Before joining forces, the duo behind Sgt. Splendor were already formidable solo artists, Kate Vargas chalking up acclaim at outlets like NPR, HuffPost and Vice (including praise from the “Dean of American Rock Critics” Robert Christgau); and Eric McFadden amassing an impressive resume including stints on guitar with George Clinton & the P-Funk All Stars, Anders Osbourne, Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, and Eric Burdon & The Animals, plus a slew of solo albums, and session work with everyone from Jackson Browne to The Clash’s Joe Strummer.

Sgt. Splendor’s intoxicating chemistry has its roots not just in enduring friendships, but also in the love and connection of its
creative partners, Vargas and McFadden.

If you were lucky you might have caught the duo in Montana earlier this summer, but if not you are in luck. They pair will be back in the Treasure State for a short string of shown in November. They will appear at The Attic in Livingston on the 15th, The Rustic Hut in Florence on the 16th, and the one and only Filling Station in Bozeman on November 17th. As they say: Never miss a Sunday show.

Bozeman Magazine recently had the opportunity to ask Kate and Eric a few questions about the band, life together, and what people might expect at the upcoming Sgt. Splendor shows in Montana.

Brian Ripple: At what ages did you each first get into playing music?

Eric McFadden: My 5th grade teacher, Barbara Trujillo, taught me how to play Yellow Submarine when I was 10 and my father then taught me a few chords on his Ovation 12 string. My folks gave me my first guitar for my 11th birthday, and I was immediately obsessed.

Kate Vargas: I had a 2nd grade music teacher, briefly, named Mr. Musica. It‘s been suggested that perhaps that was not his real name. He showed us what all the symphonic instruments sound like. I don’t think I’d ever really heard a flute before. It caught my ear and I asked to play it. That was the beginning of my musical journey. I was eventually led to the realization that what I love most is writing songs.

BR: When and where did Sgt. Splendor form, and who was more influential in the formation, who’s concept?

EMF: Kate and I were locked down together during the pandemic and ended up writing a bunch of songs together. In the summer of 2021 we recorded them at Lucky Recording Co. in San Francisco with Dave Schools (Widespread Panic) on bass and Paulo Baldi (Les Claypool, Cake) on drums. Travis Kasperbauer and Mikel Ross recorded and produced the record. As far as the concept goes...uh...Kate?

KV: Sgt. Splendor has been an interesting project in many ways. It feels like it’s taken on a life of its own in a surprisingly easy way. Of course, we work hard and tour constantly but Sgt. Splendor has been our guide rather than us guiding it. There are certainly overarching elements though - joy, the macabre, desert, circus, Tom Waits, poetry, musical exploration. This band is very much a combination of Eric and me, like the intersection of a Venn diagram, although I think that section has stretched as we’ve introduced each other to different music and ideas.

BR: Have you both always been songwriters, or did that come later?

EMF: When I began playing I was more interested in being a guitarist, but did write songs as well. I was pretty crazy about the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. I’ve been pretty heavily focused on songwriting since my 20s. I’ve always loved Dylan. I’m also a very big fan of Tom Waits, as is Kate.

KV: Writing is at my core. That’s maybe what I took to first. Poetry, short stories. Flute didn’t lend itself to songwriting too well but once I picked up a guitar at 12, it was instant.

BR: Tell us about some of your older/past projects?

EMF: I had a punk rock band in Albuquerque called Angry babies in the late 80s through mid 90s. I also co-founded a surrealist desert funk rock band with Anton Kozikowski called Alien Lovestock which featured Paulo Baldi on drums and Charles Gasper on bass. Stacy Parrish produced both of those albums. George Clinton appears on the 2nd album. I ended up joining P-Funk shortly after that. My band, LIAR, also featured Paulo Baldi as well as my ex-wife, Paula O’Rourke and Marisa Martinez. My trio, EMT, featured upright bassist extraordinaire, James Whiton, who recorded on the latest Tom Waits album,”Bad As Me” We toured extensively for about 10 years. The late great Bernie Worrell did about a year with us.

KV: I played in jazz bands growing up and then went off on my own as a singer-songwriter. I toured and released under my own name until Sgt. Splendor.

BR: We have really been digging into your studio albums Occasions for Self-Congratulations, and Death of the Hoochie Koo.

Both are great listens from start to finish. How would you describe them, and how are they different in your opinions? And, are you currently working on new material for a third studio album?

