The Court & Spark was a San Francisco-based indie rock band formed in 1998 by Scott Hirsch, Alex Stimmel, James Kim, and lead vocalist M.C. Taylor. The group initially emerged from the alt-country Americana scene, releasing their debut album Ventura Whites on Tumult Records in 1999. In 2001, they released Bless You, which featured contributions from pedal steel player Tom Heyman and vocalist Wendy Allen, as well as Gene Parsons of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers. This album received critical acclaim, including a score of 8.4 from Pitchfork and a feature on NPR's All Things Considered. The band continued with Witch Season and the Dead Diamond River EP in 2004. In 2007, The Court & Spark disbanded, announcing their decision to retire the name while pursuing different musical projects. M.C. Taylor and Scott Hirsch later formed Hiss Golden Messenger, releasing seven albums together.
