Jim Ward (musician)
| Jim Ward | |
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Jim Ward in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James David Ward |
| Born | September 19, 1976 |
| Origin | El Paso, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock, indie rock, post-hardcore, art punk, alternative country, Americana |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Associated acts | Sparta, Sleepercar, At the Drive-In |
James David Ward (born September 19, 1976) is an American musician. A self-taught guitarist and pianist, he is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band Sparta; he is also a co-founder of the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, which he formed in 1993 when he was 17 years old.
While in At the Drive-In, Ward played guitar and sang backup vocals, as well as playing piano and keyboards on select songs. He performed lead vocals on two tracks, entitled "Hourglass" and "Ursa Minor", as well as singing co-lead with lead vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala on a number of tracks. Using the money from his college savings, he created the label "Western Breed Records" specifically to release Hell Paso and Alfaro Vive, Carajo!, At the Drive-in's first two releases. After the demise of At the Drive-In, Ward has stated that he is happy with the break-up, that he started the band when he was 17, and felt like he was always 17 while in the band. On January 9, 2012, it was announced that At the Drive-In were reforming. On March 18th 2016, days before the 2016 reunion tour would start, ATDI announced on Facebook that they parted ways with Jim.
On 18 March 2016 before the band started its world tour, they announced that Ward would no longer be part of the group, simply stating on their Facebook page that "As our ship prepares for voyage, we announce that Jim Ward will not be joining us on future journeys. We wish him well and are excited to see you soon."
Following the split of At the Drive-In, Ward joined with Tony Hajjar and Paul Hinojos as the lead vocalist and guitar player for a new musical project; Matt Miller was later recruited to play the bass guitar. The band, Sparta, wrote nearly nine songs in their first week of rehearsal, with all members incorporating ideas and lyrics. Ward cites Radiohead and Billy Joel as influences for his song-writing during this period, which led to Ward incorporating more piano in Sparta (despite his informal knowledge of the instrument).
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