Plug Yourself
-
Tori Sparks
- Female
- Nashville, TN
- United States
- Share
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Blog Posts (1)
- Discussions
- Events
- Groups
- Photos (11)
- Photo Albums
- Videos (3)
Tori Sparks's Page
Gifts Received
Tori Sparks has not received any gifts yet
Latest Activity
CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA at The Rutledge
June 4, 2009 from 7pm to 10pm
Nashville, TN - CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA @ The Rutledge
Thursday, June 4th @ 7pm
Come celebrate the release of the third Tori album, The Scorpion in the Story. Full band show, music video screening, door prizes donated by local busin…
CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA at The Rutledge
June 4, 2009 from 7pm to 10pm
Nashville, TN - CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA @ The Rutledge
Thursday, June 4th @ 7pm
Come celebrate the release of the third Tori album, The Scorpion in the Story. Full band show, music video screening, door prizes donated by local busin…
CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA at The Rutledge
June 4, 2009 from 7pm to 10pm
Nashville, TN - CD + MUSIC VIDEO RELEASE EXTRAVAGANZA @ The Rutledge
Thursday, June 4th @ 7pm
Come celebrate the release of the third Tori album, The Scorpion in the Story. Full band show, music video screening, door prizes donated by local busin…
Newsposts on MySpace:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=16638040
Or on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/torisparks
Profile Information
- Category
- Artist (music), Business Development (music), Graphic Artists, Musician, Production, Songwriter
- Myspace Page:
- http://www.myspace.com/torisparks
- Website
- http://www.torisparks.com
- Tell us more what you do in the industry
- ABOUT TORI...
The Scorpion in the Story (2009)
Tori Sparks calls Nashville home, but spends most of her time on the road in the U.S. and Europe. Called “a knockout” by the Village Voice, her dynamic live show is equal parts eye-popping soul-singing, and zany stand-up-style humor. Tori’s upcoming third album, The Scorpion in the Story, was co-produced with indie rock veteran David Henry (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, Widespread Panic, Cowboy Junkies) , and features players such as Steve Bowman (Counting Crows), Will Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell), Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett, Mindy Smith, and yes, Alliison’s brother), Fats Kaplin (Mark Knopfler, Kevin Welch), and Barry Walsh (Gretchen Peters).
The Scorpion in the Story is a tale in thirteen chapters, a tour diary in the form of a concept album. Each song was written about one of the many colorful individuals Tori met while touring across the U.S. last year. The album includes a French version of the song “Merry Go-Round,” (“Le Manege”), and will be released on Glass Mountain Records in June 2009.
Tori’s relentless touring has taken her from New York to Los Angeles to Miami, from Toronto to London to Paris, and through every small town in between. She books most of her own shows, and does all of her own laundry. In 2008 and 2009, Tori has showcased at Folk Alliance, Bele Chere, American MusicFest, many other conferences and festivals, and played nearly 200 shows to boot. She recently performed on Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour alongside Rolling Stones pianist Chuck Leavell. Tori is the author of two courses for roaming music business education organization ProMusicU, and is the creator of The Feed Your Soul Guitar Project, a tour and folk art auction benefiting Oxfam America. Besides her big black boots, and balls-to-the-wall guitar playing, she is known for being a part of and organizing benefit concerts on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, F.A.C.E., the March of Dimes, and the One Campaign.
Under This Yellow Sun (2007)
Tori’s sophomore album, Under This Yellow Sun, was released in 2007, and was the first release under the auspices of Tori’s own record label (Glass Mountain Records) and publishing company (Hand Over Foot Publishing). It has been praised by Relix, Harp, Maverick, Performing Songwriter, Skope, The Nashville Scene, XM Radio, and countless others. After breaking the Top 100 on the RIYL Weighted College Charts, the album was licensed by MTV, Lifetime, and the Oxygen Network for use in their upcoming 2009 television seasons. A subsequent feature by XM Radio Unsigned prompted Universal Music France to contact Sparks, has toured in France and other parts of Europe. Universal included Sparks’ single “Cold War” on their double-disc compilation Country Vol. 2, which has sold 30,000+ copies. "Cold War" is also featured on the Paste Magazine New Music Sampler released in June 2008.
Rivers + Roads (2005) and Tidewaters EP (2003)
Contrary to popular belief, Sparks did not emerge Venus-like from Lake Michigan on a gigantic seashell Tori was born in Chicago, and grew up in Sarasota, FL. She recorded her first EP, Tidewaters, in 2003, while attending Florida State University. . The four-song project attracted the attention of a small independent label based in Nashville. The label snapped her up, promptly recorded her debut album and music video ”Rivers + Roads” in 2005, moved her to Music City… and even more promptly went belly-up. Where some would crumble, Tori emerged from the wreckage and dove into eight solid months of exhaustive touring, radio, and video promotion. Her work paid off, as radio and video airplay in the U.S., Belgium, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, France, and England resulted.
