Alan Sparhawk shares new songs

Today, Alan Sparhawk shares two new songs, JCMF and No More Darkness.

Having played these two songs on his recent tours, both tracks were written, composed, and produced at 20 Below Studio in Duluth, MN, featuring Sparhawk on vocals / guitar, Eric Pollard on drums and Sparhawk’s son, Cyrus Sparhawk, on bass. The songs were mixed by Nat Harvie.

Rumbling out of the gates, while sonically through the vein of Sparhawk’s excellent side-project, Retribution Gospel Choir, thematically JCMF is a song tailored for these times.

“This is a song I’ve had for a few years but couldn’t find the right way to play or record it,” says Sparhawk, per the press release notes. “We started playing it last year in the Alan Sparhawk Solo Band, on tour, and with each month, the sentiment of the song only increased. I feel like the song has become a rebuke against the fascist / authoritarian streak that several world leaders have taken on and to the people who have been blinded into supporting them.”

No More Darkness dovetails perfectly. Through the lens of late ’90s Low, it’s a skeletal lullaby that unravels as a clarion call for peace.

“Inspired by a David Lynch quote (‘Don’t fight the darkness. Don’t even worry about the darkness. Turn on the light and the darkness goes. Turn up the light of pure consciousness. Negativity goes’), this song reminds me to choose light in especially dark times,” says Sparhawk. “We were ending our set with this tune all year, and it is my wish for everyone, especially those who feel alone.”