Little Sparta Productions

‘Haunting and atmospheric folk.’ Americana UK on Lost Boat Party

‘Elegant, waining violins and craggy folkisms’ NME on Ragged Garden

‘quaint, rustic, yet dark…’ Pitchfork on Scalpel Slice

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Little Sparta return with new album The Telling of the Truth, released on 13th March via Carnero Records & Grey Gallery Records. Spanning 10 tracks, the record captures a band in transition both creatively and emotionally as they close one chapter and confront an increasingly uncertain world.

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The record is built around the songwriting and vocals of guitarist Alan D. Boyd, the mesmeric violins of Susie Honeyman and sensitive percussion of Scott Skinner, with guest vocals from Honeyman’s Mekons bandmate Sally Timms.

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An Eclectic Mix

Since their 2006 Fire Records debut, Scalpel Slice (7/10 on Pitchfork) - a collaboration with Glaswegian poet Gerry Mitchell - Little Sparta have carved out a genre-defying musical identity. Their sound moves effortlessly between cinematic instrumental pieces, bittersweet alternative folk-pop songs and darker improvisations – all of which were brought sharply into focus during the sessions for The Telling of the Truth.

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A Turning Point

The majority of the album was recorded during a final one-day session at Boyd’s long-held studio in Kentish Town, as he prepared to hand over the keys.

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That session produced a set of frenetic improvisations reflecting both the atmosphere in the room and the wider turbulence of the outside world. These recordings were later shaped into a cohesive work, with Boyd’s lyrics confronting personal upheaval alongside frustration and anger at contemporary current affairs.

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The album opens with its title track, the most immediate and pop-inflected Little Sparta has sounded to date. The Telling of the Truth is  a skewed hoedown led by Sally Timms’ vocals as she addresses themes of doubt, truth and betrayal.

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Elsewhere, (Revenge is) A Tide That Waits reconnects the band with its poetic roots, with Honeyman narrating an adapted Scottish tale of glens, witches and the destruction wrought by powerful men; its themes echoing as strongly today as in the 17th century.

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The closing track, Cruelty Has A Human Heart, delivers a relentless, pounding finale. The sound of a band playing on as the walls crumble around them.

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Album art

The album’s artwork features Sirte by painter Jock McFadyen, a desolate painting that mirrors the record’s exploration of instability and human damage.

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Album Launch

Little Sparta will launch The Telling of the Truth live on release day, 13th March, at Dash the Henge in Camberwell.

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Line-up

Little Sparta are:

Alan D. Boyd [Guitar, Vocals, Harmonium, Mandolin, Percussion]

Susie Honeyman [Violin, Vocals, Spoken Word]

Scott Skinner [Drums]

With guest vocals by Sally Timms

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For more information, contact the band at: littlespartamusic@gmail.com

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Band Bio

Little Sparta are a London-based three-piece band with a Scottish heart, featuring Alan D. Boyd [Movieland], Susie Honeyman [the Mekons] and Scott Skinner. Since their debut album, Scalpel Slice, Little Sparta have developed a body of work spanning cinematic instrumentals, alternative folk-pop and poetic collaborations. 

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A frequent and important collaborator has been Mekons singer Sally Timms. Their work together includes the acclaimed 2020 four-track The Lost Boat Party.

 

Little Sparta are also known for their striking live soundtrack to The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which has been performed at festivals and special events, including five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival in 2009. Blending art, poetry, improvisation and song, Little Sparta continue to experiment and extend their eclectic output.