Sparta performing on Conan tonight

Sparta will perform tonight (Tuesday, January 16th) on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, as the El Paso, Texas band promotes its recently released album Threes and current single, "Taking Back Control." The title of that song is especially appropriate since Sparta's existence was in doubt less than two years ago. But frontman Jim Ward told us that the group and its fans got through the worst of it: "There were some months there where not only were we not sure if we were coming back, but I think there was definitely a feeling in the air that no one was sure if we would come back. So I think there's been a sense of sort of relief and renewed excitement. And we didn't just come back, you know, limping, we came back totally restored, recharged, bigger and better than ever."

Sparta's future looked shaky in 2005 after Ward, later citing exhaustion, pulled the band off the road in the middle of a tour. Guitarist Paul Hinojos also quit in May of that year.

Ward, Hinojos and drummer Tony Hajjar were all previously in the band At The Drive-In, which broke up in 2001. Two other members of that group went on to form the Mars Volta.

Threes, released in October, follows 2002's Wiretap Scars and 2004's Porcelain.

Sparta will begin a co-headlining tour with MeWithoutYou on February 22nd in Omaha, Nebraska. Before the trek kicks off, Sparta will play a warm-up gig on January 27th in Park City, Utah as part of the Sundance Film Festival.

"Taking Back Control" will appear on the soundtrack of the upcoming movie The Invisible, which will also feature songs from Snow Patrol, Death Cab For Cutie and A Perfect Circle.
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