Channeling modern rock influences into anthemic choruses and themes of lust, loss and embracing your inner demons, Sparks The Rescue return with 12 impressive edgy pop-rock tracks on new album Worst Thing I've Been Cursed With. The band's second full-length is a step forward for the band, blending sassy lyrics and the dynamic, unique vocals of frontman Alex Roy into the melodic, infectious songs the five-piece have become known for.
The group is comprised of Alex Roy (vocals), Patrick O’Connell (guitar), Toby McAllister (guitar), Ben Briggs (bass), and Nathan Spencer (drums). Seasoned musicians of over a decade, the crew started playing together in high school where they spawned from three local bands. They shared stages frequently at local shows and events until they decided in 2005 to become one single entity, Sparks The Rescue (deriving their name from Nicolas Sparks’ novel The Rescue).
In 2007, STR released a six-song digital EP, The Secrets We Can't Keep on Double Blind Music. It didn’t take long for their music to catch the ear of WCYY’s Mark Kurdo, and soon the EP was getting heavy rotation on “Spin Out,” a weekly program that features local artists. Requests started pouring in for their tracks to get regular airplay on the station, and STR went on to sell over 10,000 units of their EP on iTunes as their fan base grew exponentially. Their success has stemmed from their popularity at WCYY, and they haven’t forgotten that. They’ve played over 300 shows to date and have shared the stage with great bands including All Time Low, Hawthorne Heights, As Tall As Lions, Mayday Parade, Chiodos, Forever the Sickest Kids, Mayday Parade and A Static Lullaby.
Sparks The Rescue released their debut full-length album Eyes To The Sun in 2009 on Fearless Records. Produced by Jonathan Wyman of Halo Studios, the album has gained rave reviews, with tracks receiving play on MTV’s The Hills and Real World: Cancun. 2009 was quite the year for the band, who has toured Europe with The All-American Rejects, hit the road with Hit The Lights and won MTV/Garnier's battle of the bands contest to appear at MTVU's Woodie Awards. But there's no resting for them, as they rounded off the year winning the hearts of every teenage vampire lover out there with their killer new video for single "We Love Like Vampires".
2010 found the band playing Warped Tour in its entirety along with contributing a single to compilation Punk Goes Pop 3. Most of their time in 2010 was spent writing and preparing to record their highly anticipated follow-up to Eyes to the Sun. The quintet is currently on the road with Go Radio on The District Lines Tour. "Worst Thing I've Been Cursed With" was released in 2011 on Fearless Records.
The band's new self-titled EP was released on August 28, 2012, and on August 13, the band released a music video for their new song "Disaster," which featured former member Marty McMorrow doing guest vocals and synthesizers. This led to many fans believing he had rejoined the band; however, in response to YouTube comments on the video, Marty stated that he did not rejoin, and that he was "just helping out some friends."
On December 21, 2012, the band announced on Facebook that Mike Naran, David Pait, and Dylan Taylor's last show would be December 22, 2012, at The Space in Hamden, CT. Roy and McAllister toured acoustically in early 2013 as Sparks the Rescue, and in April 2013 the band released promotion photographs with Mat Petrin (bassist) and Nick Bilotta (drummer), who are also members of Roy's side-project band Holly Heist and original high school band 2 Girls Later. The band began performing with this lineup as a four piece in the Spring of 2013, and released a new EP titled "Truth Inside the Fiction" on July 30, 2013. The EP debuted at #33 on the iTunes Top Pop Albums Chart.
On July 21, 2013, Roy and Bilotta along with a new guitarist, booked a cover show in Portland's historic downtown district at a night club called Oasis.
In the summer of 2013, the band announced the Taking The D-Tour with opening bands Kingsfoil (featuring Frankie Muniz on drums) and Lion In The Mane. The band continues to play cover shows under the STR name with a new line-up including Matt Libby (rhythm guitar/vocals), a member of Bilotta's former project The Derek Wilkinson Band. No more tours have been announced and the band is actively playing cover shows at colleges, casinos, and tourist destinations. Bilotta's departure from the band remains unknown, with no announcements made by him or the band. His last shows were in Key West at Sloppy Joe's in September 2014. Spencer is currently reseated on the drums.
