The band formed in Sydney in 2004 and were originally known as The Spark. The brainchild of Alex Burnett (vocals, guitar) and Dave Hall (drums), Sparkadia became a reality with the addition of Nick Rabone (bass) and Josephine Ayling (keyboards, guitar, vocals) in 2006.
They first came into prominence in Australia with their debut EP titled Things Behind the Sun. The EP was released in Australia on 20 February 2007; with the lead single "Morning Light" being the #1 most downloaded track off Australian national broadcasters Triple J's website with 32,000 downloads in two months. This was followed by extensive Australian touring and led to signing with UK label Ark Recordings.
With a line-up change in 2008 with Tiffany Preece replacing Josephine Ayling, Sparkadia released their debut studio album Postcards on 31 May 2008. The album was recorded with producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Doves, Elbow etc.) at Miloco Studios, London. The album peaked at #23 on the ARIA albums chart.
The debut single off the album Animals was The Guardian's single of the week and received rotation on BBC Radio One. This was followed by the release of the singles "Too Much to Do", "Jealousy" and "Morning Light".
Subsequent single "Too Much to Do" was B listed by Radio 2, played by everyone from Colin Murray to Terry Wogan, and earned accolades from Mojo, Q4 Music and The Guardian. All four singles received airplay on Australian radio station Triple J. In January 2009 Sparkadia's hit Jealousy was number 79 in the triple j Hottest 100 of 2008.
The singles "Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs" (10 September 2010) and "China" (27 January 2011) were released in Australia and "Mary" (14 February 2011) was released in the UK ahead of the album "The Great Impression" (18 March 2011). The Great Impression debuted at no. 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart and at no. 1 on the ARIA Australian Artist Albums Chart. Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs came in at number 24 in the triple j Hottest 100 of 2010.
In 2011, Burnett made a new name for himself with the release of Sparkadia’s The Great Impression on OK!Good Records. The 12 track debut album showcases Burnett’s great skill in songwriting, with definite influence from 80s pop groups. Stylistically, The Great Impression combines retro elements and sprawling, anthemic choruses with evocative lyrics to form a bold work that is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. “I wanted to write big songs”, says Burnett. “I wanted to go there on The Great Impression and see what would happen. It felt right.” Already a big chart success in his native Australia and growing in popularity in the UK, The Great Impression is all set to make just that on US audiences as well.
http://okgoodrecords.com
Kiss Of Death
Sparkadia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Would you take all that I said and believe it to be true?
Would you choose to lose it all with no sense of consequence?
Oh the kiss of death is only but a breath away
It's only time
Before you lose
The things that meant
You're in denial
You're out of your mind
You'll be the one who dies alone
If I could I would have moved on long ago,
But you wanted me to stay so I let you have your way
Is it better to be friends or sever ties? well that depends .
Oh the kiss of death is only but a breath away
It's only time
Before you lose
The things that meant
The most to you
You're in denial
You're out of your mind
You'll be the one who dies alone
When you just can't trust yourself more than anybody else
The kiss of death is only but a breath away
It's up to you
It's not down to me
You change your mind too easily
What's in your head
Is not in your heart
You wait too long to play your cards
It's only time,
Before you lose
The things that meant
The most to you
You're in denial
You're out of your mind
You'll be the one dies alone
The kiss of death is only but a breath away
The lyrics of Sparkadia's song Kiss of Death reflect on the relationship between two people that has grown toxic, but one person is struggling to let go. The singer begins by questioning whether the other person will believe all that was said in the course of their relationship if they never see each other again. They then question whether staying in the relationship with no sense of consequence is worth it when the end is only “a breath away.” They are aware that the other person is in denial and out of their mind, which will inevitably lead to them dying alone.
The singer’s stance shifts in the second verse, admitting that they would have moved on long ago had the other person not wanted them to stay. They recognize the need to sever ties but wonder whether ending the relationship or remaining friends is the best course of action. The chorus then repeats the message of the first, highlighting that the “kiss of death is only but a breath away,” and it is only a matter of time before they lose the things that meant the most to them.
The bridge reinforces the idea of how important it is to trust oneself and not to wait too long to make decisions. The song ends on the note that the choice is up to the other person, and they change their mind too easily. The singer is aware that their lack of clarity will lead to them losing the things that meant the most to them and end up dying alone.
Line by Line Meaning
If I never ever see you again,
If our paths never cross again,
Would you take all that I said and believe it to be true?
Would you take my words to heart and trust what I said to you?
Would you choose to lose it all with no sense of consequence?
Would you be willing to risk losing everything without thinking of the consequences?
Oh the kiss of death is only but a breath away
The danger of making a fatal mistake is always close at hand
It's only time
It's just a matter of time
Before you lose
Before you lose what you hold dear
The things that meant
The things that were important to you
The most to you
Above all else
You're in denial
You're refusing to face the truth
You're out of your mind
You're acting irrationally
You'll be the one who dies alone
You'll end up alone as a result of your actions
If I could I would have moved on long ago,
If it were possible, I would have already moved on
But you wanted me to stay so I let you have your way
But you insisted on me staying so I gave in to your wishes
Is it better to be friends or sever ties? well that depends
.
The question of whether it's better to remain friends or cut ties is subjective
When you just can't trust yourself more than anybody else
When you can't even trust yourself more than anyone else can
It's up to you
The decision is yours to make
It's not down to me
I'm not responsible for your decision
You change your mind too easily
You're indecisive and prone to changing your mind
What's in your head
Your thoughts
Is not in your heart
Doesn't reflect your true feelings
You wait too long to play your cards
You hesitate too much before making a move
The kiss of death is only but a breath away
A fatal mistake could happen at any moment
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kartal Turhan
precious and rare piece of art
telecomryan
Fantastic song. Nothing more to say
Vote1Jimmy
I Love Sparkadia they have soooo many good songs
Marek Coleman
Can't believe i just found this and i love Sparkadia.
musicfreek17
love the song
ehpunka
bass line kills people
T & F archive
Pretty much sums up a girl I used to see, especially "You change your mind too easily". Total head fuck, but she lost it all.
Aileen Hernandez
<3
Barry Shitpeas
the doctor, the writer, the hairdresser all felt up and fingerprinted waiting for the train...
Barry Shitpeas
It is extremely fun to find a surprise comment of your own from 7 years ago, but not understand your stupid brains motivation for the comment at all. Like a puzzle! Those are lyrics from a song by Metric but how they are relevant may remain a mystery forever.