The Spark Parade

Fallout  actors  Ella Purnell  and Aaron Moten understand the power of artistic re-interpretation. So, when it comes to their respective 'sparks,' both actors chose songs performed by someone other than who originally wrote the piece. Purnell gravitated towards Brandi Carlile’s breakout hit “The Story,” which was originally recorded by members of her band, while Moten picked Glenn G...

Night Court actor Nyambi Nyambi was enthralled with Kim Jung Gi's sprawling, interconnected covers for Marvel Comics' Civil War II series not just for their artistry, but for the masterful artistic practices used to create it. He attended multiple live demonstrations of Kim's work before his untimely death and has applied his details to his work as a visual artist and an actor. Be sure to check ou...

Chicano Batman  guitarist Carlos Arévalo was given Radiohead’s seminal album  Kid A  as a Halloween present from his mother, and amidst the sugar rush, the album absolutely blew his mind. The dramatic shift in Radiohead’s stylistic direction and their experiments with electronic sounds opened Arévalo up to a new world of musical possibilities. The Spark Parade is a podcast that dive...

Ghosts actor Asher Grodman loves everything about Sidney Lumet's classic Al Pacino starring film Dog Day Afternoon. The story and its themes touch him deeply, but its the legendary performances by the incredible ensemble that really stick with him. Pacino's unselfconscious, honest portrayal of a complicated real-life character is a masterclass in screen acting. The film has aged incredibly well an...

Ever since hearing their self-titled debut,  SHAED  felt a special kinship with  Sylvan Esso . Both bands came from a folky, acoustic background and were experimenting with electronic sounds -- not to mention they were both family ventures. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , SHAED explains how  Sylvan Esso  helped to further shape their musical style. Listen ...

Gossip  frontwoman  Beth Ditto  loves everything about  Missy Elliott ’s second album  Da Real World.  The non-stop bangers, the icy production from Timbaland, the tight vocal harmonies -- it's basically flawless. More than just quality music, though, the record also reminds Ditto of a time when her musical taste was starting to truly develop. On this episode of ...

Comedian Bassem Youssef, known for his sharp wit and political commentary, discovered Billy Joel's "Pressure" in an unlikely place -- midway through an episode of Amazon's superhero satire  The Boys . From the first notes, he knew he had to seek out the song for himself. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , Youssef explains how he fell in love with the track once he did. Listen ab...

Self-described drag clown and  RuPaul’s Drag Race  All Stars  winner JIMBO first got into  Pee-wee's Playhouse , predictably, as a child. And yet, even as an adult, the program's unparalleled creativity continues to have a huge influence on her outlook, art, and even home decor. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , JIMBO explores her deep connection with the TV show. Lis...

Singer, songwriter, and visual artist  Allie X  loves  Christopher Guest ’s highly influential mockumentary  Waiting For Guffman  so much that it’s become a somewhat of litmus test for her. If she meets someone and they love  Guffman , she knows they’ll get along. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , Allie X explores her deep connection with the film. Listen ab...

The moment he read it, Everything Everything frontman Jonathan Higgs fell in love with the satirical absurdity of Chris Bacheldor's Bear V Shark and its skewering of our modern reliance on technology and entertainment. It inspired the complex backstory underpinning Everything's new album Mountainhead and affirmed Jonathan's broader worldview. Check Everything Everything's new album Mountainhead he...

Take a guess how many times  The Holdovers  writer David Hemingson has seen the British cult classic film  Withnail and I.  Maybe 10? Perhaps 20? Try upwards of 40. On this episode of  The Spark Parade  Hemmingson explains what it about the film that keeps him coming back. Listen above, or  wherever you get your podcasts . Hemingson gushes about everything from t...

Real Estate  frontman Martin Courtney had loved Nickelodeon's  The Adventures of Pete and Pete  as a child, but he was understandably skeptical of how it might hold up when it came time to show it to his own kids. Fortunately, Courtney discovered that it was everything he remembered and more. Listen to the singer chat about his rediscovery on this episode of  The Spark Parade &...

