Ben Sparaco grew up as a fixture in the Florida music scene during his teenage years. Now based out of Nashville, the twenty-year-old has blossomed into a guitarist to be reckoned with, creating quite the name for himself in the southern rock scene and beyond. In addition to briefly touring with Butch Trucks & The Freight Train Band—the late Allman Brothers Band drummer’s solo project—Sparaco has collaborated with members of Dead & Company, Tedeschi Trucks Band,  The Warren Haynes Band, and more. Ben Sparaco’s debut solo album, Wooden, was released last January, and was produced by Ross Holmes (fiddle/mandolin for Bruce Hornsby, Warren Haynes, Mumford & Sons) and features guitarist Luther Dickinson of Mississippi All-Stars.

Beyond spending much of his time on the road, Sparaco has been honing both his songwriting and vocal chops. When he discovered Berklee-educated drummer Anthony Quirk and bassist Adam Discipio, the three musicians formed Ben Sparaco And the New Effect. After playing together frequently onstage, the three took to East Nashville studio The Bomb Shelter to record their strong debut EP, Greetings, from Ben Sparaco And The New Effect, due out June 8.

Explains Sparaco about Greetings:

This is the first time I’ve made a record with a band that I have a lot of experience playing within a live setting. All of these songs have been played live and I’ve been able to spend countless hours on the road with the band living with this music. That allowed us to really get a clear vision of what we wanted these new songs to sound like on the record. It’s easy to be on the same wavelength in the studio after sitting in a van listening to the same music and playing together a bunch.

Today, Live For Live Music is thrilled to premiere the lead single from Greetings, “Casual Friends”. Enjoy the funky, blues-tinged track with an 80s dance beat in the chorus that will linger long after you hear it.

Ben Sparaco And The New Effect – “Casual Friends”

Ben Sparaco And The New Effect are currently touring the West Coast, linking up for various dates with Dangermuffin and Cubensis before playing a hometown Nashville gig. From there, they’ll head north for the Big Apple Block Party and The Major Rager Hamptons edition with Moon Taxi and Funk You.

Ben Sparaco And The New Effect will be out all summer before gearing up for studio sessions in anticipation of a full-length release in the fall. For more information on Ben Sparaco And The New Effect, head to the band’s official website.

Ben Sparaco And The New Effect Tour Dates:

5/24 – Sacramento, CA – Torch Club w/ Dangermuffin
5/25 – Bolinas, CA – Smiley’s
5/27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mint w/ Cubensis
5/31 – Tupelo, MS – Blue Canoe
6/1 – Knoxville, TN – Barley’s
6/2 – Nashville, TN – ACME
6/9 – New York, NY – Big Apple Block Party
6/14 – Amagansett, NY – Stephen Talkhouse w/ Moon Taxi
7/3 – Washington, DC – Hill Country

View Tour Dates