Indigo Sparke is an Australian singer and songwriter that will blow you away with her introspective light and airy music and lyrics. Decidedly folk-pop in nature, Indigo Sparke blends in lyrics that tell a story that is full of both brokenness and healing. It is a formula that she’s used before with some success (see her first LP, Echo),  but the first single Pressure In My Chest (seen/heard here), from her forth-coming (October 2022) LP Hysteria promises to double down on the push and pull of these two conditions as well as others. 

For her part, Indigo Sparke’s vocals alternate between assured and timid, adding just the right emotional punch to the music’s lyrics, resulting in a kind of hypnotism. The music here is beautiful and the instrumentation, while sometimes complex in numbers, does not get in the way of the song itself. In short: the production values used here draw attention to what is important and do not overshadow it. 

On the new record, Sparke worked closely with producer Aaron Dessner, who provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the demos she played for him, as well as adding instrumentals on the LP, which also includes multi-instrumentalist and long-time collaborator Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Matt Barrick.

Here’s just a little hint of what else to expect from Indigo Sparke’s promotional material:

“On Hysteria, Sparke examines love, loss, grief, a newly realised rage, her history, dreams, and the emotional weather patterns surrounding those sensations: her words tell the stories, and the sounds act them out. It’s a diary built for big stages. Hysteria arrives just a year after her critically acclaimed minimalist debut, Echo. Here though, Sparke offers an expansive body of work—it’s a simultaneously nostalgic yet clear and complex collection that expands her sound and outlook.”

Hysteria’s origins began at the start of the pandemic, which found Sparke in quarantine in Australia and waiting for her VISA to be renewed so that she could return to the States. Throughout this quarantine, life experiences and emotions that she believed she’d made a peace with, made a reappearance, and from this emotional turmoil, came the creative juices that inspired the music on the new LP. While we are only privy to Pressure In My Chest at the moment, I can only believe that the remaining tracks will be excellent as well.

You can find more information on Indigo Sparke from her very complete website. It’s not the best-designed site in the world, but everything is there, from social, to streaming and purchase links. 

Check out a singer-songwriter with some compelling, hypnotic music, by picking up some Indigo Sparke music now, and watch for Hysteria in October!

Note: Just when things were returning to a semblance of normality, the COVID 19 virus is again heating up in many areas of the country. It’s so disheartening to know that we have the tools to make this a non-event, by simply getting vaccinated and fully boosted. The virus has the potential, again, to shut down performances for musical artists. For this reason, artists such as Indigo Sparke could still use your purchases. If your situation allows it, consider purchasing more in these tough times.  Please, if you are physically able to do so, get vaccinated. — Vodka