Sparhawks

A Musician's Thoughts

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013
Interview with Brendan Sibley of Sparhawks

Interview with Brendan Sibley (Drums) from Sparhawks

Sparhawks is an Alternative/Post-Rock band from Massachusetts that has been around since fall of 2011. This quartet has a sound that is intriguing and quite difficult to define. Their high-energy performances mesmerize crowds, and their unique style sets them apart from the many other bands in the current local music scene. With the debut of their full-length album, “The Cabin”, Sparhawks seems to be gathering fans and interest every day. I was able to sit down and speak with one of the most talented drummers I have ever seen perform live, Brendan Sibley of Sparhawks, to gain some knowledge on the band and their background.



Want to tell me a little bit about Sparhawks’ origins? How it all started, where you guys met, etc.

Let’s see. Sparhawks didn’t start with any intention of becoming the band it is today. Back in ~2010 Vlad and I were in a band “Nines and Sixes” with a few friends from our hometown. We ended up playing one show and calling it quits. At that point we both knew that we wanted to continue to play music together; we had really good musical chemistry. We were living in Brighton, MA at the time and had a friend with a vacant attic. It was really tight and stuffy up there but we made it work.

From there we decided to cut rent costs and move practice out to Worcester. We needed to record our first demo, and Vlad had been friends with Brian who is an audio engineer. He joined in on bass shortly after recording the demo, and not long after that we got Tim on guitar. Tim had been in a band with Vlad years back. At the time, we were all those music scene pioneer-type dudes just working and in college. Once we formed as a quartet, the band really took off and we wrote and wrote and wrote. Eventually our first full length was born and now we’re working on new material for our next release.


Your style is quite unique and pretty difficult to classify. How would you classify yourselves and where do you think you fit in the current rock scene?

We tend to have trouble classifying our style too. Lately we’ve been all over the place when it comes to writing songs in a specific genre. If we had to pick specific ones we’d would probably classify Sparhawks as a postrock-ish branch of alternative rock. Our new songs are a bit more mathy and technical which we have a lot of fun with.


What are some of your major influences? Any favorite bands?

Our influences are literally all over the place. The amount of bands we listen to collectively as a whole would be a ridiculously long list. We’re all really into the mid-late 90’s/early 2000’s emo-alternative scene. Lately we’ve been really into Cursive’s “Domestica”, Mew’s “And The Glass Handed Kites”, and Botch’s “We are the Romans”. We also just went and saw TTNG out in Allston, their new album is excellent.


What’s the writing process like? Is there a main songwriter or is it a collective effort?

We tend to show up to practice with a case of beer and a few cigarettes and just start jamming. Most of the time new songs are born out of nowhere. A cool riff or interesting drumbeat tends to spontaneously turn into a ballad with multiple different parts. The best part of it all is that none of us really say anything during that time; it all kind of falls into place on its own. When we all decide to stop playing, laughter erupts and we talk about what parts we liked and what parts we feel we should keep or change.


So you guys recently came out with a full-length album, “The Cabin”, which is not only an extraordinary blend of genres, but has also been on repeat in my stereo ever since I bought it. Can you talk a little about the album and where the name “The Cabin” comes from?

That’s great to hear, we are really glad you like it, man! The idea for The Cabin all started one day at practice when Brian mentioned that he and Vlad had gone up to his cabin in northern Maine for a week or so. Brian told us a story of him and Vlad arriving at the cabin really late at night. The cabin is on a lake. They took a canoe onto the lake with a case of beer. After 10 minutes of paddling to the middle of the lake they realized there was a hole in the canoe; they were slowly sinking. They ended up making it back to the dock OK, but the story alone planted an idea in all of our heads. We needed to record an album up there in the wilderness.

We did exactly that. We wrote all of the songs for “The Cabin” in a 4-6 month span. Last December (2012) we drove 6 hours up to the cabin and stayed for a week. We recorded our record completely on our own thanks to Brian. We rocked out whenever we weren’t recording and adventured around the forest whenever we weren’t rocking out. All while drinking too much whiskey & tequila. It was one of the best experiences all of us have ever had. There’s really no way to - Ghost Town Entertainment

A Musician's Thoughts

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013
Interview with Brendan Sibley of Sparhawks

Interview with Brendan Sibley (Drums) from Sparhawks

Sparhawks is an Alternative/Post-Rock band from Massachusetts that has been around since fall of 2011. This quartet has a sound that is intriguing and quite difficult to define. Their high-energy performances mesmerize crowds, and their unique style sets them apart from the many other bands in the current local music scene. With the debut of their full-length album, “The Cabin”, Sparhawks seems to be gathering fans and interest every day. I was able to sit down and speak with one of the most talented drummers I have ever seen perform live, Brendan Sibley of Sparhawks, to gain some knowledge on the band and their background.



Want to tell me a little bit about Sparhawks’ origins? How it all started, where you guys met, etc.

