Sparks have announced their first-ever EP, MADDER!, which will be out October 3 via Transgressive. It’s a companion to this year’s MAD! album. “Not wanting the Mad!ness to end and buoyed by the phenomenal reaction to MAD!, we made a hasty but intense retreat to the studio to record a Sparks first: an EP,” Ron and Russell Mael say. “MADDER!, a four-song companion piece to the album, is for everyone who isn’t yet MAD! enough. We hope these new songs will take you to an even MADDER! place.”
The band have shared the EP’s lead track, “Porcupine,” which is about a man’s fascination with a woman possessing a “prickly” personality. “Not too cuddly kind,” Russell sings, “save your valentine.” The chorus is very very Sparks and you can listen below.
Meanwhile, Sparks’ North American tour starts Friday (9/5) in Atlanta and hits Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre on Friday, 9/12. All dates are listed below.
MADDER!:
1. Porcupine
2. Fantasize
3. Mess Up
4. They
MAD! Tour Dates:
Fri. Sept. 5 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Mon. Sept. 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre
Tue. Sept. 9 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
Thu. Sept. 11 – Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center
Fri. Sept. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
Sun. Sept. 14 – Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre
Mon. Sept. 15 – Cleveland, OH @ TempleLive at Cleveland Masonic
Wed. Sept. 17 – Toronto, On @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Fri. Sept. 19 – Sun. Sept. 21 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
Sat. Sept. 20 – St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater
Tue. Sept. 23 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Wed. Sept. 24 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
Fri. Sept. 26 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Sat. Sept. 27 – San Francisco, CA @ Golden Gate Theatre
Mon. Sept. 29 – El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia
Tue. Sept. 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre