Sparrow and the Workshop
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Glasgow , Scotland |
| Products | Indie rock music, albums, singles, EPs |
Sparrow and the Workshop was an indie trio originating from Glasgow, comprised of Jill O'Sullivan—born in Belfast and raised in Chicago—who handled vocals and acoustic guitar, Nick Packer from Wales on guitar and bass, and Gregor Donaldson from Scotland on drums and vocals. Their first album, Crystals Fall (2010, Distiller Records), was met with widespread praise, securing top scores such as 9/10 from publications including Drowned in Sound and Clash Magazine. The band was distinguished by their unique vocal harmonies and inventive application of instruments alongside effects pedals, leading to comparisons with bands like Jefferson Airplane, Talking Heads, and Black Sabbath.
Career
Established in 2008, Sparrow swiftly signed with Distiller Records and released both a single and an EP in 2009. Their touring schedule included extensive support slots for artists like British Sea Power, Idlewild, Broken Records, Sivert Hoyem, The Lemonheads, and Thee Oh Sees. A significant moment came when Anton Newcombe discovered their "Devil Song" video, resulting in them supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre on their 2010 European tour. In May of that year, they played several shows in New York City, including another support appearance for Brian Jonestown Massacre at Williamsburg Music Hall. Additionally, they joined The Pogues' 2010 Farewell Christmas Tour following an invitation from Spider Stacy.
Their festival appearances were numerous and included Connect Festival (2008), British Sea Power's Sing Ye from the Hillsides Festival, BBC Introducing at Glastonbury (2009), End of the Road Festival, Kendal Calling, Green Man Festival, T in the Park, Bestival, Pohoda, Hop Farm Festival, Moseley Folk Festival, Standon Calling, Y Not Festival, 2000trees, and the Insider festival held in Aviemore.
On 11 October 2010, Sparrow released the single Black to Red through Distiller Records accompanied by a self-produced 3D music video.
Their sophomore album Spitting Daggers, released in April 2011 and produced by Leo Abrahams, continued to receive favorable critiques—earning an 8/10 from Drowned in Sound and a 7.5 rating from the BBC—and was distributed throughout Europe by September 2011.
On 6 January 2013, the Scottish label Song, by Toad Records announced plans to release their single Shock Shock, which was produced by Iain Cook and Paul Savage (formerly of The Delgados). This was followed by their album Murderopolis in May 2013.
After Sparrow
Following the release of their third record Murderopolis in 2013, the group went on hiatus. Jill O'Sullivan subsequently formed an alt-pop duo alongside Jenny Reeve; together with drummer Johnny Scott they released the album Fly, Invisible Hero in 2017. Her current endeavor is Jill Lorean—a collaboration with musician/producer Andy Monaghan and drummer Peter Kelly—that has yielded a six-track EP titled Not Your First (2020) as well as a full-length album called This Rock (2022).
O'Sullivan also participated in a collaborative project named Three Queens in Mourning (2020) alongside Alasdair Roberts, Alex Neilson, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy. Furthermore, she teamed up with Sean Cumming (John Knox Sex Club) for the narrative-driven work Do the Gods Speak Esperanto (2017).
Studio albums
- Crystals Fall (2010, Distiller Records)
- Spitting Daggers (2011, Distiller Records)
- Murderopolis (2013, Song, by Toad Records)
EPs
- Sleight of Hand (2009, Distiller Records)
- Into the Wild (2009, Distiller Records)
Singles
- "Devil Song" (2009, Distiller Records)
- "Horses Grin" (2009, Distiller Records)
- "I Will Break You" (2010, Distiller Records)
- "Black to Red" (2010, Distiller Records)
- "Snakes in the Grass" (2011, Distiller Records)
- "Shock Shock" (2013, Toad Records)
- "The Faster You Spin" (2013, Toad Records)