8track: Sparrow and the Workshop


Picture the scene: you've just stepped out of the Hercules Moments DeLorean and you find yourself in the 90s. MC Hammer pants and Walkmen are all the rage. Deciding to ignore the fashion of the day, you pick up a Walkman and head home to 2012...

Over the past few months, we've been getting in touch with bands, celebrities and more to ask them to create eight-song-long mixtapes for YOU. So crack out your Walkman and enjoy...



Formed in 2008, Glasgow-based indie-rock band Sparrow and the Workshop have released two critically acclaimed albums, supported loads of great bands, made numerous festival appearances, and completed headline tours, all alongside the three members' individual projects. They're a busy trio who are releasing their new single - Shock Shock - in March, which has been mixed by Scottish blog and label Song, by toad. 

Dungen - Panda 
I thought I’d start with what is probably my favourite song of all time. I could listen to this track endlessly. I  (Nick) was introduced to Dungen by Jill (prior to even thinking about forming a band) when we were both living down in the now-demolished area of pre-Olympic London. She had just moved over from Chicago with a ton of music I had never heard.

Jai Paul - BTSU
Jai Paul’s been around for a couple of years but has only released 2 frickin singles. I wish he’d hurry up and make an album, he uses such inventive and clever production. This is music that really makes me want to make music.

Vic Chestnutt - Flirted With You All My Life
I’m very new to Vic Chesnutt. I came across this song because Jill was singing it with (Scottish folk musician) James Yorkston and I can’t stop listening to it now. It’s a beautiful, simple song. The sentiment of the single line "oh death, clearly I am not ready" is very powerful. The song is immediate and arresting.

Portishead - The Rip
I’ve been as massive fan of Portishead for years. They were a local band when I was growing up in Somerset. Again, I’m attracted to the inventiveness of their stuff, especially this track. It builds unexpectedly and I love the moodiness of it.

Hudson Mohawke - Cbat
What a riff.

Colin Stetson - Judges
This is the kind of thing you hear every 10 years or so that genuinely makes you go "what the fuck is this?" – it’s certainly the most progressive Saxophone record to have been made in the past 50 years, and sounds like nothing else. Not an easy listen but a very rewarding one.

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Nevertheless
BJM occupy a strange area in music like no other. There’s a rich conceptual thread being tugged at through all of Anton Newcombe’s music.

Leslie Gore - You Don’t Own Me
I’m a big fan of 60’s soul-pop (Shangri-la’s, Supremes etc..). The sentiment and structure of this track is incredible; the opening line “you don’t own me" is very defiant and perfectly suits the ominous instrumentation. The chorus is accompanied by a sweet key change with gives the defiance its positive edge. Shame this song got overshadowed by her "it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to" hit. 

Check out the band's updates on Facebook or Twitter, and listen to their new single Shock Shock on SoundCloud

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