Chris Diamantopoulos

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 away by Michael's songwriting prowess and the singular sound of his legendary singing voice. He's marveled at Michael's ability to create timeless songs without any formal training and has come back to his work for inspiration time and time again.

Catch Chris in the The Sticky on Amazon Prime Video when it premieres on 12/6!

Lubalin

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 stuck with him from the moment he first saw it as a child through to adulthood. The production design and overall aesthetic have had a big impact on his own work and have informed his approach to connecting with audiences.

Barlow & Bear

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 heavily male dominated space. Part of their success is their vastly different tastes and influences, as evidenced by their Spark choices. Abigail absolutely loves Katy Perry's breakout album One Of The Boys, with its massive pop hits "I Kissed A Girl" and "Hot N Cold." In contrast, Emily Bear has always adored the 1961 film version of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece West Side Story. Those opposing forces blend together perfectly in their music for Disney's highly anticipated sequel Moana 2!

Bastille

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 films by directors like David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick. Scream had a huge influence on his approach to music making, helping him to infuse his work with references from other mediums.

Rosie Lowe

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. But it's the lyrics that hit her the hardest. Badu talks about body image, heartbreak, motherhood and other weighty topics with humor and joy. It's a combination that has had a profound impact on Lowe both personally and professionally.

Orla Gartland

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's work to the forefront of the musical landscape. Gartland is enamored of Heap's lyrics and her forward thinking production and has taken inspiration from both in her own work.

Kimbra

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 fearlessness and its served as a model in the creation of her own work. Andre 3000 took a left turn from hip hop to genre's including r'n'b, soul and jazz. The experiment paid of an the double album has become the highest grossing rap album of all time.

Maxïmo Park's Paul Smith

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 lyricist and musician. But he was also infatuated with the album's weirdness. Excluding the hit single Freedom '90, it's an album full of ballads and meandering melodies. It was a radical act for one of the biggest pop stars in the world and it's influence continues to reverberate across a broad swathe of musical genres.

Travis' Fran Healy

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 relationship with the film. It spoke to him and sunk into his consciousness in a way that only music had done before. He watched Aftersun over and over, getting something new from the narrative and performances with each viewing.

Noga Erez

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 videos. From there, she quickly became infatuated with the beats, rhymes and broad range of sonic influences evident in each of To Pimp A Butterfly's tracks. She's drawn inspiration from Lamar's work for her third studio album The Vandalist.

JJ Perry

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 dedication to his craft, complete fearlessness and infectious joy provided Perry with a template for his career as a stuntman and film director, a template that he continues to apply to his work to this day.

Ashe

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 Tapestry had on her songwriting and the inspiration she drew from it while composing her highly anticipated new album Wilson.

FOALS' Yannis Philippakis

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 himself, Surfer Rosa has influenced the way he plays guitar and his approach to writing and recording music. His personal connection to the album even extends to a stint as Kim Deal's pen pal!

Sam Evian

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 to tape recording style used by the band (everyone in the same room playing together live) inspired Evian's preferred production set up and laid the groundwork for the recording of his latest album Plunge.

Medium Build

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 released. Carpenter loves Yankovic's humor, the way he blends multiple musical genres and his daring use of instruments that are rarely found in pop music like the accordian.

Medium Build's latest album Country is out now.

Sarah Hester Ross

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 performance, but also recognizes his skilled musicianship and incredible improvisations.

Catch Sarah at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August with her show Sarah Hester Ross Is What? and her special Don't Mess With A Redhead is available right now.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

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 energy of the music and the film's depiction of queerness. The way the onscreen bands played their interest has had an effect on her own playing throughout her career.

The new Rainbow Kitten Surprise album Love Hate Music Box is out now.

Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny Frankel doesn't really watch much TV, but she found The Handmaid's Tale during the pandemic and was so drawn to its compelling performances and topical themes that she breezed through the entire series. Bethenny finds The Handmaid's Tale to be both a cautionary tale about the world we could be heading towards and a reflection of the world in which we live.

Bethenny appears in the Lifetime Original Movie Danger In The Dorm, which is out now.

Our Tribeca Film Festival coverage concludes with a look at mesmerizing music documentary They All Came Out to Montreux, neo-noir crime dramedy Lake George and US Narrative Competition winner Griffin In Summer, a coming of age story about a 14 year old playwright.

Listen to Bethenny's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!

Judith Hill

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Judith Hill has loved Captain EO, the Michael Jackson starring short film that accompanied an attraction at Disney's theme parks, since she was a small child. She loves it's message of spreading joy and positivity through music and has used those principles throughout her career.

The first of a two part Tribeca Film Festival series kicks off with a look at queer buddy comedy Rent Free, heart wrenching family drama Color Book, straight buddy comedy Sacramento and moving documentary I'm Your Venus.

Listen to Judith's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!

Daphne Guinness

Singer, songwriter and queer icon Daphne Guinness first listened to David Bowie's sensational fourteenth album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) when she bought it with her saved up pocket money as a child. Little did she know she'd later work with the man himself on her own debut album! Scary Monsters provided a template for Guinness' musical output, her work ethic in the studio and her willingness to push the boundaries of her sound.

Daphne Guinness' new album Sleep is out on June 21st.

Listen to Daphne's episode now and make sure to follow and review to support The Spark Parade!