David Sardy

Back in the late ‘80s and rolling into the ‘90s, Sardy was that guy—front and center with Barkmarket, shredding on guitar, belting out vocals, the whole package. The guy wasn’t just there to play; he was writing the songs, running the show, and basically doing all the heavy lifting for the band. Barkmarket started up around ‘87, dropped some indie records (with names like “1-800 GOD-HOUSE”—seriously), and finally got a bit of spotlight with “Vegas Throat” in 1990. Even then, Sardy was stretching his talents, jumping in as a guitarist for Marc Ribot’s “Rootless Cosmopolitans” (even if they couldn’t spell his name right—classic), and popping up on Frank Black’s first solo album in ‘93. But here’s where it gets interesting: by the mid-‘90s, Sardy kind of flipped the script. He slid behind the scenes, getting all hands-on with producing, mixing, and writing for other acts. And we’re not talking about just any bands—think rock, punk, industrial, electronic, you name it, but always with a focus on the kind of performers who actually have songs, not just noise. Critics threw around words like “hardcore super-producer” because, well, the dude earned it. Barkmarket’s records were loud as hell but had all these weird textures and sounds, which probably helped Sardy carve out his niche. Jump forward, and the guy’s everywhere. Scored Columbia Pictures’ movie “21,” had his fingerprints on soundtracks for big flicks like Spiderman, Flushed Away, Surf’s Up, and South Park, to name a few. If that’s not enough, 2006 was wild—six ARIA awards for Jet, Grammys for OK GO, Wolfmother, and Marilyn Manson, plus Brit Awards for Oasis and more. Sardy’s basically been the secret sauce behind a ton of music and movies you’ve probably heard, even if you didn’t realize it.