Let’s see. Sparhawks didn’t start with any intention of becoming the band it is today. Back in ~2010 Vlad and I were in a band “Nines and Sixes” with a few friends from our hometown. We ended up playing one show and calling it quits. At that point we both knew that we wanted to continue to play music together; we had really good musical chemistry. We were living in Brighton, MA at the time and had a friend with a vacant attic. It was really tight and stuffy up there but we made it work.

From there we decided to cut rent costs and move practice out to Worcester. We needed to record our first demo, and Vlad had been friends with Brian who is an audio engineer. He joined in on bass shortly after recording the demo, and not long after that we got Tim on guitar. Tim had been in a band with Vlad years back. At the time, we were all those music scene pioneer-type dudes just working and in college. Once we formed as a quartet, the band really took off and we wrote and wrote and wrote. Eventually our first full length was born and now we’re working on new material for our next release.


Your style is quite unique and pretty difficult to classify. How would you classify yourselves and where do you think you fit in the current rock scene?

We tend to have trouble classifying our style too. Lately we’ve been all over the place when it comes to writing songs in a specific genre. If we had to pick specific ones we’d would probably classify Sparhawks as a postrock-ish branch of alternative rock. Our new songs are a bit more mathy and technical which we have a lot of fun with.


What are some of your major influences? Any favorite bands?

Our influences are literally all over the place. The amount of bands we listen to collectively as a whole would be a ridiculously long list. We’re all really into the mid-late 90’s/early 2000’s emo-alternative scene. Lately we’ve been really into Cursive’s “Domestica”, Mew’s “And The Glass Handed Kites”, and Botch’s “We are the Romans”. We also just went and saw TTNG out in Allston, their new album is excellent.


What’s the writing process like? Is there a main songwriter or is it a collective effort?

We tend to show up to practice with a case of beer and a few cigarettes and just start jamming. Most of the time new songs are born out of nowhere. A cool riff or interesting drumbeat tends to spontaneously turn into a ballad with multiple different parts. The best part of it all is that none of us really say anything during that time; it all kind of falls into place on its own. When we all decide to stop playing, laughter erupts and we talk about what parts we liked and what parts we feel we should keep or change.


So you guys recently came out with a full-length album, “The Cabin”, which is not only an extraordinary blend of genres, but has also been on repeat in my stereo ever since I bought it. Can you talk a little about the album and where the name “The Cabin” comes from?

That’s great to hear, we are really glad you like it, man! The idea for The Cabin all started one day at practice when Brian mentioned that he and Vlad had gone up to his cabin in northern Maine for a week or so. Brian told us a story of him and Vlad arriving at the cabin really late at night. The cabin is on a lake. They took a canoe onto the lake with a case of beer. After 10 minutes of paddling to the middle of the lake they realized there was a hole in the canoe; they were slowly sinking. They ended up making it back to the dock OK, but the story alone planted an idea in all of our heads. We needed to record an album up there in the wilderness.

We did exactly that. We wrote all of the songs for “The Cabin” in a 4-6 month span. Last December (2012) we drove 6 hours up to the cabin and stayed for a week. We recorded our record completely on our own thanks to Brian. We rocked out whenever we weren’t recording and adventured around the forest whenever we weren’t rocking out. All while drinking too much whiskey & tequila. It was one of the best experiences all of us have ever had. There’s really no way to - Ghost Town Entertainment

The Sparhawks bring energy to instrumental
By Alex Kantarelis

Massachusetts is a state with an obsession for heavy music. In the past 10 years, some of the most influential hardcore bands have gained success by starting in our state. Bands like Have Heart, Bane, Mental, Give Up The Ghost (American Nightmare) and The Hope Conspiracy have toured the world and reached thousands of people. With such a rich scene, it’s always good to see a new band pop out with guys who come from hardcore backgrounds.

Welcome to the fold, Sparhawks. The new four-piece instrumental band is far from hardcore, though the members have their roots in the scene. Their sound is more of mix between jazz and rock, with a mellow, yet groovy, vibe.

There is something about hardcore bands that sets them apart from everyone else. Members bring a certain level of energy and excitement to the way they play. Sparhawks’ sound is anything but hardcore, yet they bring the hardcore mentality to their songs and live sets. Even if the music isn’t necessarily heavy, they still play as hard as they can.

Guitarist and founding member Vlad Kolodyazhny said, “I like bands with high energy… I want to be able to transfer that energy into a different genre of music. That excitement [of hardcore] still remains.” Kolodyazhny played in numerous hardcore bands, including Streetsweeper, a band that played quite a bit all over New England in the late 2000s.

Sparhawks is totally different from Streetsweeper’s aggressive sound, but the songs speak for themselves as incredibly catchy instrumentals that stand alone. The band got its start late in 2012 and has a sound reminiscent of Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Drive In and Minus the Bear. While the group has no vocalist, the melody of the guitars steps to the front of the song, and each song works incredibly well.

