The Spark Parade

Singer and songwriter Bishop Briggs loves the sweeping emo theatricality of My Chemical Romance's breakout album The Black Parade. She's drawn to its punchy lyrics and anthemic melodies, but also loves the risk taking aesthetics that border on camp. In a wide ranging conversation, Bishop talks to Adam about her love for MCR, Lady Gaga's fearlessness, the exciting rise of queer artists like Lil' Nas X and Chappell Roan.Follow The Spark Parade on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

Prolific actor Chris Diamantopoulos latched onto George Michael's monster hit solo debut album Faith at a young age. It resonated with him as a fellow singer of Greek descent, but he was also blown away by Michael's songwriting prowess and the singular sound of his legendary singing voice. He's marveled at Michael's ability to create timeless songs without any formal training and has come back to his work for inspiration time and time again. Catch Chris in the The Sticky on Amazon Prime Video when it premieres on 12/6!

Singer and musician Lubalin has been infatuated with Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi family movie E.T. The story's emotional depth and (for a kids movie) surprisingly complex character development stuck with him from the moment he first saw it as a child through to adulthood. The production design and overall aesthetic have had a big impact on his own work and have informed his approach to connecting with audiences.

GRAMMY-Award winning songwriting and composing duo, Barlow & Bear (Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow) have been breaking boundaries in musical theater by independently carving their own path in the heavily male dominated space. Part of their success is their vastly different tastes and influences, as evidenced by their Spark choices. Abigail absolutely loves Katy Perry's breakout album One Of The Boys, with its massive pop hits "I Kissed A Girl" and "Hot N Cold." In contrast, Emily Bear has always adored the 1961 film version of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece West Side Story. Those opposing forces blend together perfectly in their music for Disney's highly anticipated sequel Moana 2!

Bastille front man Dan Smith first saw Scream as a pre-teen and instead of being terrified, he was instantly hooked on the horror genre. It was also his gateway to a whole world of cinema, including films by directors like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick. Scream had a huge influence on his approach to music making, helping him to infuse his work with references from other mediums.

Singer and songwriter Rosie Lowe became infatuated with Erykah Badu's second album Mama's Gun at an early age. She's continued to love its eclectic musicality and powerful melodies into adulthood. But it's the lyrics that hit her the hardest. Badu talks about body image, heartbreak, motherhood and other weighty topics with humor and joy. It's a combination that has had a profound impact on Lowe both personally and professionally.

Irish singer, songwriter and musician Orla Gartland has always been fascinated by Imogen Heap's unique approach to music making. Her use of ambient sounds and new technologies has always pushed Heap's work to the forefront of the musical landscape. Gartland is enamored of Heap's lyrics and her forward thinking production and has taken inspiration from both in her own work.

Singer/songwriter KIMBRA loves the creativity and experimentation that runs through The Love Below, Andre 3000's half of Outcast's monster hit double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She loves his fearlessness and its served as a model in the creation of her own work. Andre 3000 took a left turn from hip hop to genre's including r'n'b, soul and jazz. The experiment paid of an the double album has become the highest grossing rap album of all time.