What’s the one album or film that changed everything for you?
On The Spark Parade, host Adam Unze sits down with actors, musicians and other cultural icons to explore the music and movies that ignited their creative journeys. Each episode is a deep dive into a single transformative work of art — from cult classics to chart-topping albums — and how it continues to shape their lives and careers.
You’ll hear from artists like Margaret Cho, Maya Hawke, Chris Gethard, Beth Ditto, Bob The Drag Queen, Ella Purnell, Phoenix's Thomas Mars and many more.
If you’re a fan of music, movies, and the people they inspire, this podcast is your backstage pass to the artistic spark that started it all.
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🎙️ In this episode, host Adam sits down with singer-songwriter David Gray to explore his deep connection to Van Morrison’s iconic album Astral Weeks. From his first listen at university to his eventu…
Singer and songwriter Bishop Briggs loves the sweeping emo theatricality of My Chemical Romance's breakout album The Black Parade. She's drawn to its punchy lyrics and anthemic melodies, but also lov…
Prolific actor Chris Diamantopoulos latched onto George Michael's monster hit solo debut album Faith at a young age. It resonated with him as a fellow singer of Greek descent, but he was also blown a…
Singer and musician Lubalin has been infatuated with Steven Spielberg's classic sci-fi family movie E.T. The story's emotional depth and (for a kids movie) surprisingly complex character development …
GRAMMY-Award winning songwriting and composing duo, Barlow & Bear (Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow) have been breaking boundaries in musical theater by independently carving their own path in the heavi…
Bastille front man Dan Smith first saw Scream as a pre-teen and instead of being terrified, he was instantly hooked on the horror genre. It was also his gateway to a whole world of cinema, including …
Singer and songwriter Rosie Lowe became infatuated with Erykah Badu's second album Mama's Gun at an early age. She's continued to love its eclectic musicality and powerful melodies into adulthood. Bu…
The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist abou…
Irish singer, songwriter and musician Orla Gartland has always been fascinated by Imogen Heap's unique approach to music making. Her use of ambient sounds and new technologies has always pushed Heap'…
Singer/songwriter KIMBRA loves the creativity and experimentation that runs through The Love Below, Andre 3000's half of Outcast's monster hit double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She loves his …
Maxïmo Park front man Paul Smith's first CD purchase was George Michael's legendary album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1. The album imprinted itself on his brain because of Michael's skill as a lyric…
Travis front man Fran Healy first heard about the Academy Award nominated film Aftersun in an interview about the importance of music in film. This reference would resonate through Healy's relationsh…
Singer, songwriter and producer Noga Erez first taste of Kendrick Lamar's masterpiece To Pimp A Butterfly came when its smash hit single Alright was played for her on the set of one of her music vide…
The Killer's Game director JJ Perry has idolized Jackie Chan's work throughout his adult life, but it was Chan's career defining film Armor Of God that cemented Perry's devotion to his work. Chan's d…
Singer/songwriter Ashe sits down with Adam to talk about her Spark, Carole King's record breaking, earth shattering, emotionally devastating masterpiece Tapestry. Ashe talks about the direct impact T…
FOALS and Yannis & The Yaw front man Yannis Philippakis was hooked on the singular sounds of Pixies legendary debut album Surfer Rosa from the first time he heard it. Since becoming a musician himsel…
Singer, songwriter, producer and engineer Sam Evian has always loved The Beatles music, but seeing Peter Jackson's epic Beatles documentary had a profound effect on the way he makes music. The live t…
Nick Carpenter, better known as Medium Build, has been a huge Weird Al Yankovic fan since childhood and he clearly remembers getting Yankovic's tenth album Running With Scissors as soon as it was rel…
Musical comedian Sarah Hester Ross loves School Of Rock's... music and comedy, which has (perhaps obviously) had a huge impact on her career path. She really admires Jack Black's warm, funny performa…
Singer, songwriter and front woman of the band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, first saw the film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World as a teenager while living in her home state of North Carolina. She loved the ene…