Sparklehorse was essentially singer/songwriter Mark Linkous, an alumnus of the mid-'80s indie band the Dancing Hoods. A tenure in the Johnson Family (later known as Salt Chuck Mary) followed, as did stints sweeping chimneys and painting houses; he began working as Sparklehorse in 1995, honing his spooky, lo-fi roots-pop in the studio located on his Bremo Bluff, VA, farm. After a demo made its way to the offices of Capitol Records, Linkous signed to the label to issue Sparklehorse's acclaimed debut Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, scoring an alternative radio hit with the single "Someday I Will Treat You Good." In early 1996, after a Sparklehorse live date in London, Linkous nearly died when he passed out after mixing Valium with prescription antidepressants;

Sparklehorse was essentially singer/songwriter Mark Linkous, an alumnus of the mid-'80s indie band the Dancing Hoods. A tenure in the Johnson Family (later known as Salt Chuck Mary) followed, as did stints sweeping chimneys and painting houses; he began working as Sparklehorse in 1995, honing his spooky, lo-fi roots-pop in the studio located on his Bremo Bluff, VA, farm. After a demo made its way to the offices of Capitol Records, Linkous signed to the label to issue Sparklehorse's acclaimed debut Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, scoring an alternative radio hit with the single "Someday I Will Treat You Good." In early 1996, after a Sparklehorse live date in London, Linkous nearly died when he passed out after mixing Valium with prescription antidepressants; throughout the 14 hours he spent unconscious on his hotel's bathroom floor his legs were pinned under the rest of his body, and the prolonged loss of blood circulation nearly left him crippled. Many months and countless surgeries later he was back on his feet, his struggle and recovery providing inspiration for 1998's Good Morning Spider. Linkous collaborated with PJ Harvey and the Cardigans' Nina Persson on 2001's radiant It's a Wonderful Life. In between that album and 2006's Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain (which featured contributions from Tom Waits and Danger Mouse), Linkous contributed songs to the soundtrack of the film Laurel Canyon and produced Daniel Johnston's 2003 album Fear Yourself. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide