Sparrow And The Workshop

Sparrow and the Workshop are a three-piece based in Glasgow consisting of Belfast-born, Chicago-raised Jill O'Sullivan (vocals, acoustic guitar), Welshman Nick Packer (guitar, bass, basstard) and Scotsman Gregor Donaldson (drums, vocals). The band's debut album Crystals Fall was released by Distiller Records in 2010 to critical acclaim, with the likes of Drowned in Sound and Clash Magazine awarding the album 9/10.

The band is notable for their use of harmonies and bastardized instruments/FX pedals and they have been compared to bands as varied as Jefferson Airplane, Talking Heads and Black Sabbath.

Sparrow formed in early 2008 and soon after caught the attention of Distiller Records, who offered to put out a single and EP for them in 2009. They have toured with many bands including British Sea Power, Idlewild, Broken Records, Sivert Hoyem (ex-Madrugada) and supported the likes of The Lemonheads and Thee Oh Sees. They were invited to support American psych-rockers Brian Jonestown Massacre on their 2010 European tour after band leader Anton Newcombe saw their video of Devil Song on Youtube[5]. In May 2010 the band played a number of gigs in New York, one of which was again supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre in Williamsburg Music Hall. They were also invited by Spider Stacy to join The Pogues as main support (on Anton Newcombe's recommendation) on their 2010 Farewell Christmas Tour.

In 2008 the band played at Connect Festival and British Sea Power's Sing Ye from the Hillsides festival in Tanhill, North Yorkshire. The following year they played the BBC Introducing tent at Glastonbury Festival in 2009, along with End of the Road Festival and Kendal Calling. They completed a string of festivals in 2010, including the Green Man Festival, T in the Park, Bestival, Stag and Dagger, Pohoda, Hop Farm Festival, Moseley Folk Festival, Standon Calling, Y Not, 2000 Trees and the Insider festival in Aviemore.

The band released single Black to Red on October 11, 2010 through Distiller Records with an accompanying DIY 3D video.

In March 2011 the band announced they had been recording a new album with producer Leo Abrahams, due to be released in late-May, 2011.

Jill provides backing vocals for Dia dos Namarados! by Broken Records, and Work Like You Can and Roll Along by Roddy Woomble, Fruit Tree Project collaborating w/Jenny Reeve (Strike the Colours), Emma Pollock (Delgados), Scott Huchenson (Frightened Rabbit), Rod Jones (Idlewild), Alasdair Roberts, James Graham (Twilight Sad), James Yorkston, Karine Polwart.

Gregor plays drums and provides backing vocals throughout Roddy Woomble's 'The impossible song and other songs' 2010 Album.