Draft:Stephan Nance

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Stephan Nance, also known as Sparkbird, is a singer-songwriter based in Oregon, United States. Their music features references to birds and nature, alongside tackling themes such as grief and social alienation.

Stephan Nance grew up in Eugene, Oregon, United States, before moving to Portland.^[1][2] In the early 2010s, they experienced three years of trauma and depression following familial events and "threatening behavior from the parents of a queer teen they had been mentoring".^[2] In order to recover, Nance photographed wetlands at a park called Delta Ponds. The western tanager was Nance's "spark bird": a bird which gets one "hooked on birding".^[2] After returning to writing music, birds because an important part of Nance's songs.^[2]

In a review of "Varied Thrush", Illustrate Magazine praised the "subtle piano, playful drumming, [and] cello sections", which were described as forming a "catchy hook".^[3] Audubon Magazine added that echoing lyrics "end the song in a whisper", interpreting "Varied Thrush" as a song about "ending troubled relationships".^[2] Birds are a prominent feature of Nance's music: Birding wrote that "integration of human and avian worlds is a hallmark of Nance’s singing throughout [Look at the Harlequins!]", with Audubon Magazine adding that the song "Overwintered" references "the northern flicker, evening grosbeak, and snowy egret". Vortex Music Magazine stated that Look at the Harlequins! features 16 references to birds, "amongst an ernest collection of piano poetry meets theatrical pop".^[4] Birding stated that Nance mixes "creative wordplay" with "powerful chords and harmonies".^[1] The Register-Guard wrote that Nance is a "thoughtful, complicated person", which is reflected in their songs; the writer also stated that Nance's "Song for Losers" features themes of social alienation.^[5]

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• Official website