Scott Spark

Scott Spark sings about shift-work, strategies for outsmarting death, love, wanderlust at Christmastime and life’s variety of screw-ups, while plinking the keys of anything that has them. As showcased on his debut album, Fail Like You Mean It, his sound is some kind of threesome between Randy Newman, Fiona Apple and ELO.

Early in 2010, Scott was unearthed by triple j, and soon after, Sydney-based indie label Other Tongues (You Am I, Lisa Miller, Dereb the Ambassador) released his debut album Fail Like You Mean It, with tracks garnering rotation on triple j and community radio stations countrywide. He spent the rest of the year playing around 50 shows throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, including tours with ARIA Award-winning artists Washington and Tim Rogers (You Am I).

Growing bearded and pale, Scott had spent the better part of two years recording with Adele Pickvance (The Go-Betweens), Megan Washington (Washington), Seja Vogel (Regurgitator), John Parker (Misinterprotato), Heinz Riegler, Chris Pickering and Yeo Choong (Yeo), between auditoriums and bedrooms in his home city of Brisbane. Scott then approached renowned US producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Sufjan Stevens, Laura Veirs), who mixed the album over a month at his home studio in Portland, Oregon.

Scott toured hard on the back of Fail Like You Mean It. As well as supporting Washington for two consecutive tours and joining Tim Rogers for two special Christmas shows in Sydney, Scott headlined album launch shows in Melbourne (The Toff in Town), Sydney (The Vanguard) and Brisbane (The Zoo).

The same year, he also completed month-long residencies at Melbourne’s Empress Hotel and Brisbane’s Powerhouse, where he played alongside a full-sized children choir from Brisbane’s Robertson State School, performed at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), was shortlisted for the inaugural Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition, had Kathleen named Single of the Week in Inpress magazine, and the title track from Fail Like You Mean It chosen as both iTunes Single of the Week and as Rage’s Indie Clip of the Week (for its video clip).

Scott recently called New York home over summer and autumn, working on material for his next album, thanks to the Grant McLennan Memorial Fellowship.

Scott has also been commissioned to co-write the anti-musical OMFG with The Good Room, set for the stage in 2013.

Fail Like You Mean It is out now, via Other Tongues (OTH94006), in stores (Aust & NZ) and digitally (worldwide): http://bit.ly/dt2ZL5

Don't be a stranger - get personal here: scott[at]scottspark.com

"Onomatopoeic pop music; effervescent tunes that carry a gift for observation. An extraordinary record." -- Liam Pieper, Beat magazine

"Spark is a unique storyteller... One to watch." -- Nine to Five magazine

"There's barely a dud track on this tight, well-polished debut." -- Chad Parkhill, Rave magazine

"The man's catalogue is practically defined by a meticulous attention to detail and artfully expressed sentiment." -- Matt O'Neill, Time Off magazine

"Spark blends his gargantuan talent for any key-related instrument with brooding, thought-inspiring lyrics to create a kind of piano-pop-bustle." -- Nic Congram, ThreeThousand

"Sweet tunes that sound like Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright had some very skillful and biologically impossible offspring." -- Jo Walker, frankie magazine

"A beautiful and fascinating soundscape that gets you in and wraps you up." -- Tom Ballard, triple j