Sgt. Splendor

Sgt. Splendor duo feat. Kate Vargas and Eric McFadden w/ Jeff Sipe and Charlie Wooton

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 on the new album has its roots not just in enduring friendships, but also in the love and connection of its creative partners, Vargas and McFadden. After circling each other’s orbits for a time, they finally met at a songwriting retreat hosted by Pat McDonald (of Timbuk 3 / “Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” fame) and have been together for three and a half years now.

"One of the most unique bands to come out of the new millennium is the contrasting duo of Sgt. Splendor. The group consists of singer/songwriter/guitarist/flautist Kate Vargas, and her partner in crime, guitarist/vocalist Eric McFadden (George Clinton & P-Funk, Eric Burdon, Anders Osborne, etc)...is this an album for the masses?... yes. Yet it is even more so an album for the music aficionados who understand and appreciate in-depth, heavy songwriting, wrapped in a blanket of heavy Blues and Rock music that holds its own against anything you can throw at it. " - Tone Scott / GOLDMINE Magazine 2024

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