Singer-songwriter Angie McMahon watched the mycelium-centered documentary Fantastic Fungi during the height of COVID and it radically changed how she sees the world. It brought the interconnectedness of the natural world into sharp focus for McMahon and that concept served as a major inspiration for her new album Light, Dark, Light Again.
Slayyyter's Spark Is Blue Velvet
The first time she saw David Lynch's neo noir classic Blue Velvet, singer and songwriter Slayyyter was immediately drawn to its distinctive visual style. The saturated colors and dramatic lighting acted as a mood board for her new album S********R. She was particularly captivated by Isabella Rossellini's lounge singer character Dorothy and incorporated elements of her story into the album's songwriting process.
Shamir's Spark Is The "Sideways" EP by Charlotte Sometimes
Shamir had Charlotte Sometimes' Sideways EP on repeat throughout high school and it's never come out of heavy rotation. The simple honesty of her lyrics and her strong melodies gave him hope that he could find success as a performer someday. He loved that it wasn't a groundbreaking project, but rather a solid example of the kind of songwriting and production that felt familiar to him.
Until The Ribbon Breaks' Spark Is Run The Jewels 2
Until The Ribbon Breaks' Pete Lawrie Winfield has a very close relationship with Run The Jewels' seminal second album Run The Jewels 2. The production, the rhymes, the features, and every element of it have impacted him personally and professionally. And he had a front-row seat to the creation of that masterpiece and it changed the course of his life and career.
Margaret Cho's Spark is Velvet Goldmine
Comedian, actor, activist and icon Margaret Cho has loved Todd Haynes' work since his first film Superstar, but his glam rock pseudo-biopic Velvet Goldmine has always been her favorite of his films. She loves the way it centers queerness through the lens of some of her favorite artists, namely David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Lou Reed. She loves the music, the costumes, and art direction, but is particularly enamored of the fearless performances by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, and Toni Collette.
Oh Land's Spark is Edward Scissorhands
From the moment her older sister introduced her to Edward Scissorhands, singer/songwriter Oh Land felt a kinship with the lead character, as well as his love interest, Kim. As a pre-adolescent trying to make sense of the world, she felt connected both to the isolation and awkwardness channeled through Edward and the romance and whimsy that shone out of Kim. Danny Elfman's score also left an indelible imprint on her young mind and has been a constant source of inspiration in the development of her own work.
Where It All Began: Kylie Cantrall's Spark is CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story
With a music producer father and a dancer/choreographer mother, Kylie Cantrall grew up with a front-row seat in the entertainment industry. As a result, music biopics struck a particular chord with her. None moreso than VH1's megahit CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. Cantrall loved the eerily accurate performances and music video recreations, but the incorporation of TLC's phenomenal back catalog was the clincher. She was so hooked on the movie that she watched it dozens of times and still considers it to be one of her all-time favorites.
Wise Beyond Her Years: The Aces' Cristal Ramirez's Spark Is Paramore's Riot!
The Aces' front woman Cristal Ramirez's was obsessed with Paramore's Riot! from the moment it was first played for her. The energy and lyrics both blew her pre-teen mind, but it was Hayley Williams who really caught her attention. A flame-haired teenager who lead a successful rock band in a male-dominated industry, Williams provided endless inspiration for Ramirez as her own musical aspirations took flight. As a dedicated Paramore fan, she's always seen the band as a beacon of light and a force for good in the world.
Teenage Dreams: Kenzie's Spark Is 10 Things I Hate About You
Singer and actor Kenzie was home-schooled, so she didn't have a typical high school experience. As a result, teen movies really struck a chord with her and 10 Things I Hate About You was at the top of the list. She loved the characters, the love story, and all of the stereotypical late 90's high school drama. The movie has brought her massive amounts of joy and she rewatches it whenever she gets a chance.
Dawn Of The Comedic Everyman: David Gborie's Spark Is Old School
The relentless silliness of Todd Phillip's smash hit comedy Old School is contrasted by the relatable everyman characters played by its breakout stars Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. Comedian, actor, and podcaster David Gborie saw Old School as the moment when comedic leads became less polished and more like normal people who happened to be joke machines. It was one of the era-defining films that set him on a comedy career path and helped him to believe he could make it in the industry.
Punk, Pop And The Dawn Of MTV: Bratmobile's Allison Wolfe's Spark Is Bow Wow Wow
As a teenager, Bratmobile frontwoman Allison Wolfe was drawn to bands led by powerful, magnetic women. When Bow Wow Wow released their second album When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Gets Going, she was mesmerized by the raw energy of its twelve short, sharp songs. The newly launched MTV left her in awe of singer Anabella Lwin's commanding stage presence and distinctive style, which proved a huge source of inspiration in Wolfe's own work as a musician.
Finding Joy In The Blues: Acantha Lang's Spark Is Koko Taylor's I Got What It Takes
Unlike many of her peers, soul singer Acantha Lang’s primary inspiration didn’t come from R’n’B. Her musical foundation is rooted in the blues and the first time she heard Koko Taylor’s legendary album I Got What It Takes. The distinct rawness in Taylor’s vocal performance spoke to Lang in a way that’s stuck with her for her entire career. Taylor's ability to transform the blues into joyful, life-affirming music is unparalleled and her music continues to influence artists across a wide spectrum of musical disciplines and genres.
