They were never as big as they should have been— though folks like Radiohead, PJ Harvey, The Flaming Lips, Danger Mouse, and Tom Waits took them out on tour, or collaborated with them, or both— but in the late-’90s and the ’00s, Sparklehorse, the indie rock project by Mark Linkous was super beloved by many musicians who have gone on to be very famous. Sparklehorse was Linkous’ brainchild, his band with a revolving cast of musicians around him and had a sound that was achingly beautiful but also rocking and filled with super infectious pop melodies. Like Elliott Smith, who had a similar trajectory, in a just world, Sparklehorse would be a household name. “Sad beauty” is the way friend and collaborative David Lynch puts it.
READ MORE: The 25 Best Music Documentaries Of The 21st Century So Far
Alas, much like Smith, Linkous succumbed to depression, drugs, and the many challenges of surviving as a touring musician, and he sadly committed suicide in 2010, leaving behind the legacy of a band that never really fulfilled their full potential (Sparklehorse only released four records, plus one collaborative album with Danger Mouse). A new doc, “This Is Sparklehorse,” directed by U.K. filmmakers Alex Crowton and Bobby Dass of Bo-Ho Films, attempts to put that musical legacy into context.
Written and narrated by Angela-Faye Martin, a musician, and friend whose album, Pictures from Home, Linkous helped work on, the doc features artists like Lynch (also a musician who did some musical and photographic work on the collaborative Danger Mouse record, Dark Night of the Soul), Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, Metric’s Emily Haines, Portishead’s Adrian Utley, Mercury Rev‘s Jonathan Donahue, and Grasshopper, PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish (PJ Harvey) and more discussing the life and legacy of the influential singer-songwriter and producer.
Here’s the official synopsis:
THIS IS SPARKLEHORSE is a feature-length music documentary. Mark Linkous, a cult and hugely influential figure in the alternative music scene, had a dramatic life that saw him battle with drug and alcohol addiction, paralysis, and debilitating mental illness that resulted in his untimely death.
“This Is Sparklehorse” is available now on Vimeo, and you can own it or stream it immediately. Watch the new trailer below.