During the formative years of a lot of 20- and 30-something Dayton punks, local pop punk titans When Sparks Fly dominated the all-ages, VFW hall scene. The pretense-free band was responsible for organizing and playing dozens of hours-long concerts at Charity Grange Hall in Beavercreek and the Knights of Columbus Hall in Riverside.
For some unknown reason – perhaps a failure to be in the right place at the right time with the right sound – When Sparks Fly remained on the fringe and eventually called it quits in the later part of the ‘00s. Taking equal cues from Alkaline Trio, Guns N’ Roses, Hot Water Music and Van Halen, When Sparks Fly dusted off the band’s original lineup in May 2012 to give it another go.
A little more than a year later, the band emerges with the July 2013 release of The Moon’s Not Real EP. This is what guitarist/vocalist Lokie Lewis told Ghettoblaster about it…
When did you begin writing the material for your most recent LP?
When we first got back together we immediately started working on new songs which was about a year and a half ago but some of these songs and parts had been written or started before that.
What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing? Why was it so troublesome?
“Not So Long Ago” was probably the most complicated to go from writing to  recording just because there were a lot of ideas that hadn’t come through in band practice that we were able to implement in the studio.
Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?
We had a long slow sing along part at the end of “Clever Song Title” that was like an extra two minutes long but we scrapped it to thrash out.
Who produced the record? What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?
Micah Carli produced, mixed, and mastered the whole thing. He had a lot of good ideas as far as tempos and rhythms. He also helped us find the right tones we wanted considering he has practically every guitar and amp combo you would ever want.
Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together?
Yes, the new EP, THE MOON’S NOT REAL, is a concept record about the Wolfman going out to prove his existence only to find out that the moon is a hologram and that there is a century long conspiracy to cover it up by the Illuminati and the New World Order. After uncovering that all the Popes, Queens, and Presidents are actually Lizard people he goes into hiding. While in hiding he asks himself a question I think we should all be asking “If the moon’s not real .. Am I ?”
Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?
We’ve played most of them in a few different sets. I’d say “Clever Song Title” gets a good reaction because it’s our hardest and fastest and “Get Over Yourself” because of the breakdown.