The Handsome Family puts a dark spin on traditional country

Rennie Sparks, the lyric-writing half of the husband-and-wife duo known to music fans as the Handsome Family, said she doesn't look to far-off worlds for inspiration.

"I can get an idea looking at a parking lot," Sparks said. "Or shopping at Home Depot. Basically, I try to find beauty in the mundane, though that's not always easy."

Wherever the ideas come from, there's nothing mundane about Sparks' lyrics, or the Handsome Family's songs.

The band creates a gothic country sound that puts a haunting, noirish spin on Johnny Cash-style rhythms while telling sometimes surreal stories full of darkness, mystery and respect for the power of nature.

The characters in their songs often struggle with emotional or physical pain. Or they inflict that pain on others. In "My Sister's Tiny Hands," a song from the band's 1998 record "Through the Trees," the narrator remembers his twin sister being killed by a snake bite. "Up Falling Rock Hill," from the 2000 release "In the Air," is about a man who kills his brother and watches ants crawl over the body.

"I don't know why I'm drawn to those kinds of subjects," Sparks said with a laugh. "I'm not a dour person, neither of us is. I guess I feel, though, that there are already plenty of songs out there that say 'I love you' or 'Everything is great.'"

Sparks said she generally comes up with the lyrics first, then she hands them to her husband, Brett, who writes the music. Brett is also the band's singer, and his warm baritone is a key component of the band's songs.

The Handsome Family will perform Sunday at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. On sale at the show will be "Scattered," a collection of demos and covers and unreleased tracks. The CD will also be available on the band's website, handsomefamily.com.

The show, one of just a handful the band is doing before heading into the studio to work on its next full-length record, is a homecoming of sorts, as the group was based in Chicago before moving to Albuquerque.

"There's nothing like living in Chicago as a musician," Rennie Sparks said. "There's so much great music there. We miss it, though we do love Albuquerque."

Rennie and Brett have been recording as the Handsome Family for about 15 years. They've been married even longer - a little more than 20 years. (The band's 2009 release, "Honey Moon," was a tribute to their marriage.)

You can see all that history when they perform live. Despite the darkness in their songs, Rennie and Brett are chatty, warm and funny on stage, clearly comfortable with one another as musical and life partners.

"It's such a nice thing, to be able to work together like we do," Rennie Sparks said. "Singing harmonies with someone you love is a pretty magical thing."