DS Interview: Tsunami Bomb keyboardist Oobliette Sparks Talks “Bombs Away” Split EP with The Hammerbombs

Cover Photo Credit: Wayne Lewton

This week, Tsunami Bomb and the Hammerbombs will release Bombs Away! on Rad Girlfriend Records. This six-song split EP sees each band covering each other’s songs and contributing one new original, resulting in one of the most fun EPs to come out this year.

East Bay punk rock vets Tsunami Bomb take side one with their cover of “Things Aren’t Going Well” from 2019’s Goodbye Dreamboat. Tsunami Bomb does a great job of making this their song by reworking the original song’s lead part with their signature organ. If you didn’t know this was a Hammerbombs cover, you would assume it belonged to Tsunami Bomb, which speaks volumes about the original song’s versatility.

For their original song, Tsunami Bomb wrote an ode to their beer-drinking comrades, “If I Were A Hammerbomb.” Not satisfied with covering two songs, Tsunami Bomb wrote a Hammerbombs song about the Hammerbombs with tons of puns and references to the band’s discography. Tsunami Bomb closes their side with their second cover from Goodbye Dreamboat, “I Hate Cars,” a quick little song about longing and car trouble. This cover comes across as a much more straightforward version of the original, but it is still a great choice.

Tsunami Bomb’s half of these songs are so well put together, you can tell they put a lot of thought into them, especially regarding arrangement and tone. Longtime keyboardist Oobliette Sparks took time to talk to Dying Scene about Tsunami Bomb’s half of the EP and the mutual love the bands have for each other.

Dying Scene (Forrest Gaddis) How did it come about that Tsunami Bomb and the Hammerbombs recorded a split?

Through a shared love of beer, heartbreak, explosives, and each other, with a little sprinkling of competitive fun, we decided we should make our own versions of each other’s songs.

Tell me about the songs on the EP. 

“Things Aren’t Going Well” is the best Tsunami Bomb song that we didn’t write. The second we spoke about doing this EP, covering that song was a non-starter for me. The second I heard the original version, I heard organs in my head. This one’s about a sinking ship, and you know we aren’t ones to play songs with a positive outcome.

“I Hate Cars” – Blaming an inanimate object for things that bum us out is really in our wheelhouse.  I mean, it has to be some… thing’s fault, right?

“If I Were a Hammerbomb” – Dominic came to visit me in New York…a while ago. We were beginning to talk about this EP, and Dom mentioned we should try to write an original TB song that sounds like The Hammerbombs. I, as I usually do, took it a step further and said, “Why don’t we also write it ABOUT The Hammerbombs?!” Dom started playing the bass, and I immediately started singing along. I think it’s the first time we ever started writing that way, together, just having something come together immediately. Also, I knew they would get a kick out of it, and it would make them happy. Making all of the Hammerbombs happy at once isn’t easy; I was ready to face the challenge.

How did you decide which songs belonged on a split versus an EP or full-length album? 

Since this was a cover EP, the two covers we picked for this mix and the original we wrote specifically for it.

Did working on this split move either of you in a different direction musically? 

Yeah. I played a grand piano on “I Hate Cars.” I half love it, and half think it’s really fucking weird.  Those feelings are pretty on-brand for me. 

There’s a sort of yin and yang in the two bands and the types of songs each releases. Tsunami Bomb is musically darker in sound, and The Hammerbombs sound brighter. Was that on purpose?

The Hammerbombs are so fucking catchy.  I think we both have some really strong pop sensibilities, but Hammberbombs are sneaky dark, while we are not sneaky about it.  IDK dude, the cover of Invasion From Within is dark and unhinged.  It makes me want to play it that way at least once.  It is bright, though.

Do you feel there is a theme or thread between each of the songs? 

I think the entire album is a love letter between the two bands.

Will the two bands be playing any shows together to promote the split? 

We sure hope so!  “Bombs Away” Tour!!!

The Bombs Away! EP releases on 12/26/2025. Stay tuned to DyingScene.com, and we will talk with the Hammerbombs about their half.