Of all places, Mitch Rowland discovered  Charles Mingus ' seminal jazz album  The Clown  at a pizza restaurant. The singer, songwriter, and Harry Styles collaborator was scrolling through his coworkers iPod when the album jumped out at him. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , Rowland explains just how instrumental that pizza-adjacent moment was. Listen above, or  wherev...

This week on  The Spark Parade ,  The Beaches  front-woman Jordan Miller recalls the time her tour manager introduced her to  True Romance , the cult classic written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. Listen to Miller explain the film's immediate impact above, and don't forget to  follow and review  The Spark Parade  wherever you get your podcasts....

On this episode of  The Spark Parade ,  Atmosphere ’s DJ and producer Ant discusses seeing a live performance of Herbie Hancock's instrumental hip-hop classic "Rockit" at age 13, a performance that ultimately led him to become absolutely obsessed with art of scratching. Listen to the full conversation above, and don't forget to  like, review, and subscribe to  The Spark Parade...

On this episode of  The Spark Parade , Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter, producer, and activist Justin Tranter talks about feeling completely entranced the first time they heard Ani DiFranco’s song "Swan Dive." Listen to the full conversation above, and don't forget to  like, review, and subscribe to  The Spark Parade  wherever you get your podcasts. Tranter instant...

Percy Jackson and The Olympians  star Aryan Simhadri was a bit skeptical when he first saw  The Devil Wears Prada , but he quickly became enthralled with the incredible acting and sharp storytelling. On this episode of  The Spark Parade ,  the actor explains how it wasn't just the glitz, glamour, and fashion that drew him, but the powerhouse that is Meryl Streep. The Spark Para...

Ted  star Max Burkholder might have been born in the '90s, but the 1980 cult classic  Airplane!  still resonated with him like few other comedies before or since. On this episode of  The Spark Parade , Burkholder gushes about the silly world of  Airplane!,  a style of comedy that grabbed him and never let go. The actor admits that, upon first viewing, the performances...

When Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker discovered Patti Smith's legendary debut album Horses, an artistic earthquake occurred in both of their lives. They were blown away by Smith's fearless, challenging lyrics and melodies and Robert Mapplethorpe's stunning portrait on the album's cover. Horses has remained a constant source of inspiration in Sleater-Kinney's decades long career...

As a lifelong Janet Jackson stan, actress, singer, and drag superstar Peppermint loves Janet's entire back catalog. But her self-titled fifth album has a special place in Peppermint's heart. It represents a major leap forward in Janet's style and sound, as well as her public advocacy for the queer community. And, Peppermint has been so inspired by Janet's choreography that she's recreated two of h...

Actor and content creator Sam Song Li ( The Brothers Son, Never Have I ever, and Better Call Saul ) was bowled over when he first saw Damien Chazelle's frenetic music school nightmare Whiplash. Li was even compelled to seek out acting classes that mirrored the film's hard-edged approach to artistic practice - albeit a less extreme version. In look back, he still sees the value of brutal honesty in...

Happy Holidays! The Spark Parade is off this week, but, in honor of the release of the movie musical version of The Color Purple, we are doing an encore presentation of this amazing interview with the one and only Bob The Drag Queen. Bob The Drag Queen has seen/read every iteration (book, film, and stage), but she's found herself coming back to Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated adaptation over an...

Singer, songwriter and producer Jesse Boykins III was introduced to The Fifth Element by his college roommate (who happened to be Jonah Hill!). He was hooked on the film's style and storytelling from the first frame and has continually revisited it as a source of creative inspiration throughout his career. Jean Paul Gaultier's costume design combined with Luc Besson's unique storytelling to create...

Drag Race superstar Trinity the Tuck loves the bonkers campiness of the queer classic movie Death Becomes Her for lots of reasons; the deliciously over-the-top performances by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, the iconic fashion, and the ridiculous story have had Trinity hooked since the first time she saw it. She watches it multiple times a year and it's influence has even seeped into her drag. Liste...

Rapper, singer, and writer Dessa first came across Dave Eggers' memoir A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genious as a college student and was immediately drawn to its wild, vibrant prose. Eggers' frankness and honesty had a huge influence on Dessa's own writing. Her live performances have also been inspired by his unusual, subversive book readings. Check out Dessa's new album Bury The Lede here !...