Cody Sparks Band Album Cover
Anytime I went to my Aunt Kathy’s house in small town panhandle
Perryton, Texas , one of the things I would look forward to is seeing my cousins play music. I thought it was the coolest thing they were musically talent… because I am defintely not!
Cody Sparks Band
Long story short, my cousin, Cody Sparks decided to make music his life. Recently, his band, the Cody Sparks Band, which includes his younger brother, Seth Sparks, has taken off right here in the music capital of the world. In the month of March alone, they played all week during SXSW, put out an album on itunes titled “Sinners and the Saved,” and are playing every chance they get.
After being in this class, I became more intrigued in his career. Therefore, I had the privilege of sitting down with my cousin and getting to understand his personal story and what it really took to devote his life to his passion, country music.
(Above is a track from their album titled Oklahoma Fool)
What got you interested in music?
Music for me was something I liked since childhood, but never knew it would be such a huge part of my life. When I was a Freshman in college I saw a guy playing acoustic guitar at a venue in Colorado and immediately became fascinated. I asked my parents for a guitar for Christmas and thankfully got it. Little did I know that seeing that show would completely turn my life around in such a different way.
When did you know that you wanted to make music your life?
For the longest time I never actually thought that I could make music such a big part of my life. Before music I was coaching High School football and basketball and very much into that. I just suddenly realized that I might be good enough to try this music thing out. Lucky for me, so far so good. Like I always say, I can always go back and coach when I’m older. Im not always going to be so young and “cool.”
I think being born and raised in a small Texas town most definitely set me up for country music. There wasn’t really a lot of other genres that I was really into. We really don’t have to get into my “punk rock” phase. Texas country music just seems more real to me than any other music out there.
How long did it take for you to get your foot in the door?
Getting our foot in the door hasn’t been the easiest thing. We truly have been blessed with opportunity though. I think we have come a long way since we first moved to Austin 3 years ago. We still have a long ways to go to really get to where we want to be. But like with any career, the harder you work, the greater the reward.
How does living in Austin, the music capital of the world, benefit the band’s career?
Moving to Austin was a big decision for us. We had long discussions about it and knew that it was the best place to be for what we wanted to do. A lot of bands are based out of ATX and we are happy to be one of them. There is always something going on everyday of the week in the music world here. It really helps for networking. And in this business, it helps to have friends that do what you do. Advice and guidance from other musicians is vital. We are proud to call Austin our newest home.
You guys just finished your first album. What was the hardest and best part of the process?
Our album is finally finished and we couldn’t be more proud. This was a learning experience for sure. I think the hardest part was figuring out the process. There are so many little things involved that I had no idea even existed. Some people think that it takes a few weeks or even a couple of months to complete but thats not the case at all. There is so much more that goes into it than walking in and recording some songs. I think the best part of the process was actually doing it, completing our project and getting our music out there. It was great to see us all come together creatively. We really grew closer as a band and as friends. Learning is always a positive thing and we experienced a lot of that.
What is your favorite song on the album?
I think my favorite song on the Album is the title track “Sinners and the Saved.” I put a lot of time and effort into this one. It is a song written about my two grandfathers and most definitely most meaningful to me.
(Below is the a piece of the track!)
What inspires you to write a song?
There are a lot of different things that can inspire someone to write. The sun, mountains, trees, maybe a girl or heartbreak. Honestly you could pick any topic and make up some type of song about it. I like to write about things that have happened to me in life or maybe someone close. Real life things are usually the ones that turn out the best.
Who has influenced your style of music?
I think at the end of the day there really are certain people that stand out to me as influential. Groups such as The Eagles or Conway Twitty, and Willie Nelson go way back before I was even born. To people like King George Strait who has had a major impact on my music style. It all boils down to people who really got me started listening to the Texas/Red Dirt music scene. Pat Green, Reckless Kelly, Cody Canada and Stoney Larue. Those guys really pulled me in.
What is the most rewarding thing about being a singer/songwriter/in a band?
For me personally I think the most rewarding thing about being a singer/songwriter in a band is getting together and making something so great with the guys in the group. Seeing a positive fun look on peoples faces while hearing us play means more to us than anyone will ever know. We love when people get out and dance and party to our tunes. We have a good time doing what we do. So its great when people respond the same. We are more than just a band, its a family.
Any big plans for the near future?
The album is now out on iTunes, so our future plans are to push and promote the record. We want to keep getting our name out there. The more people that hear our stuff the better. We always welcome new fans and friends.
Here is the link for
Cody Sparks Band facebook page. If there is anything I appreciate about Cody is how much I have seen him grow with his music and the hard work he has put in. And I am not just saying that because he is family!
What is the most rewarding thing about being a singer/songwriter/in a band?
That is so cool that you have a family member so into country music! I always wished that I could be able to sing or at least have someone in the family that I could live through, haha. It was really interesting learning about his decision to move to Austin and how that has benefited them as a band. I listened to the song you linked. He is really good! The lyrics and everything are awesome. I really hope they get the break they are looking for. They have my support! 🙂
I thought it was a really interesting post! I think making it an interview instead of just writing about your cousin and his band made it better to read, because it allowed me to read his responses and take on things. I had not heard of them before, but I listened to the two clips above and I really enjoyed the music! I may have to look into more of their albums now! It’s always really interesting seeing how artists work towards gaining recognition and their career, and it’s cool to see that they’ve been increasing their presence in Austin and in country music! I really enjoyed your post!
I thought this was a great read! It’s so cool to see that you have a relative that’s into country music. Making your blog post out of an interview allowed me to understand this better. After reading this, I can better understand the ups and downs of being in the country music industry. I’ve never heard of them before, but their songs sounded pretty good! It’s also exciting to learn that they’ve completed their first album. It was also interesting to see the process of getting into the industry. I’m sure the music industry is very competitive but I’m confident that this album will be their first big break. Thanks for sharing!
I loved the way you structured this post – anytime I get to read a personal interview, I already know it’s going to be a real treat. I liked hearing what Cody had to say about the album recording process – how there’s actually a lot more that goes into it than you think. So often, I feel like artists just thought something up real quick and then popped in the studio, but he shows us that this is not the case! I listened to “Sinners and Saved,” and I really liked what I heard. And whether he’s your family or not, I agree that this band is talented! Once again, thanks for keying us all in to a great up-and-coming band!
I love this post and how you were able add a really personal touch to it! How cool is it that your cousin is on the road to becoming a big country artist?! He seems like a really hardworking, down to earth guy with a great sense of humor. I really liked the song they included and feel like their sound remains traditional in country music. I wish the best for them and thanks for letting us know about an up-coming artist!
I love this post and how you were able add a really personal touch to it! How cool is it that your cousin is on the road to becoming a big country artist?! He seems like a really hardworking, down to earth guy with a great sense of humor. I really liked the song they included and feel like their sound remains traditional in country music. Its very bold of them to jump into the crazy country music industry and took a lot of courage, which is very respectable! I hope they remain hard working and give it their all because they definitely have potential.
Nice change of pace on the blog posts, but I defiantly read this too late at night. You inspired me to go look through as much of this band’s music as I can. Personally I haven’t seen a lot of blog posts done in this fashion, and I was a big fan. It is really clear that you are interested in journalism, because you really gave me a great scoop on this one, delivered in a concise, but not too abrupt fashion. You really got everything across without being too long winded, which is a tough line to walk. Congratulations on another great post!