The Sparklers are a rock ‘n’ roll band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of Brian McCracken (vocals, guitar), John Sheridan (lead guitar), John Smith (bass), and Bob Enck (drums). They are known for their combination of whiskey-soured romantic lyrics, anthemic early indie rock sound, and raw live performances.

Formed in South Philadelphia at the turn of the century by singer/songwriter Brian McCracken, The Sparklers quickly wrote, recorded, and released their first record, “Fall Apart Heart”, a loud, fast, and bitter take on matters of the heart. They played a lot of shows, drank a lot of beers, and started to think about their next record.

After years of enduring the compromises that traditional hourly studios present, they decided that their best option was to simply do it themselves. So, they sold some of their vintage gear, cashed in some old war bonds, and started to learn the ins and outs of the recording process. The learning curve was not great. But, after much trial and error, the songs started to take shape.

A vintage motorcycle garage, a plumbing supply warehouse, a row house bedroom, and the second floor of an auto body shop all served as make-shift studios and played an important role in creating the sound and feel of their new album, “Crying at the Low Bar” (Radioball Records). A song cycle about loss, losing, losering, the City of Philadelphia, and the weight of the human heart. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.