Throughout the last decade and a half, Song Sparrow Research has released a stream of records across the spectrum of psych-pop, chamber folk, and indie rock–centered around lush and moody sound palettes. Formed in Seattle, the current members of Hamilton Boyce, David Balatero, Evan Woodle, and Kenneth Aramaki now span Los Angeles, Brooklyn, and Seattle. The band was originally formed in 2005 as an experimental post-rock trio with singer and guitarist Hamilton Boyce, bassist David Balatero, and drummer Nash Turley. Boyce and Turley were childhood friends and Boyce and Balatero met at Garfield High School (Jimi Hendrix, Quincy Jones, Ishmael Butler), where Balatero was in the orchestra and Boyce was in the jazz band.
The band has been returning with new music of late and word is that the band will be releasing a new album later this year. In the meantime, Glide is premiering the video for the track “Don’t Look Now,” which shows the band’s propensity for Nick Cave-ish dramatic mood while incorporating the orchestral flairs of The National. Song Sparrow Research will undoubtedly make a dent with its spectral vocals and atmospheric urgency. Check out the powerful video and tune below..
“‘Don’t Look Now’ is based around a percussion loop and written as an exercise in songwriting and arrangement without the use of any guitar. I wrote the middle section wanting to build this chaotic tension leading up to release with the final chorus while showcasing Evan Woodle’s drumming, encouraging him to get a little weird and wild. The lyrics focus on juxtapositions of positive and negative emotions and attempt to show how they often coexist in the same space. I have this ongoing curiosity with trying to understand pessimism versus optimism and how they relate to things like emotional honesty, being a realist, avoidance, and pragmatism,” says Boyce
