Matt Miller, the bassist for Sparta, recently spoke to Voice Leisure about the band’s current tour. Formed from the remains of the band At the Drive-In, Sparta has since signed to Dreamworks Records and released an EP, Austere, and a new album, Wiretap Scars. The band’s first single “Cut Your Ribbons,” is being played on MTV and radio, and the band stopped by the Black Cat last week on their current tour.
Voice: I’m in Georgetown. Where are you?
Matt Miller: I’m in Ottawa. It’s pretty exotic.
V: What kind of fans do you guys get? I can see how a 13-year-old boy would be really excited to play Halo or something with you.
M: Our fans are very polite. Very nice people. Except in Philly, we had this huge mixture of people?skinheads, mohawk punks, guys in polo shirts. A lot of different age groups, from 13 through their 30s.
V: So, you weren’t a member of At the Drive-In, but three of your bandmates were. Do you ever feel like an outsider?
M: It’s a new band, a new group, plus their roles have moved around. We’re all in it together. I think that’s why ATDI eventually fell apart?they lost control. The only thing that makes me uncomfortable is how they’ve played together for seven, eight years, and we need time to settle in together.
V: What do you bring to the table? Do you feel like you’re steering the group in a new direction?
M: Well, I don’t consider myself a particularly good musician. I don’t play straight bass, my style is a lot more angular, which confuses some people.
V: So … Dreamworks. Major label. How’s that going for you?
M: Well, they give us total artistic freedom, and they’re all really relaxed people. Plus they have deep pockets, which I like to take advantage of.
V: Cedric’s gone. What does that do for your sound?
M: Jim has an incredible voice. Initially he was very reluctant to be our singer, we had to convince him to do it, but he can just wail it every night.
V: Are you really from El Paso? Jim has a little bit of a Johnny Rotten thing going on.
M: Sometimes he slurs a bit when he’s had a few.
V: Is it good to play in El Paso and see all the familiar fans? Even if they do want ATDI songs?
M: El Paso has a really fickle scene, and we never really get requests for old stuff. There was one kid while we were opening for Weezer who was yelling for “One Armed Scissor.” What does he think I’m gonna do? I don’t even know that song.
V: So, anything you want to tell the people out there about your band?
M: We’re just honest guys playing rock. Lots of times you’ll see us down in the crowd, listening to the opening band. We’re down to earth.