Pride Month Bonus! A Spectacle To End All Spectacles: Hal Sparks' Spark Is KISS' Destroyer
Actor and Comedian Hal Sparks (Queer As Folk) has been a KISS mega-fan for as long as he can remember. He saw the poster for KISS' monster hit album Destroyer and his jaw dropped. He's been in awe of its artistry and musicianship ever since. Destroyer helped to cement KISS as globe-dominating rock superstars. It produced a string of hits and provided a perfect vessel for KISS' particular brand of rock theatricality. Hal's love for the band has only grown since the release of Destroyer, as has his encyclopedic knowledge of the band's history.
Tribeca Special!! Blurring The Lines Between Fact And Fiction: Lost Soulz' Sauve Sidle and Katherine Propper's Spark Is 8 Mile
Director Katherine Propper's Lost Soulz, a meditative film about music making, self-discovery, and friendship, had its world premiere at this year's Tribeca film festival. Its star, rising rapper Sauve Sidle, saw parallels between his personal journey, his character arc in the film, and the story of Eminem's much-lauded, Oscar-winning turn in Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile. Finding a community of like-minded artists can have a huge impact on a musician and that collaborative spirit runs through 8 Mile and Lost Soulz both behind and in front of the camera. Eminem and Sauve both used their real-world artistic processes to create their on-screen personas, as well as some unforgettable music. We'll also take a look at some of my favorites from this year's Tribeca Film Festival: including the mind-bending, Tierra Whack starring pseudo-documentary Cypher, winner of Best U.S. Narrative Feature.
The Heart Of The Human Condition: Brian J. Smith's Spark Is A Separation
Actor Brian J Smith was in awe of Asghar Farhadi's Oscar-winning film A Separation after he saw it for the first time. Subsequent viewings have only increased his admiration for the complex story of the acrimonious dissolution of a couple's relationship and the repercussions that follow. A Separation refuses to pass judgment on its characters. Every one of them is fully realized and makes both good and bad decisions throughout. It's a true reflection of the human condition and the lengths to which we all will go to protect the people we love.
A Tear-Jerking Space Quest: Jon Lovett's Spark Is Outer Wilds
Podcaster and comedian Jon Lovett is an avid gamer who discovered the acclaimed Outer Wilds in the thick of COVID lockdown. The game's sweet simplicity provided a perfect escape from the pandemic bleakness surrounding him and it quickly became his favorite game of all time. Eschewing the violence that is so prevalent in many of the gaming world's biggest titles, it is a meditative space adventure broken up into 22-minute cycles. The joy of low-stakes exploration struck such a chord with Lovett that he gets emotional when he speaks about his love for Outer Wilds.
A Two For One Special: Cub Sport's Tim Nelson's Spark Is Jesus At The Gay Bar and TEKE::TEKE's Mishka Stein's Spark Is Blade Runner
It's a buy one, get one free episode! First up is Cub Sport frontman Tim Nelson, who was so drawn to Jay Hulme's poem Jesus At The Gay Bar that the band's new album shares its name. Nelson grew up in a devout Christian community and struggled to reconcile his religious upbringing with his queerness. His mother has fully embraced his identity and Nelson saw parallels to the strength of their bond in Hulme's depiction of Jesus' compassion. In the second half of the episode, TEKE::TEKE bassist Mishka Stein shares his love for Ridley Scott's magnum opus Blade Runner. Since childhood, Stein has been drawn to the beauty in every frame of Blade Runner, its poetic dialogue, and the atmospheric soundscape provided by Vangelis' legendary score.
Two Comedy Legends On... Two Comedy Legends: Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar And Kevin Heffernan Are Sparked By 48 Hrs And A Wild And Crazy Guy
Broken Lizard's Jay Chandrasekhar and Kevin Heffernan have created some incredible comedy classics like Super Troopers, so it's no surprise that they're both sparked by other legendary comedians. For Jay, it was love at first sight when he first experienced Eddie Murphy's big screen debut 48 hrs. He's drawn tons of inspiration from the movie's delicate balance between a gritty cop thriller and a light-hearted buddy comedy. Kevin has been obsessed with Steve Martin's classic comedy album A Wild And Crazy Guy from the moment he first heard it as a kid. It's a snapshot of a rock star comedian at the peak of his powers and it's massive success provided a template for decades of stand-up comedy specials.
When Robots Taught The World To Dance: Michael Brun's Spark Is Daft Punk's Discovery
Michael Brun happened upon "One More Time," the lead single from Daft Punk's seminal album Discovery, and was instantly transported to an exciting new musical realm. That feeling was enhanced tenfold when he heard the entire album. He was influenced by so many aspects of the album and its promotion: the diverse group of influences that were apparent in the music, Daft Punk's futuristic/robotic aesthetic, and the anime videos that created a narrative structure for Discovery. His mind was blown by the creative ingenuity on display and it set him on a path that would come to define his career as an artist.
When Pop Punk Bangers Met Skater Style: Palehound's El Kempner's Spark Is Avril Lavigne's Let Go
As a tween, Palehound’s El Kempner had their tiny mind blown by Avril Lavinge’s smash hit debut album Let Go. Packed full of pop-punk bangers, it helped Kempner break out of the Disney radio lane they had inhabited to that point. They loved Lavigne’s relatable lyrics and resonated with queer-coded skater style. Even 20 years after its release, Kempner still has Let Go on repeat.