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Sparrow and the Workshop

UK - Distiller Records

From a tiny top floor flat in Glasgow, Belfast-born and Chicago-raised Jill O’Sullivan, Welshman Nick Packer and Scottish drummer Gregor Donaldson have carved themselves a unique niche in contemporary music that somehow manages to traverse and blur any number of geographic and musical boundaries with stunning effect.

Jill and Gregor found a common ground in the modern-day Americana of Will Oldham and Gillian Welch. after acquiring their name (“I came up with the Workshop name so I could get a deal with Drum Workshop,” says Gregor wryly) and playing a show as a duo at Glasgow’s Rio Cafe, they brought in Nick on bass and electric guitar. It was then that the trio began writing and practising the songs that have gone on to make up Sparrow’s core set, which include the likes of ‘The Gun’, with its sparse, violent folk and the powerful but tender ‘You got it All’.

They have received much critical acclaim from the UK media, including the Guardian, the Sunday Times, Mojo and Uncut Magazine. They have also received considerable radio play and have performed various radio sessions for Marc Riley (6music) and Rob da Bank (Radio One). Having just toured with the Brian Jonestown Massacre at their request on their European tour, they are about to embark on more UK dates and various festival appearances including the Green Man Festival.

Their recently released debut album ‘Crystals Fall’ is a mix of their best tracks from their previous releases and some stunning new songs such as the psychedelic epic (well, for them – it’s four minutes long after all) ‘Crystals’. The track is perhaps their best yet and a sign that Sparrow can literally do whatever they want in the future.

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