Members:
Alex Roy – Vocals (2006-present)
Toby McAllister – Lead Guitar/Vocals (1999-present)
Matt Libby - Rhythm Guitar (2014-present)
Mat Petrin - Bass (2013-present)
Nate Spencer - Drums (1999-2012, 2014-present)
Marty McMorrow - Keyboards (2005-2008)
Pat O'Connell - Rhythm Guitar/Vocals (2005-2010)
Ben Briggs - Bass (1999-2011)
Mike Naran - Rhythm Guitar (2010-2012)
David Pait - Bass (2011-2012)
Dylan Taylor - Drums (2012)
Nick Bilotta - Drums (2013-2014)
Skeleton
Sparks The Rescue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left a scar on my wrist, and my arms are still sore
From ripping your insides and tearing apart
Every little piece of your heart
And when I get done, there will be nothing left
Just a ghost and your bones, I still try to forget
But when I start drinking and shaking my hips
Said, "oh, I'm missing your lips"
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
I'll give you some skin to make you whole again
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
As sure as the wind, your bones come marching in
My skeleton
If I could get you alone, alone and in love
I would take you to places you've only dreamed of
I want to hear your heartbeat say
What you've dying and trying to say
And I'm in love with the sounds I'm making you sing
In the night when you come
Like I am conducting your body through notes you didn't know you could hit
I'll harmonize with it
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
I'll give you some skin to make you whole again
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
As sure as the wind, your bones come marching in
My skeleton
I'm crushing my heart into concrete
Graffiti up the sidewalks on your street
Yeah, its been how I've been
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
I'll give you some skin to make you whole again
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
As sure as the wind, your bones come marching in
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
I'll give you some skin to make you whole again
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
As sure as the wind, your bones come marching in
The lyrics to Sparks The Rescue's song Skeleton seem to be about a past relationship that has left the singer scarred and sore. The bracelets the person gave to the singer have left a physical mark, and figuratively speaking, tearing apart the other person's heart has taken an emotional toll on the singer. The alcohol serves as a temporary escape from the pain, but ultimately the singer cannot forget the other person. The chorus of "I said you need to come home, my skeleton, I'll give you some skin to make you whole again" suggests that the singer wants to reconnect with the other person and make amends, as if the other person's bones were the only thing left worth salvaging.
The second verse suggests that the connection between the two people was once strong and passionate, and that the singer still longs for that kind of intimacy. The imagery of conducting the other person's body through music adds to this theme of unity and harmony. The bridge, with the line "I'm crushing my heart into concrete, graffiti up the sidewalks on your street" adds to the overall mood of desperation and inability to move on from the past relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
The things that you gave me, the bracelets I wore
I am reminded of you every time I see the bracelets that you gave me, and it hurts me.
Left a scar on my wrist, and my arms are still sore
The emotional pain you caused me has left a lasting impact on me, like a physical scar that still hurts.
From ripping your insides and tearing apart
I hurt you emotionally by tearing you apart and breaking your heart.
Every little piece of your heart
I took everything from you, including your love, and left nothing behind.
And when I get done, there will be nothing left
I have completely destroyed you and everything we had.
Just a ghost and your bones, I still try to forget
All that remains of you to me is a memory of a ghost and a physical reminder, and I am trying to forget it all.
But when I start drinking and shaking my hips
When I'm drunk and feeling vulnerable, I think about you and want you back.
Said, "oh, I'm missing your lips"
I miss the kiss that we shared.
I said you need to come home, my skeleton
I want you back in my life, despite everything that has happened between us.
I'll give you some skin to make you whole again
I will do whatever it takes to make things right and heal the hurt between us.
As sure as the wind, your bones come marching in
I believe that you will come back to me, as surely as the wind blows.
If I could get you alone, alone and in love
If we could be together again and be in love, just the two of us.
I would take you to places you've only dreamed of
I want to show you new experiences and make you happy.
I want to hear your heartbeat say
I want to witness your love for me, and hear it expressed through your physical heart.
What you've dying and trying to say
I want to know what you have been feeling and struggling to express to me.
And I'm in love with the sounds I'm making you sing
I love the way that I am able to make you feel and express your emotions.
In the night when you come
When we are together in the night.
Like I am conducting your body through notes you didn't know you could hit
It feels like I am leading you to experiences and emotions that you did not know you were capable of.
I'll harmonize with it
I will complement your feelings and bring us closer together.
I'm crushing my heart into concrete
I am struggling with the pain and heartbreak that you have caused me, and it feels like a physical weight on my heart.
Graffiti up the sidewalks on your street
I am expressing my love and pain in public, for all to see.
Yeah, its been how I've been
This pain and heartbreak has defined me and taken over my life.
Contributed by Xavier W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.