KV: Thank you! The biggest difference to me is that we had all the songs going into Occasions. Hoochie Koo was mostly written on the spot in the studio. With Occasions, I don’t think we even had a band name when we were recording. We weren’t really sure what was gonna happen. We just had these songs we wanted to try out in the studio with Dave Schools and Paulo Baldi.

A third album is coming.

EMF: Yes, we are currently recording new material. We’ve also recorded a couple of tracks with Fantastic Negrito.

BR: Who are a few of your favorite contemporary/modern artists to listen to?

EMF: Kate and I are fans of Fantastic Negrito, Jack White, St. Vincent, Anderson.Paak, Mike Dillon’s Punkadelic, Prism Bitch, Jerry Joseph, Deerhoof, Willow Smith. Who else would you include, Kate?

KV: Those are very much in our current rotation. I’ll add Jon Batiste and Jesca Hoop to that list.

BR: If you could see any artists, living or dead, perform live, who would you go check out?

EMF: Django Reinhardt, Chopin, Hendrix.

KV: There’s so many but first, Nina Simone.

BR: Before this summer had either of you been to Montana to perform?

EMF: I’ve been to Montana quite a few times over the years. My trio played here quite a bit.

KV: It was my first time.

BR: How many different bands or projects outside of Sgt. Splendor are you currently working on if any?

EMF: We’re pretty focused on Sgt. Splendor right now, but have been doing a lot of collaborating. I recently reunited with my band T.E.N with Norwood Fisher and Thomas Pridgen for a show. We’ll likely do some more in the near future. I also accompany Kate on her solo stuff.

KV: Very focused on Sgt. Splendor but we are both continuing to record our own separate material.

BR: What is the best part of playing music together? 

EMF: For me, playing with Kate has rekindled my enthusiasm for playing music. I love playing and collaborating with such a gifted songwriter / musician. Kate has great energy on stage & inspires me continually. 

KV: I feel the same. We were fans of each other’s music before we started playing together, so imagine playing with someone whose music and creativity you admire. It’s a gift.

BR: How do you feel like the music scene, in general, has changed in the past 5-10 years (outside of the pandemic)?

EMF: It has become increasingly more difficult to make a living playing music. The pandemic certainly exacerbated that, but it was already going that way. Live music used to be a priority in the lives of young people, whereas now the number of young people supporting live music has decreased considerably. It has also made it difficult for smaller music venues to survive. In addition, platforms like Spotify have become the primary source of obtaining music for music consumers, which means musicians get paid virtually nothing for their art. However, it is heartening to see that there are a lot of kids getting into playing instruments and discovering all kinds of music.

KV: It feels like the value of music and musicians has been decreasing for a while. And it’s hard to think of the last 5-10 years without the impact of the pandemic! It changed everything.

BR: How has your outlook on music and performing changed since the pandemic?

EMF: Though it served me well to have a forced break from touring, I am more excited than ever to be playing again. Due largely in part to having such a brilliant partner. I am compelled to do this for better or for worse, so I am going to make the most of it and do it the best I can. I have a lot of gratitude for still being able to do this after all these years. I truly appreciate the people who are helping to keep live music and musicians alive.

KV: I didn’t consider myself a performer too much. I used to say if I could get paid to play my songs on my couch, that would be a dream. But then that became my reality. I realized how precious it is to be in a room with other people, playing music. I came to appreciate that so much and the energy that can be created in that space.

BR: Without naming any names, what do you think musicians should be doing that they aren’t?

KV: I think it’s important to always ask why. And “just ‘cause” isn’t a valid answer! I believe there’s always something behind that. I wish more people would ask why.

EMF: We need to stand up for others and ourselves in this increasingly difficult business. Also, to not be afraid to speak out against injustice.

BR: What should people expect when they check out Sgt. Splendor at the Attic on Nov 15th and the Filling Station 17th?

EMF: They certainly shouldn’t expect predictable or typical. It will definitely be worth the effort it takes to attend, at the very least.

KV: To me, Sgt. Splendor is curiosity and joy. Those are two things we attempt to offer on stage that I hope people can walk away with a little piece of at the end of the night.

These are going to be amazing shows that you do not want to missout on. Tickets are on sale now  for The Attic and The Filling Station  (if you’re cool, you will go to both) at: www.events.sellout.io