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Okay – so Sweet Apple might seem like another of those ‘indie-rock-supergroup’ cash cows that loyalty-blackmail the band members original hardcore fanbase into parting with their hard earned wages, but spare us your cynicism.
Containing members of Dinosaur Jnr. (Jay Mascis on drums, vocals and guitars) and Cobra Verde (Tim Parnin on guitar and John Petkovic on vocals/guitar), the band are anything but your run of the mill supergroup.
Born of personal tragedy (the death of Petkovic’s mother) and an aimless, heartbroken cross country drive which led Petkovic, with no destination in mind, into cathartic jam sessions with Mascis and bassist Dave Sweetapple, their debut album is a breakthrough of the haunting (I Can’t See You – with its despairing refrain “I drove and drove and drove and drove.”) and the tenderly and startlingly upbeat (the wounded pop of I’ve Got A Feeling That Won’t Change and the jaunty, nihilistic singalong quirks of Flying Up A Mountain).
Petkovic explains: “My mother had just died after a long, horrible illness.”
“And I’d been totally devastated by so many things, all at once. I’d lost so much weight. I couldn’t eat or sleep. All I did was smoke cigarettes, one after another after another.”
“I couldn’t believe he was driving around aimlessly,” says Sweetapple, of Brattleboro, Vt.
“When I found out he was so close to Vermont I told him to come over.”
Within three weeks, John was jamming with Cobra Verde bandmate Tim Parnin – and they whittled 25 songs down to 12.

”Out of the blue, we had an album full of catchy tunes,” explains Parnin, “It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve experienced playing in bands.”
Recorded in Cleveland and Massachusetts, Love And Desperation was mixed by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady) and Don Depew (Guided By Voices, Cobra Verde) and is released April 19th 2010.
“I tell people that I saved John’s life by starting this band,” Mascis adds “But they don’t believe me.”
Don’t know about you, but Purple Revolver has believed in Jay Mascis since the 90’s, and that’s sure as fuck not about to change anytime soon. Lifesaver.
Roll on April 19th.