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)
The Runaway Romance
Sparks The Rescue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's searching for shelter,
I'm trying to help her
But I never seem to have quite enough of what she needs,
Dismay or ecstasy,
Arrogance, humility.
Run away hunnie stay with me,
Giving up was always easy,
We're far away from where we used to be,
There's nothing here we need,
We've had too much
(We've had too much)
Of not enough.
Listen to the sound of everything
You know coming to an end around you,
You're gonna find that you need me
More than you wanted to admit,
I'm you're way out.
Run away hunnie stay with me,
I'll live above the scene,
Giving up was always easy,
We're far away from where we used to be,
There's nothing here we need,
We've had too much
(We've had too much)
Of not enough.
We're moving on
We're moving on
We're moving on
We're moving on
The lyrics of Sparks The Rescue's song "The Runaway Romance" suggest a deep and tumultuous relationship between the singer and a female subject. The singer admits that they are in deeper than they ever expected to be, but they are willing to do what it takes to help the woman find shelter. However, the singer acknowledges their own limitations, feeling like they never have quite enough of what she needs, whether it's dismay, ecstasy, arrogance, or humility. Despite this, the singer asks the woman to run away with them and stay, promising to live above the scene and be there for her when everything is falling apart. The song's chorus emphasizes that the pair has had too much of not enough, and they are both ready to move on to something better.
"The Runaway Romance" comes across as a song about a relationship that is full of ups and downs, but the singer remains dedicated to their partner and is willing to do what it takes to make things work. They recognize that their love may not be perfect, but they are still sure that they want to be together. The song's chorus suggests that the two have endured some degree of pain or hardship, but they are ready to leave it all behind and start anew. Overall, the song presents a passionate and committed love story, even in the face of obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
We're in deeper than we ever thought we'd be,
We're in a situation that's more complicated and challenging than we expected.
She's searching for shelter,
She's looking for a safe and secure place.
I'm trying to help her
But I never seem to have quite enough of what she needs,
I'm attempting to assist her, but I never seem to have everything that she requires.
Dismay or ecstasy,
Arrogance, humility.
The situation is either very distressing or very pleasurable; it demands us to be both arrogant and humble.
Run away hunnie stay with me,
I'll live above the scene,
Giving up was always easy,
We're far away from where we used to be,
There's nothing here we need,
We've had too much
(We've had too much)
Of not enough.
Let's run away and be together; we'll stay aloof from everything, quitting always seems to be an option for us. We've had too much of things that fail to satisfy us.
Listen to the sound of everything
You know coming to an end around you,
You're gonna find that you need me
More than you wanted to admit,
I'm you're way out.
Pay attention to the world around you, which is deteriorating. You'll realize that you require me more than you initially thought, and I'm the solution to your problem.
We're moving on
We're moving on
We're moving on
We're moving on
We're leaving behind our old lives and starting something new.
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@peacemaker8460
sparks is still just as amazing as they were when i was 16 and this whole album still slaps cant wait to see you boyus again
@goremi
I used to listen to music like this. Good stuff. I forgot how much
@5UP3RV4MP
@HDAnBAP ya "We love like vampires" is my all tiem fav song!!!!
@Guardosrock
i totally agree!
@3DaysGrace1111
These guys started following me on Twitter awhile ago and dammit, I'm glad they did!
@RacingMeyer8
this songs intro was used for an intro to a single season of a TLC show. trying to find talented race car drivers, the car TLC had to use was the Pontiac Solstice. some bad sportsmanship ensued.
the best part was the intro song... this one.
@TrainmanEvan
Kick-ass intro and song!
@twilight4ev65
i miss old stuff like this from str but some of the things on there new stuff is pretty cool like Autumn but i more for the screamo lol
@mostprofoundquiet
Woah. Woah. I did not expect the scream xD I found out about them through Fearless, I'm not ashamed of that, so I'm mainly accustomed to the singles that've been on that channel and the songs I heard at Warped '10. That was unexpected. But hey, I like it. (:
@legendaryblumpkin
@itskelshh93 No the screamo stopped when Marty left.. (I went to there school in high school)