The Handsome Family
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The Handsome Family are the marvelously offbeat, original and
distinctive alternative country duo of
singer/songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Brett Sparks and his
singer/bassist/songwriter wife Rennie Sparks. Brett hails from Texas,
where he studied music and briefly worked in the oil fields. Rennie is
a fiction writer who stems from Long Island. The couple split the
responsibilities on writing songs: Brett provides the music while
Rennie pens the lyrics. The Handsome Family was formed in 1993 in
Chicago, Illinois by Brett, Rennie, and drummer Mike Werner. They
released their debut album "Odessa" in 1995. The duo record all their
albums in the living room of their house. Their dark and eerie, yet
still haunting, poignant and beautiful music mixes both traditional and
alternative country elements along with flavorsome touches of
bluegrass. The Handsome Family have released a steady succession of
albums throughout the years: 1996's "Milk and Scissors," 1998's
"Through the Trees," 2000's "In the Air," 2001's "Twilight," 2003's
"Singing Bones," and 2006's "Last Days of Wonder." "Through the Trees"
was named "Best New Country Album of the Year" by "Uncut" magazine. The
band have extensively toured and performed in concert in such places as
America, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The duo appear as
themselves in the documentaries "Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus"
and "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man." Brett and Rennie Sparks live in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Handsome Family released their latest
album "Honey Moon" in 2009.