Tori's debut music video, "Rivers + Roads," was screened at the Flint Film Festival 2006, and was selected "Best Pop Video" by the Indie Gathering 2006. She was selected as a Unisong International Songwriting Contest Finalist for her politically-charged alterna-blues tune "The Poster Child” in 2005, and again in 2007 for “Cold War.”
Guilty Pleasures.
Tori’s albums can each be purchased for less than the price of a veggie burger in Los Angeles at one of 100+ digital distributors in 25 countries. These include the ubiquitous iTunes, and 30+ CD retailers, including BestBuy.com, Target.com, Amazon.com, and others. Tori’s guilty pleasures include black jelly beans, cop shows, and 80s music. There is a big map of the U.S. and Europe on her wall, full of little colored pins marking cities she’s played.
- Influences
- Definitely in no particular order...
Tom Waits, U2, my mom, Ben Harper, Aziza A, Etta James, Mrs. Janoff's English class, Martin Sexton, Joni Mitchell, Soular System, Nico Vega, Ani DiFranco, NPR, Ayn Rand, Janis Joplin, the maintenance guy at my crappy secretary job when I first moved to Nashville, Wayne Hall, Murphy's Loft, Waffle House, Billy Bragg, The Plant Formerly Known as Prince, Prince, Amos Lee, Amy Correia, Bill Withers, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, coffee, Radiohead, coffee, Regina Spektor, coffee, coffee, Amy Steinberg, Mia Zepeda, Dung Nguyen, random acts of kindness, The Beatles, The Boss (mainly just Nebraska), Ben Folds (who thinks I sound like the Pretenders, which is fine), Chris Isaak, Labyrinth, Fraggle Rock, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Bonnie/ Sheryl/Alanis/Ms. Amos/Jewel/any-other-female-artiste-that-no-girl-rocker-wants-to -admit-to-in-order-to-seem-completely-and-totally-original, Colleen McFarland, Caroline Brewer, the kindness of strangers, Feist, Juno, exes, David Bowie, Cecilia the Band, anyone who cuts across the grass, Jed Shoemaker, Siesta Key Beach, Threadless, David Gray, the windshield I cracked in half, Fiona Apple, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Mitch Hedberg, Ray Charles, Lightnin' Hopkins, rain when I'm working, A Love Song for Bobby Long, Sante Fe, the red Mustang (rental), Peabody Shoe Repair, Ryan Adams, Vienna Teng, kettle corn, Elmer's Glue, Pete's Candy Store, Nirvana, the White Stripes, Iron and Wine, Wilco, any and all blues (yay blues!), local bands, people who like local bands, booking guys who are human, humans who experiment, odd strangers, stranger friends, the road, and a couple of skeletons in the closet.
- Who to contact for booking
- Email Lisa Nicks at info@glassmountainrecords.com.
Tori Sparks's Photos
Tori Sparks's Videos
Tori Sparks's Blog
Breaking News!
Newsposts on MySpace:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=16638040
Or on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/torisparks
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=16638040
Or on Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/torisparks
Posted on April 21, 2009 at 5:37pm —
© 2010 Created by Plugs Admin.
Comment Wall (2 comments)
You need to be a member of Plugs Entertainment Industry Network to add comments!
Join Plugs Entertainment Industry Network
Submission for consideration must be sent via email to info@dreamrow.com.
If you have hard copy materials to submit for review please mail to
Dream Row
6213 Charlotte Pike, Suite 111
Nashville, TN 37209
We are accepting submissions of public released or soon to be release music, videos, TV shows, Web shows, movies that you have rights to submit.
Before materials are used on our website you will have to sign a release for the rights to use the material that shows you are the owner of the materials.
Upload photos, music, videos, and even write a blog. Contribute to our forums area on the main page. All we ask is you invite others in the music or related support industries to the plugs music industry network. We must keep this network private to those only connected with the music industry or related support industries.
Add your EVENTS to plugs and send them out to the world. Allow RSVP or NOT... make private or not.
ADD THE BADGE THAT IS IN YOUR RIGHT COLUMN TO MYSPACE OR OTHER SITES THAT ALLOW CODE TO BE POSTED. BE PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF PLUGS
If you need any assistance please just ask me.