In the time that I’ve known Tori Sparks, there’s been more than one occasion when I’ve wondered if she was an actual person or possibly an amalgamation of fact and fiction like a legendary folklore character. In other words, she’s epic. Sparks is a classic troubadour who melds verse and melody to create emotionally driven literary vignettes that engage, seduce and enrich with a preternatural prowess.
Not being one to do anything halfway, last year Sparks followed her muse . . . all the way from Nashville to Barcelona, Spain!
“Barcelona is different from the rest of Spain,” the artist explained. “It's a mix of cultures, languages, and influences with regards to art, food, fashion, music, and architecture. Even the landscape is a mix between ocean and mountain and desert. There's a really unique energy here, and while the city can drive you insane, it reminds me at least once a day of how beautiful the world can be.”
When asked what she was finding it hardest to live without in her new location, Tori responded, “The musicians and the studios in Nashville are like nowhere else in the world. I knew that when I moved, but I can't tell you how much I miss that aspect of Nashville.”
“Of course, I miss certain close friends very much. I miss the Salsa scene in Nashville,” she continued. “And I miss certain conveniences that made life easier, such as having a car, or 24-hour drugstores and grocery stores. It sounds silly, but just you try finding an open pharmacy on a Sunday in Spain!”
Tori’s latest release is a double EP entitled Until Morning/ Come Out of the Dark. The release explores both Spark’s dark sensuality and her affinity for crafting dusty, sepia-tinged masterpieces. But there’s also a little something more.
“I think the idea of the move was definitely reflected in some of the influences on the new album, but it was more the permeation of Spanish and Latino culture, language, and music in my life than the idea of physically uprooting that did it.”
In fact, this double EP contains Tori’s first Spanish-language song, a classic Cuban tune from the 1940s called “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás.” For more information on Tori Sparks, visit http://torisparks.com.
