TORI SPARKS
ABOUT TORI »
Tori Sparks is based Barcelona, Spain, after having recently relocated from Nashville – but she spends most of her time on the road all over the world. Tori walks the line between soulful and hilarious in her electrifying live performances, singing in English, French and Spanish. She plays well over 200 concerts each year, and has been interviewed and featured by television and radio stations, magazine, newspapers, and blogs across the globe. Notables include The Los Angeles Times, NPR, the Village Voice, CMJ.com and Paste magazine. The All Music Guide gives her five stars.
Tori Sparks’ fourth release, Until Morning/Come out of the Dark (Glass Mountain Records, marks her third musical collaboration with producer David Henry (R.E.M., Josh Rouse, The Cowboy Junkies), and her first with Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Elvis Costello, Velvet Underground, Rosanne Cash).
Until Morning/Come out of the Dark is not a traditional album. Sparks chose to release the 13 new songs as two conjoined mini-albums, or a double EP. The first disc, Until Morning, reflects the dark, sensual, even diabolical side of Tori’s vocal and songwriting skill. The second disc, Come Out of the Dark, is tumbleweed Americana meets fragile folk, or Tori’s ability to show us the dawn that follows the darkness – in a word, the hope that love can bring. As always, the uniquely Tori lyrics are the golden thread that runs through this artistically ambitious project.
Sparks’ last three albums (Rivers + Roads, Under This Yellow Sun, The Scorpion in the Story) climbed the Americana and College charts in the US and overseas, have been licensed by MTV, Lifetime, Oxygen, and others. Scorpion was featured prominently in the book Mobile Web Design for Dummies, and was listed in “Best-Of” lists for 2010 in the US, the UK, Germany, Sweden, more.
She is known as a champion of the DIY business model, and regularly speaks on at universities, performing arts schools, music conferences and festivals (SXSW, Folk Alliance, Woodsongs, Bele Chere, many others). She will be speaking at the Kansai Music Conference in Osaka, Japan in September 2011. Please see www.torisparks.com for more details.
TOUR DATES »
Click here for Tori’s upcoming tour schedule.
PRESS »
“The talented Tori Sparks… is a knockout…”
–Joe McCombs, The Village Voice
“Here’s a singer/songwriter with the strong, eloquent vocals of Bonnie Raitt and the guitar mastery of Joni Mitchell… a bounty of subtle rock and haunting blues.”
–Nancy Dunham, Relix
“Tori Sparks is one of those independent singer-songwriters who’s so driven it seems like signing with a record label would only slow her down. Sparks sings with distinct intensity. Bluesy folk-rock in a Tom Waits vein: rough-edged, worldly-wise and potent.”
–Jewly Hight, The Nashville Scene
“It is time that the world pays more attentions to this woman [Tori Sparks]!”
–Ingo Andruskewitch, Music an Sich (Germany)
“Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen….I can see [Tori’s] name printed boldly amongst these illustrious phenomena… definitely a keeper… Words fail me to describe why I enjoy her so much.”
–Evert Wilbrink, Folkwax
“Tori was simply spectacular on stage… I was enthralled by her performance and very much look forward to her gracing our fair city again sometime in the future. She is a true star with such enthusiasm, and completely original music that dives deeply into the hearts and minds of those lucky enough to see/hear her in person. Her stage presence is stunning…”
–Skyy Guy, CHLY 107.3FM (Vancouver, BC)
“Tori Sparks [is] a folky singer/songwriter graced with a fiery, gutsy delivery worthy of Ani DiFranco…” [5 stars]
– Margaret Reges; All Music Guide
“Drenched in drama, featuring Sparks’ torrid vocals splashed over self-penned, alternative roots-rock numbers that sizzle with authenticity.”
— LCB, Performing Songwriter
“Tori Sparks is a combination of Ani DiFranco steeped in Nashville and the Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins hopped up on Red Bull. …Sparks’ songwriting, punctuated by her come-hither hair flips, proved to be a delicious mix. …Tori didn’t need a backing band; her witty banter and engaging storytelling—such as her detailed account of an almost-doomed gig in New York City, and a song about a session singer from Memphis taking a stand against an oppressive spouse—made for a wonderful performance.”
— Mel Mason, Tucson Weekly
“The way that Tori tells a story through song, and in four minutes, even manages to bring the listener from a smile to a tear and back, is phenomenal. Let nothing stop you from listening to Tori Sparks.”
–Freddy Celis, Rootstime (Sweden)
More press at ToriSparks.com.
ALBUMS »
Please click here for Tori’s complete discography.
VIDEOS »
Visit the Glass Mountain Records YouTube Channel for Tori Sparks live footage and music videos.
COMPILATION DISCS »
Sin City Sampler: Volume 13
Song: “Letter to a Wretch #2″ (Feat. Shawn Mullins)
Debuted at SXSW 2010.
Also featuring Neko Case, Peter Wolf, Shelby Lynne, Merle Haggard, More.
Paste Magazine New Music Sampler: Issue #54
Song: “Tall Towers”
Released with February 2009 issue of the magazine.
The Campaign to Save Paste
Song: “Leaving Side of Love”
Also featuring The Decemberists, Neko Case, She & Him, Cowboy Junkies, Of Montreal, Indigo Girls, Jayhawks, String Cheese Incident, G. Love, Josh Rouse, The Hives, Matthew Sweet, The Avett Brothers, Over the Rhine, Bob Mould, Arrested Development, Brandi Carlile, John Doe, Josh Ritter, Marc Broussard, more.
Proceeds went to benefit Paste Magazine.
Moozikoo: Best Indie Pop of 2008Song: “Under the Rug”
With Various Artists.
Project Cure 2008
Song: “Under the Rug”
With Various Artists.
Proceeds went to benefit the Immune Deficiency Foundation, National Ataxia Foundation, and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.
Universal Music France: Country Vol. 2 (double-disc)
Song: “Cold War”
With Tim McGraw, Gary Allen, Wynonna, Shooter Jennings, Over the Rhine, more.
Paste Magazine New Music Sampler # 43 Moozikoo Best of Indie Compilation MSMF Multiple Sclerosis Music Fest 2006 Compilation CD Canadian Music Week Best Unsigned Artists of 2006 A Taste of Triple A #16 Compilation (2006) KSYM-FM Camp Victory Compilation for the Troops
Song: “Cold War”
Released with June 2008 issue of the magazine.
Song: “Caged Bird”
With Various Artists.
Song: “Remembering You”
Song: “Red Letter Day”
Song: “Trouble”
Song: “Trouble”
Produced for local soldiers stationed in Iraq.
Featuring Corinne Bailey Ray and more.
LINKS »
ToriSparks.com
Wikipedia
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter
ReverbNation
Sonicbids EPK
Tori Sparks Ringtones
Tori Street Team
MEDIA KIT »
Click here for Tori’s Sonicbids EPK.Click here for Tori’s ReverbNation RPK.