Sparkle Carcass Lights Up Honky Tonk Rock with New Album 'Maraschino Chevy'

Chicago’s own Sparkle Carcass are back with their sophomore record, Maraschino Chevy, and it’s the kind of honky-tonk rock ’n’ roll that proves resilience, humor, and grit can coexist in one joyful, raucous package.

Formed in 2014 by Cody Palmer, Justin Frederick, and Aaron Vincel, Sparkle Carcass evolved from a power-pop trio into a country-fueled rock outfit with roots as wild as their name. (Fun fact: Palmer scribbled “Sparkle Carcass and the Acid Cowboys” in a donut shop one day after overhearing a young mom talking to her baby. That one random moment birthed not one but two band names, Sparkle Carcass for Palmer and The Acid Cowboys for his wife Reilly Downes’ backing band.)

On Maraschino Chevy, Sparkle Carcass lean into the chaos and charm of honky-tonk rock. The songs are packed with stories of love weathered through hard times, the restless joy of traveling to play music, and Palmer’s reflections on living in Chicago during 2020. Even when the lyrics hit heavy heartbreak, divorce, long nights on the road, the band spins them into upbeat, danceable anthems. A cover of Gary Stewart’s “Single Again,” dedicated to Palmer’s divorced friends, sits comfortably alongside originals full of wry humor and stubborn hope.

“I used to write these kinda sad and slow songs in the moment,” Palmer shares. “And then when I bring them to the band, I speed them up until they’re poppy and lively and hopefully fun. I’d like to think there’s joy in sharing a communal positive experience like dancing, even though the lyrics are a bit sad.” That philosophy echoes throughout Maraschino Chevy, a record where heartbreak fuels foot-stomping riffs and humor sneaks in like a shot of whiskey at closing time.

The singles set the tone perfectly: “Sippin on a Cool One” (released September 5) delivers breezy country-rock swagger, while “Rainy Day Head” (out September 26) rides the line between reflective storytelling and rowdy barroom energy. Both tracks highlight the band’s sweet spot, blending confessional lyricism with irresistible grooves.

Maraschino Chevy also doubles as a family affair. Downes contributes backing vocals, and Palmer’s mother, Tammie Messick, plays piano on the closing track, making the record both personal and communal.

Fans won’t have to wait long to hear the songs live. Sparkle Carcass is hitting the road in October for a mini-tour through Kansas City, Texas (Houston, Austin, San Antonio), and Tulsa, before celebrating their album release at The Hideout in Chicago on November 14.

With Maraschino Chevy, Sparkle Carcass proves that even in the messiest of times, there’s beauty in honesty, joy in music, and plenty of reasons to dance.

Maraschino Chevy balances heavy subject matter with upbeat, danceable energy. Can you walk us through how you turned some of those sadder songs into honky-tonk anthems?

When I first moved to Chicago, it was just after college and in the dead of winter. I was living in one of those apartments where it was affordable, but the heat didn't work well, the ceiling leaked, and it was just a rough start to my time here. I ended up taking a few years to really get situated, and through that process, I found myself in some fairly dire situations. Combine that with the typical process of going through whatever life throws at you, and I had this deep well to draw from for sad song lyrics. 

During that time, I was working as a full-time DJ and really bonded with how Chicago's dance scene works, and I just wanted to make people dance with my original music, too. If I sped up the songs I wrote and paired them with the full band, it made for good dance music, but if you listen closely, there's at least some depth to the lyrics. 

The band has been through several lineup changes since 2014. How did all those shifts shape the sound of this record and where Sparkle Carcass is today?

We had built up a nice big band going into 2020, but naturally, when you have a once-in-a-century pandemic happen, it causes a lot of priorities to shift.

Many of the band members ended up leaving for various reasons, but I had always written and arranged the music from the start to be modular, so we could always play with just about any lineup, big or small. All of that change was tough for sure, but it felt positive to me and like a rebirth.

Since the pandemic, we've added Reilly Downes as a backing vocalist and Justin Frederick on bass. Having played with Justin previously, it was a natural fit and really tightened the rhythm section.

I also made the effort to learn how to play the guitar properly, instead of relying on my lead and steel player. Fully loving and honoring where we started and who was there with us, I think we've finally found a solid fit as a band, and I couldn't be happier. 

"Sippin on a Cool One" and "Rainy Day Head" showcase two different moods from the album. How did you decide which singles to release first, and what do they reveal about the larger record?

Choosing singles off the record is tough because I truly like every track on there, and I could have picked just about any of them for singles. I think I ultimately picked these because "Sippin on a Cool One" is just such a great lost song that I wanted to bring to the light of day. I didn't have the honor of writing it, but it encapsulates my ethos when it comes to songwriting.

Just have fun with it and don't feel obligated to stay too long. On the other hand, "Rainy Day Head" was one of those sad songs I wrote about struggling, but I was able to turn it into something fun. At the end of the day, these songs don't have all those filthy curse words in them, so they'd also be suitable for radio play. Gotta stay practical!

Family is woven into this project, from Reilly Downes' backing vocals to your Mom playing piano on the closing track. What did it mean to make Maraschino Chevy such a personal, communal record?

I'm fortunate to be able to play music with my wife regularly. I also sing backup for Reilly in her band, so we are constantly singing together, and our harmonies have gotten really tight. It's always a pleasure singing with her, and it just feels natural to have her so present on the record.

I've known the rest of the band for years, and they are truly my best friends, so the whole process of making the record was as easy as it could be. We all camped out in a barn in Iowa for a weekend last April and recorded it fast, and it couldn't have gone smoother. Most of the core recordings on the record were done in two or three takes at most. 

Flash forward a few months, and I brought my Mom (Tammie Messick)  into the overdub studio in Chicago to record the piano part on Caldwell County, the closing track on the record.

The song was written immediately following a deep conversation she and I had on the phone in 2020. Whenever I went around to arranging the song later, I wanted this fairly specific type of piano part. I almost immediately realized it should be her, since she was my first piano teacher and I had been hearing her play my whole life.

She had never recorded before, but she knocked her part out in just a couple of takes. I don't know how many people these days get to say they have their Mom on their record, but it's the coolest thing. 

With your album release show coming up at The Hideout in Chicago and a small tour leading into it, what can fans expect from the live Sparkle Carcass experience?

We have been playing A LOT this year and haven't been to Texas since the spring, so we're just planning on bringing the party to a bunch of Texas honky tonks in celebration of getting this record over the finish line.

People can expect a lot of high-energy, danceable music with a lot of bad jokes and one-liners mixed in. For the release show at The Hideout, we'll be playing everything off the record, as well as a bunch of covers of some of our favorite tunes that we have never played live before.

We'll be hosting an extra-large band with some guest performers, and it should make for an inspiring and memorable night of music. We're pulling out all of the stops for it, and if you're in Chicago on November 14th, we hope to see you there!