David Sparrow, a Westminster singer-songwriter who makes his living playing bars, restaurants and other venues around Carroll County, has a song that asks listeners to switch off the noise and pay attention to the person in front of them. It's called "Now," and he released it as a single in May 2023.
The song takes aim at TV, social media and the constant stream of opinions and distractions that come with them. Its refrain is a plea to unplug and pay attention to the person singing.
Sparrow said in a written interview with Westminster Wire that the song was inspired by a friend, a founding member of a band, who was kicked out of his own group through a Facebook post. He declined to go into the details. "I don't want to dredge up any bad blood," he said.
One line in the first verse reworks an image from Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" for the social media age, and Sparrow said it's the one that makes people "perk up." Another line puns on Spotify's name, and people ask him about that, too.
Sparrow does use Spotify, though not happily. "I use Spotify but I hate it," he said. "It's a means to an end, I guess. How it ends … that I can't tell you."
Sparrow said he grew up in Westminster, moved to Los Angeles in 2003 and returned in March 2019. He looked for a traditional day job at first, he said, but his calendar filled up with gigs, and he has been a working musician since.
Making a living that way has a catch. "It's great to do what I love for a living, but the lines get blurred because I have a lot of original music that has kind of moved to the background," he said. "My opportunities to do full original shows are few and far between."
Bar sets aren't a natural fit for many of his own songs. "I feel like a lot of my stuff is more of a mood, so it doesn't fit well into a bar setlist," he said. "I try to incorporate catchy/upbeat tunes of mine to grab some attention."
Playing an original in a set rarely starts a conversation, he said. "There have been a few moments and maybe a few plays here and there, but 'David Sparrow' the bar/restaurant performer is not making headway as far as me, the singer/songwriter is concerned."
He wishes he had used a stage name for the cover gigs. "People think my name is a stage name as it is," he said.
His record label is trying to help. Lost Beat 6, a Southern California production company and record label that lists Sparrow on its artist roster, is working with him on a push toward more, or only, original performances, he said. He also credits Carroll County concert promoter Fine Tuned Presents with including him in a few shows.
Sparrow will open for Annapolis-area singer-songwriter Danah Denice on Thursday, Nov. 5, at The Loft at Manor Mill, an intimate listening room in Monkton, in northern Baltimore County.
Sparrow's upcoming shows in and around Westminster include Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. at Maryland Mallet Restaurant & Smokehouse Pub in Westminster; Friday, Nov. 27, at 6 p.m. at Pipe The Side Brewing Company in Hampstead; and Saturday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. at Covalent Spirits in Westminster. More dates and details are on his website.
"Now" is available on Apple Music, Bandcamp and Spotify. His latest album, "One Night in April," came out in 2024.
Featured photo: from the cover of David Sparrow’s "One Night in April” album.
@westminster.wire It’s David Sparrow doing his original song “Now” at Covalent Spirits in Westminster, Maryland.