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A lackluster night for Nashville’s brightest band

Nashville Gazette, October 2016

Last night at The Basement, a sold-out crowd of super fans was a mix of enraged and confused as the headliner, Nashville-based all-girl band, The Sparks, no-showed their own album release party. Merch tables were quickly packed away, and fans were left wondering what happened.

The Gazette has reached out for comment to the band with no response. We’ll update this story as we learn more.

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The Greatest Magic Trick in Nashville: 5 Years Since The Sparks Album That Never Was

Nashville Gazette, October 2021

The Sparks, once the most promising bands out of Nashville, disappeared one night back in 2016 and haven’t been heard from since.

It’s been five years since their infamous no-show at The Basement, and fans are still in mourning over what could have been and the album they never had the chance to own.

“I really thought they were going somewhere,” says Misha, a longtime fan of the Sparks*, who attended almost every show they put on. “We were proud to be Sparks* fans –– at a time when so many of us needed to be around other women and women-driven projects, it feels like a gut punch that they just disappeared.”

Misha shares how her Facebook Group, the Sparklers (named after the band's most die-hard fans), spent much of the first few months of the pandemic reminiscing on their favorite songs and shows –– sharing grainy footage of the band’s final shows.

“I got a community of women out of it, and I’m thankful,” shares Misha, “but I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the heartbreak of it.”

The Gazette has reached out repeatedly to members of the band, who all responded the same –– no comment.

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Show Synopsis

It was 2016, and the Sparks were steps from the top of the mountain –– frequent headliners at Exit In, The Basement, and even a one-night-only at The Bluebird that is still whispered about to this day. But on the night of the biggest gig of their lives, with hundreds of loyal fans waiting, The Sparks were nowhere to be found.

8 years later, Riley, Lura, Ari, and Jo, now in their 30s, have their own lives and careers –– with memories of their time as one of Nashville’s biggest bands no more than pages in journals and mementos in attics. But as fate and a little tequila would have it, they’re reunited for what might be their second chance… if they take it.

Join the Band

A letter from Samantha Joelle, creator and head writer

As a filmmaker and musician, I believe that the most unique stories are often closest to home for us as a reflection of our own lives.

I moved to Nashville from Michigan to pursue my teenage dreams of being a professional bassist in 2006 and have been in pretty much every band scenario possible. As a “female” bassist (quotes around female because people always found it necessary to highlight gender when you are not male), my experiences of survival in the music industry are the types of stories left untold for women, especially in an overlooked side of the Nashville music scene. Now that I am 35, I feel now more than ever it is important to see women in these nontraditional roles, especially kicking ass, because anything and everything is possible. Reinventing yourself is possible. Never losing the passion, whether it stays the same as when you were 14 or shapeshifts into new passions, is crucial as you age. I believe that our story is important for any person at any stage in their lives to see that it is OK to be unique, it is beautiful to age, and it is never too late to write the turning point, a new beginning, to your life story. That’s what it is all about- the story of the journey of our lives and the love we find along the way.

Thank you for helping us to turn our story into one that I hope will reach many, including my inner 14-year-old self, practicing bass in her childhood bedroom. She always dreamed so big.

With love,

Samantha Joelle

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Are you a Nashville-based business looking to partner in a deeper way with our production? Reach out to our producer, Kat Brosnan, for more information about corporate sponsorship opportunities.

Why this story

Women make up the backbone of the creative industry but face extreme ageism and sexism across the spectrum –– from film and TV to music and everything in between. Our stories are often only told when they fit neatly into the stereotypes and structure of an industry that devalues women over 30.

But we know that 30 is barely getting started, and the same old worn-out jokes about cracking joints and fading into domestic bliss hardly capture a generation of women who are still kicking ass and creating world-changing art.

Why Nashville

As creatives based in and supporting the Nashville art scene, there’s no better way to tell this story than here in Music City. Frequently called The Athens of the South (and not always in a nice way), Nashville is making a name for itself in the TV/Film industry.

Meet the Team

Samantha Joelle is a musician, actor and filmmaker based in Nashville. Her directorial debut was the 2022 short film, My Therapist Says.

Lauren Autry

After a long career in the music industry, encompassing everything from playing guitar to song writing to working in music licensing, Lauren found her way into acting, fatefully meeting the group of women that would create this raw and heartfelt series.

Lauren Whistle is an actor, singer and songwriter based in Nashville, TN. As an actor she's been in short films, music videos and a feature film. She has written songs for various artists and her music can be heard in major films, television series and commercials.

Kristen Fields is an actor, singer, producer, and writer based in Nashville, TN. Spending the first decade of her career on stage, she transitioned to the TV/Film world in 2021 and is delighted to explore new formats of her favorite thing –– storytelling.

Kat Brosnan, Producer

Known for her humor, enthusiasm and activator mindset both on and off set, Kat blends her 15 years in corporate management with the talent of her creative partners and friends in the Nashville area to drive content from conception through completion. Although she loves acting, her talents are well suited for developing and executing project timelines, production schedules, resource management, fundraising, corporate sponsors and financial decision making.