In 2012, the band released a demo, which is available on its bandcamp page, and finished off the year recording a full-length album. While the full-length is all instrumental, just like the demo, the Sparhawks are not opposed to the idea of adding a singer.

“We are a powerful instrumental band. We have enough going on that we don’t need a singer, but we are open-minded to it,” Kolodyazhny said.

This year should be a good year for the guys, as they plan to release their full-length album and continue to play live all over the state. Look for them at a show soon, and go listen to their demo, because it rocks. - The Pulse Magazine

The Sparhawks bring energy to instrumental
By Alex Kantarelis

Massachusetts is a state with an obsession for heavy music. In the past 10 years, some of the most influential hardcore bands have gained success by starting in our state. Bands like Have Heart, Bane, Mental, Give Up The Ghost (American Nightmare) and The Hope Conspiracy have toured the world and reached thousands of people. With such a rich scene, it’s always good to see a new band pop out with guys who come from hardcore backgrounds.

Welcome to the fold, Sparhawks. The new four-piece instrumental band is far from hardcore, though the members have their roots in the scene. Their sound is more of mix between jazz and rock, with a mellow, yet groovy, vibe.

There is something about hardcore bands that sets them apart from everyone else. Members bring a certain level of energy and excitement to the way they play. Sparhawks’ sound is anything but hardcore, yet they bring the hardcore mentality to their songs and live sets. Even if the music isn’t necessarily heavy, they still play as hard as they can.

Guitarist and founding member Vlad Kolodyazhny said, “I like bands with high energy… I want to be able to transfer that energy into a different genre of music. That excitement [of hardcore] still remains.” Kolodyazhny played in numerous hardcore bands, including Streetsweeper, a band that played quite a bit all over New England in the late 2000s.

Sparhawks is totally different from Streetsweeper’s aggressive sound, but the songs speak for themselves as incredibly catchy instrumentals that stand alone. The band got its start late in 2012 and has a sound reminiscent of Sunny Day Real Estate, At the Drive In and Minus the Bear. While the group has no vocalist, the melody of the guitars steps to the front of the song, and each song works incredibly well.

In 2012, the band released a demo, which is available on its bandcamp page, and finished off the year recording a full-length album. While the full-length is all instrumental, just like the demo, the Sparhawks are not opposed to the idea of adding a singer.

“We are a powerful instrumental band. We have enough going on that we don’t need a singer, but we are open-minded to it,” Kolodyazhny said.

This year should be a good year for the guys, as they plan to release their full-length album and continue to play live all over the state. Look for them at a show soon, and go listen to their demo, because it rocks. - The Pulse Magazine

Some pretty refreshing instrumental post-rock musics going down. Mathy? eh not as much as id like but certainly some smatterings here and there.

Boston group Sparhawks have a familiar sound sure, but that doesn't take away from the fact that songs always have an incredible honesty. Not only that but its a lot of fun. Throw in some pretty sensational drumming moments and varied guitar atmosphere and thats a recipe for some solid ass rock music.

Like I said this is familiar territory for a lot of groups....but to see this young group succeeding on all cylinders makes me that much more excited to see whats in store for the full length. Good Stuff. - Plenty of Swords

Some pretty refreshing instrumental post-rock musics going down. Mathy? eh not as much as id like but certainly some smatterings here and there.

Boston group Sparhawks have a familiar sound sure, but that doesn't take away from the fact that songs always have an incredible honesty. Not only that but its a lot of fun. Throw in some pretty sensational drumming moments and varied guitar atmosphere and thats a recipe for some solid ass rock music.

Like I said this is familiar territory for a lot of groups....but to see this young group succeeding on all cylinders makes me that much more excited to see whats in store for the full length. Good Stuff. - Plenty of Swords

Boston Based Sparhawks finally drop their first full length and they have three songs up on the bandcamp for a sampler platter. Deff. some more post-rock instrumentals here with slight math flirtations. Production is top notch as well with a great drum sound. Have to say that I did expect a bit more progress toward some end of things...either more math or more post-rock but balance is still managed here as last time. Not a bad thing at all. The guys have obviously become tighter and are able to pull off some slicker break downs as a result. Check it but out for sure.

ps. a bit sad they pulled the demo down - Plenty of Swords

Boston Based Sparhawks finally drop their first full length and they have three songs up on the bandcamp for a sampler platter. Deff. some more post-rock instrumentals here with slight math flirtations. Production is top notch as well with a great drum sound. Have to say that I did expect a bit more progress toward some end of things...either more math or more post-rock but balance is still managed here as last time. Not a bad thing at all. The guys have obviously become tighter and are able to pull off some slicker break downs as a result. Check it but out for sure.

ps. a bit sad they pulled the demo down - Plenty of Swords