old band is a bit of a sore spot for Sparta, and they're tired of people expecting them to be a sequel.
"There's not much you can do to overcome that other than to keep doing what you want to do," said bassist Matt Miller. "There are still kids that are fans of that band, the band's done, and it's like 'Get over it, move on.' They think we're just trying to ride on coattails or some stupid shit like that. People just need to lay it to rest."
On their latest album, "Porcelain," Sparta proves that they deserve a respect all their own. Sparta left their past behind on "Porcelain" to form a new sound and identity, reflecting band unity that was missing on their debut release "Wiretap Scars."
"Even though the guys had known each other, there was no band mentality yet," said Miller. "After 'Wiretap' and touring it for 18 months, we became super-tight as a band and super-tight as friends."
After being on the road for more than a year, the band became even closer while writing and recording their sophomore album.
"When we wrote 'Porcelain' we were out in Joshua Tree, California for six weeks, out in the desert writing music, shooting off bottle rockets, making breakfast for each other, and just hanging out - almost like camp," said Miller. "It was a growth of a stronger bond within the band."
Working with producer Mike Major, Sparta recorded "Porcelain" live, instead of tracking each instrument separately as they did on "Wiretap Scars."
"When we went into the studio each day we would choose a song and then set the ambience for the night," said Miller. "If it was a mellow song, we would light candles, dim the lights, and just try to get the mood and the feel of the song, and then just track it."
This innovative recording process affected the overall sound of the album, creating an organic and natural energy.
"Recording live, you could feel each of us pulling and pushing certain parts of the song," said Miller. "There are some little mistakes throughout the record that we know where they are, and we wanted to keep it that way to capture that moment, like a snapshot of that song at that moment."
Now Sparta is back on the road, with a new sound they can call their own, and it might be a long time before they go home again.
"We're a touring band, that's what we do," said Miller. "We love playing live all the time, whenever we get the chance. We're a live band."
Sparta's tour is bringing them to D.C. tonight where they will be headliners at the 9:30 club, playing with Further Seems Forever, Copeland, and Sunshine. Check these up-and-comers to see them boldly breaking away from their At the Drive-In past. Just don't yell out a request for "One Armed Scissor"
