Sparta

Formed in El Paso, Texas, in 2001 in the wake of At the Drive-In's split, Sparta initially brought together Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos, Tony Hajjar and, soon after, bassist Matt Miller. The project moved away from the most abrasive tension of their previous band to develop an alternative rock rooted in post-hardcore, with angular guitars, a clearer melodic sense and songwriting that also draws on art punk. Sparta released the EP Austere in 2002, followed by the albums Wiretap Scars (2002), Porcelain (2004) and Threes (2006), during which the band toured North America and Europe and also opened for Pearl Jam and Incubus. After several lineup changes — including Paul Hinojos's departure and the arrival of Keeley Davis — Sparta went on hiatus in 2008, returned briefly between 2011 and 2013, then reformed from 2017 around Jim Ward and Matt Miller. This new phase produced Trust the River (2020) and Sparta (2022), initially as a duo before the addition of drummer Neil Hennessy. Throughout these stages, Sparta has retained an identity marked by a balance between nervous energy, dark choruses and guitar textures more open than in its early days.