18 March 2011
When his three bandmates simultaneously left the band he’d fronted for the last eight years, Alex Burnett didn’t think twice about going it alone.
Nor did he think of “doing the whole acoustic, woe is me solo record,” he says.
Instead, he packed up his bags and ideas and recorded Sparkadia’s sophomore album The Great Impression in London. Although the split wasn’t his choice, to him, keeping Sparkadia alive was the only option.
“It wasn’t really my call,” he tells TMN. “Everyone had their own lifestyle reasons to why they didn’t want to stick it out. For me, I wanted more of the wildness, more of the madness, more of the huge ups and downs.”
Former keys player, guitarist and vocalist, Tiffany Preece left to have a baby, bass player Nick Rabone is currently gallivanting around India, and drummer Dave Hall has done a full 360 and is now working in finance. “I suppose they just wanted more stability and maybe they wanted to earn a bit more money,” says the 28-year-old. “Nothing wrong with that!”
With his bandmates’ blessing, Burnett then set about writing what he refers to as a “development” from Sparkadia’s debut, Postcards. Apart from the obvious recording differences (sans band), Burnett says the biggest change he felt was a sense of freedom.
“By them leaving, there was a sense of freedom because I could do whatever I wanted to…it allowed me to be more brutal, to do whatever it takes. I’m much more willing to take risks now.
“I think if I had a band I wouldn’t have had the same result because you’d have to think about four people and their respective asks and now I’m able to be the lone ranger and go with the flow.”
Burnett saw London as the best place to write singles like Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs and the more recent China for the country’s unique pop scene.
“They do have a real support of pop music that’s a little bit odd and that’s what excited,” he tells. “Also the culture of music making is much more prevalent there, maybe because of the living standards and the weather and all that…For me I just wanted to go there alone with little money and see what I could do in a year.”
Although the resulting opus picks up where Postcards left off, Burnett says The Great Impression is “bigger, bolder and poppier” and a completely autobiographical concept record about impressions. However, if Burnett had gone with his initial title we could be readying ourselves for a much more morbid release.
“I was writing a song called The Great Depression but I thought to myself it wasn’t really an inspiring title,” he laughs. “Changing it allowed me to think of the various relationships that I’ve had and the various ways in which people leave an impression on you, whether it’s a long lasting one or first impression and the concept of how people can leave imprints on you that are very hard to crush.”
It’s because of Burnett’s amicable heart-on-sleeve approach to writing that it may come as no surprise he’ll completely ditch the 30-odd tracks that didn’t make the record.
“Songs are like little snap shots of a moment, they’re little tiny feelings or a weekend romance. Sometimes to rekindle them feels a bit off, like trying to get back with an ex-girlfriend when you know it’s not right.”
Perhaps it’s for that same reason that Burnett moved Sparkadia on without replacing its other core members. After all as the band’s creator, it only makes sense he will always see it as unfinished.
“In a way I was always the dictator, everyone had their input but I guess it was always my baby. I suppose it was always meant to be. Maybe it was fate.”
The Great Impression is out today through Ivy League
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