Interview with the Handsome Family’s Rennie Sparks

The Handsome Family

Husband-and-wife duo, Brett and Rennie Sparks, the core of goth Americana outfit the Handsome Family, have been releasing albums for the past twenty years. Their unique, eccentric tales of ghosts and folklore deftly weave through dark, highly unpredictable ballads. This fierce dedication to constantly challenging the listener has earned them a slow-and-steady cult following. However, they didn’t receive mainstream recognition until the track “Far From Any Road,” from their 2003 release Singing Bones, was commissioned as the main theme song for HBO’s hit crime drama, True Detective.

The Handsome Family has been touring extensively in support of their latest release, Wilderness, these past few months, and while I missed the opportunity to meet them in person, at San Francisco’s The Chapel, Rennie was nice enough to answer a few of my questions virtually.

Here are her thoughts on modern music distribution, why crowdfunding is wrong, and where she and her husband want to settle next.

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Support Norton the First: America’s Emperor on Kickstarter

Emperor Norton
America’s Emperor needs your help in bringing his story to life.

While it’s easy to be appalled by the overwhelming amount of bad behavior that abounds in Silicon Valley, just remember one thing: from the Gold Rush to the tech boom, the greater Bay Area has always been a haven for misfits looking to make a fortune. Colorful characters have fueled its expansion and gained notoriety for living by their own rules. However, few of its most notable eccentrics have been as beloved or celebrated as Joshua Norton.

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Amanda Palmer Has Enough Money: Here’s 5 Music Kickstarters to Support Now

I hope she'd agree it's time to help out other musicians, too.

Everyone loves a big success story, and I’m included. Look, we’re huge fans of Amanda Palmer here at Spinning Platters, and we’re all very happy that she’s made over a million dollars on her Kickstarter page. That’s fantastic; I hope she spends it wisely.

But enough is enough. There are many other artists looking for money to help with their musical aspirations, and they’re not going to get there without a little boost. So please, stop giving your money to Amanda Palmer, and start giving it to these talented folks.  Continue reading “Amanda Palmer Has Enough Money: Here’s 5 Music Kickstarters to Support Now”