In 1999, Spark Of Life was founded in Southern California. The band worked on developing a sound which was heavier than pop punk at the time, but turned more melodic than the hardcore scene. By the early 2000s, they had developed a decent local fanbase and had become friends with Russ Rankin, a well-versed singer who had previously played in Good Riddance. Spark Of Life's volatile 2003 debut Promises Made. Promises Kept., was the result of that friendship, produced by Rankin and distributed by his Fat Wreck Chords-backed subsidiary Lorelei Records.
Spark Of Life nearly faded away over the course of the following twenty years without a public announcement of their disbandment. The situation changed in Fall 2018, after Jennings persuaded Rise Against to perform a covert concert at the skatepark where he used to work in high school.
The momentary band reunion surely rekindled guitarist Nicholas Piscitello and singer Steve Jennings' artistic spirits, as they started to write infrequently for the following few years. Early in 2022, a plan to record a few of the songs they were close to finishing was conceived.
Song of Hope, the group's comeback single, is a melodic punk song with lyrics about dealing with a tragic loss. The song was written by Piscitello and Jennings, and the band enlisted musician, actor and comedian Fred Armisen to play drums on it. The song would fit in perfectly with the genre's more contemporary side, despite the video's inherent nostalgic feel.
The band's collaboration with Armisen came very spontaneously after they connected over music in a very conventional way; by complimenting a band t-shirt.
Armisen comments on working with Spark of Life: “The band are friends of mine. They asked me to play drums on a song and that was an easy yes. What a great song. Recording and then doing the video was a lot of fun. Happy to be a fill-in drummer and full time friend!”
Song of Hope is one of the two songs on a split album with fellow Californian melodic punk band Freewill, expected to be released in Spring 2023 on New Age Records.
