Sparrow

Vancouver's indie pop outfit Sparrow originated as a solo project from ex-Zumpano drummer Jason Zumpano. Once Zumpano dissolved and following a period on keyboards with Destroyer, Zumpano chose to perform unaccompanied, bringing in a violinist and a cellist to accompany him under the Sparrow name. After dropping the definite article and folding in another Zumpano veteran, Michael Ledwidge on guitar, plus Pete Mills on bass and Scott Morgan on drums, the band launched its live career, most prominently at the 2002 SXSW conference, where the performance convinced Overcoat Records to release the already completed album. Sparrow appeared in 2003 and drew mixed notices. The group subsequently toured and tracked a follow-up, this time for Absolutely Kosher. Early Years from 2005 presented an entirely new lineup supporting Zumpano, among them vocalist Lucy Brain of Vancouver's Young and Sexy together with Rob Calder on guitar, Shane Nelken on bass, Kim Koch on violin, Josh Lindstrom on drums, and Megan Bradfield on cello. The album represented a marked advance over the debut while demonstrating Zumpano's growth as both vocalist and songwriter.