It’s the simple joys in life that often keep us going: the first sip of an ice cold drink after a long day’s work, seeing old friends after it’s been awhile, phone calls with mom making sure everything is going alright, and the list goes on.
But it’s the struggles of daily life and trying to make ends meet that make these seemingly mundane moments truly special. It’s the straightforward yet relatable push and pull dichotomy that honky tonk dive bar rockers Sparkle Carcass explore on their new album, Maraschino Chevy.
Comprised of of Cody Palmer, (vocals, guitar) his wife Reilly Downes (background vocals), Justin Frederick (bass), and Aaron Vincel (drums), Maraschino Chevy is the Chicago band’s sophomore record.
From their latest bar room juke joint single, “Rainy Day Head,” to their lead single off the record, “Sippin On a Cool One,” which offers a chill callback to an obscure 70s band Rollin Country, Sparkle Carcass harnesses that vintage honky tonk sound that’s been coming back strong.
Other notable tracks include the Gary Stewart cover, “Single Again,” also demonstrating their love and admiration for deeper dive vintage country tracks, and perhaps the most touching of all the songs – and to Palmer personally – is the soulful closing track, “Caldwell County,” which features his mom on piano. The band had their album release show this past weekend November 14th at The Hideout in Chicago.
We got to chat with Palmer to learn about the band, the new record and more.
So let’s start with the band name, Sparkle Carcass, which is rad. Is there a story behind how y’all landed on it?
I used to keep a small note pad in the front pocket of my jacket, and I’d always write down turns of phrase or little snippets of conversations I’d hear on the street to harvest for songs later.
One day, I was standing in line at a donut shop in the Wicker Park neighborhood here in Chicago trying to get a cup of coffee, and there was this young mother crouching down and googoo talking to her baby in a stroller. I don’t know what I heard exactly, but I pulled out my notebook and wrote “Sparkle Carcass and the Acid Cowboys,” and thought that would make a great name for a band. I ended up keeping “Sparkle Carcass” and now Reilly uses “The Acid Cowboys” for her backing band, which also includes me and Aaron, so I got two for one from that lady in the donut shop.
Tell us about your first single, which is an obscure 70s cover song, “Sippin On a Cool One.”
I used to work part time for UPS and I’d always listen to my buddy Lawrence Peters’ weekly country radio show, “Country My Way” on 105.5 FM Lumpen Radio. One day, he put on this amazing record “Sippin on a Cool One,” and he said it was from 1977 by some Texas band called Rollin Country. I thought it was incredible, and being a DJ and record head, I tried to look that song up so I could buy a copy but I just couldn’t find anything anywhere about it.
Once that episode of the show got posted, I listened to it over and over, taught myself how to play it, and then took it to the band for the full treatment. It’s such a great, simple song and I couldn’t be happier than to share it with more people. Much love to Lawrence Peters for showing me the light and to Rollin Country, wherever y’all are for writing such a killer song.
And fast-forwarding to your latest single before the album release, “Rainy Day Head,” which is an original song. How did this catchy number come to pass?
I moved to Chicago for the last time in the middle of the winter in 2012. I had this big dream of getting out into the world and doing all these things and using my fancy new college degree to get a job, but I ended up broke and hungry for awhile. I ended up reconnecting with a friend, Tyler Huffman, who was my boss at a wedding DJ company I worked at for a summer wrapping cables and assisting DJs on wedding days. He offered to teach me how to DJ and let me borrow equipment and get me gigs until I could buy all my own gear.
DJing ended up being my main gig for years thanks to Tyler, and I was able to afford a one bedroom apartment. Problem was, I’d have my gigs from Thursday-Sunday, but I wasn’t ever smart enough to find regular gigs those other days of the week, so on Monday I’d do my grocery and record shopping etc., and Tuesday and Wednesday if I didn’t have a gig, I’d often lay on the floor, stare up at the ceiling, and listen to records or write or just kill time until the next gig.
“Rainy Day Head” got written on one of those Tuesdays or Wednesdays when it was of course raining outside, and I was probably bummed out about some bad date I’d been on, and having just enough money to get by, but living in this weird nightlife music world that was so far removed from what most people would call ‘normal’, and struggling to connect with people that didn’t live in that world with me. It was a weird time, but it ended up producing some songs that I really love playing to this day, so it seems like it worked out in the end.
What do you hope listeners take away from this album, and your music in general?
My goal from the start was to just write a good, honest from the heart song and have some kind of funny turn of phrase in there to keep things light. If I can make people dance to it and then tell a joke on the mic between songs at a gig and get a couple laughs, then that’s good enough for me. In reality though, I used to write these kinda sad and slow songs in the moment, and then when I bring them to the band I speed them up until they’re poppy and lively and hopefully fun. I’d like to think there’s joy in sharing a communal positive experience like dancing, even though the lyrics are a bit sad. I guess that’s the wisdom I’ve drawn from my songwriting heroes.
With a song like the opening track, “Texarkana Moonlight,” I started instead from a joyful place after a tour in Texas, and I was on the way back looking forward to getting home, and hell, I just wanted to write a song about the boys being back in town. I got home and wrote out that whole song in a few minutes, and I had all the parts in my head once I got to band practice. I love playing that song live so much as I do with really all the songs on the record.
How about any songs from Maraschino Chevy that mean the most to you personally?
The one song that probably means the most to me personally is the closing track, “Caldwell County.” It was the only song I was able to write while living alone through the pandemic. I had just got off the phone with my mom when she called to see how I was doing and all the protests were going on downtown. It ended up being one of the longer songs I’d written, so I kinda just tabled it for awhile. I eventually brought it to the band and wanted to blow it out and make it this big epic soul thing, and I’m really happy how it turned out. My mom is playing the piano on that track on the record, and I’m so proud to have been there the first time she’s ever been recorded.
What was the recording process like for the album, and where did y’all do it?
We recorded the core of the record over a three-day weekend at Flat Black Studios on a farm in rural Iowa with Luke Tweedy as host and damn fine engineer. We’d record all day and after dinner, we’d drink a bunch of beer and Malort, and jam, work on ideas, and just make noise until we got tired enough to fall asleep. That was such a great way to do it. Overdubs were done at Sleepy Bear Studio here in Chicago with JG Shadid. The producer was me, Cody Palmer.
What would you say are a few pinnacle moments for you and the band?
Two albums on the books, got to play with our buddy Jaime Wyatt back in December, were featured in the Cosmic Country Showcase here in Chicago, skipped SXSW but played a whole bunch of unofficials including with Rattlesnake Milk and Aaron McDonnell at Sagebrush in Austin, played with a bunch of our good buddies including Mose Wilson, Sweet Megg, Wild Bill and the Bruisers, and Nicky Diamonds, and were featured on this year’s American Music Fest lineup with Jenny Don’t & The Spurs and JD McPherson. Also made enough dough playing two hour sets for the two steppers to pay for the entire record ourselves!
What has been your favorite/the most rewarding part of making this album?
I am without a doubt, hand to heart, honest to god, the luckiest man alive. I get to write music from my own brain and heart, turn that music into a completed work, and play that music with my best friends on this earth who share a mutual trust with me. I will never, ever take for granted the fact that I get to do what I’m doing here with these fine people and I am so thankful that I get to be on this earth at the same time they are. Writing, struggling, growing, learning, practicing, rehearsing, traveling, performing, recording, sharing — they’re all the work, and they’re all the reward.
