Major Spark Talks Patriotism and ‘I Love This Country’

Major Spark approaches patriotism through the artists, ideas, and cultural experiences its members believe make the United States worth defending. On “I Love This Country,” the Boston band pairs melodic rock and Americana influences with a message about maintaining an attachment to a country while challenging its leadership.

The single appears on Kill The Truth, the group’s third studio album, released Oct. 2, 2026, through High Wave with distribution from Downtown. Songwriter and vocalist Mark Goodman and producer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Charles wrote and recorded the 10-song project at Rare Signals in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Much of the album reflects the band’s criticism of the U.S. government and the current administration. “I Love This Country” offers a more celebratory perspective, focusing on the people, places, and freedoms its members value.

“Our new album Kill The Truth is highly critical of the current US administration, but we need to remind people of positive elements of our country. There IS something worth fighting for,” Major Spark said in a statement. “There are many amazing people, places and events scattered across the United States, and we want to celebrate the beautiful things that make us unique – and reclaim the flag for the artists, thinkers, athletes, and those on the fringes of society.”

The release builds on a longstanding musical partnership. Goodman founded Magnet in 1995 and has collaborated with Moe Tucker of The Velvet Underground and David Lowery of Camper Van Beethoven. Charles’ production and engineering credits include DISPATCH, Marina and the Diamonds, and Weakened Friends. Together, they introduced Major Spark with Beautiful Noise in 2021, followed by Walk Among the Poppies in 2025.

The accompanying “I Love This Country” video, produced by HIP Video Productions, brings together American flags, pride flags, landscapes and scenes of everyday recreation. In the following interview, Major Spark discusses the song’s message, working with director Mike Kundrath and a fourth album already underway.

Watch “I Love This Country” Official Video

Finding a Positive Message

What inspired you to write “I Love This Country”?

Our album Kill The Truth is critical of the United States government and the current administration. We wanted a positive song about the great things in the US, with a focus on art, science, and unique and varied culture. We also wanted to reclaim patriotism from the far right.

The song has a catchy sound but a strong political message. How did you bring those two sides together?

Our goal was to write catchy songs because we like well-constructed songs with good hooks. A political message does not exclude songs with good hooks. Sex Pistols and Clash are good examples.

What does patriotism mean to you, and what do you hope people take away from the song?

American patriotism means appreciating the positive things about our country. We are a tough country to love right now.

Different Songs, Different Approaches

How does “I Love This Country” compare to your earlier single, “Jackboot Thugs”?

“Jackboot Thugs” draws influence from punk bands with great hooks like The Clash. It was a relatively easy song to write. I wrote most of it in 5 minutes on an acoustic guitar. Then Brian and I spent months crafting the sound of it. “I Love This Country” draws influence from bands like Fountains of Wayne, T. Rex, and Teenage Fanclub. The musical hooks were developed seamlessly, but the lyrics took a long time. I wrote 17 or 18 verses – most of which were not very good.

The music video features American flags, pride flags, skateboarders, and different landscapes. How did you come up with the idea?

We left the specific imagery to the director, Mike Kundrath. We gave him guidelines like avoiding lots of faces. We wanted to show things that are uniquely American, like football… not futbol.

Building Kill The Truth

What was the process of writing and recording Kill The Truth like?

We wrote Kill The Truth songs to title, which is a different approach than we used in the past. We had 20-25 song titles, and we developed songs specifically to the title. So each song is about something highly specific vs. abstract poetry. I write the basic form of the song, and then Brian creates a rhythm and blocks the song into a shape. We then brought in Chris Lovejoy to play drums, with Brian adding bass. Over a period of a few months, we crafted the guitars, vocals, keys, and backing vocals by Seven Smith.

You both have years of experience in music. How has that shaped the sound of Major Spark?

Brian and I understand the recording process very well. We also work on songs over time, so we never have to live with a part that’s not quite right. I made albums years ago on a limited budget in a short time frame – as most indie bands have to do. There’s always some compromise or something a band might have changed with more time.

How does “I Love This Country” fit into the overall message of the new album?

“I Love This Country” is totally different from all the other songs. 8 of the songs take a view of our current government that’s quite negative. “Little Dreamers” is a song that offers hope for the future – so that one is not negative, but it’s different from focusing on our country and our government.

What Stays With the Listener

What do you hope listeners think about after hearing this song?

I know listeners who are drawn in by specific things mentioned, like CBGBs or Billy Bragg (who, it should be mentioned, is not American). We hope the song gets stuck in listeners’ brains for days on end.

What’s next for Major Spark, and is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans?

We are writing the 4th album now. We recorded most of the drums and bass at Abbey Road. There’s a slight influence of The Beatles on these songs. Most of them rock pretty hard.

Kill The Truth is available now. Listen to the album on Bandcamp.

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