Applicant Apparel

Guitar player for Sparks The Rescue, Toby McAllister, is our next installment of Ten Questions. Catch Sparks The Rescue on tour this summer with Ludo along with a batch of headlining dates.

1. How did Sparks The Rescue begin?
It was a long time coming really. We all played in separate bands throughout high school, competing in BOTB’s together. After a while, a handful of us became serious. We figured we should join forces and conquer the world!

2. What has been your favorite show you’ve played?
I have had so many favorite shows, it’s hard to pick just one! Definitely when we played in Europe/United Kingdom with the All-American Rejects. There was one show at the London Roundhouse which will always be in my top list of shows. More recently, we played our CD release in Portland, Maine and that was also incredible. There is nothing like 500 kids singing your songs back at you. The feeling is unlike anything else in the world.

3. Who are your favorite bands at the moment?
At the moment my favorite bands are the Old 97’s, Third Eye Blind, Gin Blossoms, Tom Petty, and Counting Crows. These have been my favorite artists for a while, but I love everything from country to folk, to metal, to pop, to punk rock.

4. What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry?
It’s a tough world to live in, especially for a band. People aren’t exactly rushing out to buy CD’s like when I was in middle school. I couldn’t wait to pick up ‘Americana’ by The Offspring. However, it’s good that the population still feels the need for music. I can see it in kids coming out to shows and singing along. We were blessed with an amazing record label (Fearless Records). It really is a luxury to have people that believe in your band like those guys.

5. What advice can you give to bands just starting out?
As cliche as it may sound, just don’t give up. If you believe in what you are playing, then just rock it. No one can take that away from you. If you want to live in a van with your friends and tour the country, it can be done. I believe we are living proof of that. We all wanted this so bad, and I still can’t believe how far we have made it sometimes. Living the dream is open to interpretation, as long as it’s YOUR dream.

6. What direction can we see Sparks The Rescue go in for the last half of 2011?
We plan on touring non-stop! We also plan on doing more video updates, so people can see what we do in our spare time on the road. We’re going to be spending lots of time on the band Facebook/Twitter to answer any questions or just say hello! It all comes down to the people listening to our music. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to continue.

7. What is your favorite song of all-time? Why?
Probably “What’s My Age Again” by Blink 182. I remember the first time I saw that music video and fell in love. Not with the naked men running around, but with the awesome song and the humor that went along with it. Especially in today’s reality, I am a firm believer that people need to laugh. People also need music. Two huge things that can work together, and Blink really nailed it on the head for me when I was growing up. I am forever thankful to them for turning me on to having a good time, doing what I love, and not really giving a fuck about what people think.

8. What bands/artists do you admire? Why?
I admire so many bands. I use to idolize bands, and then I got to tour with some of my “idols”. It’s a crazy thing to realize that the people and bands you idolize are all just normal human beings, but they have been there for you when you needed them most. That’s the power of music. I used to listen to Valencia in high school and their first record got me through a bad break up, two years ago I got to tour with them. Same deal with The Graduate, who we just toured with all Spring. I now call these people friends. How cool is that?!

9. How would you describe Sparks The Rescue’s music to someone who hasn’t heard it?
We just want to have fun! I think it translates through our music and our live show. It’s a nice blend of energetic rock and roll, but also raw emotion. We write music that comes from our hearts, and every night we step on stage we play every note like we mean it.

10. Any shout-outs? Final words?
Thanks to Jan Powers at Applicant Apparel for this interview! Please support this clothing company. They have supported us since one of our first tours ever, and their shirts are sexy!

Find Sparks The Rescue on Twitter, Facebook, and iTunes!

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