There's only so many screaming guitars, math-odical riffs and mosh pit inspiring sounds a guy can make before he needs a change of pace.

For Jim Ward, frontman of rock four-piece Sparta and former guitarist for the loud-mouthed punk group (now disbanded) At the Drive-In, it was time to turn down the amp and take a trip to the country.

Ward will bring his current side project, Sleepercar, through Calgary this Sunday on a bill with Canada's Dallas Green (City and Colour) of punk rock screamo band Alexisonfire.

Ward and Green have a lot in common, both are known for their membership to some of the hardest rocking punk bands in North America, both have launched smooth sounding, acoustic lullaby-style side projects.

"It's pretty fitting and awesome. We met in Australia on tour and had some time to solidify this tour and catch up this year," says Ward.

Ward says the songs he's written for Sleepercar have been floating around in his mind for years.

A few years ago he decided to create the side project when he realized throwing all of his creative energy solely into Sparta was draining him.

"Yeah, I need both (to keep sane)," he says.

"I just kind of freaked out on a Sparta tour in 2005, I got pretty reclusive and started writing."

The Texan says while he didn't grow up listening to country music, he draws much of his inspiration from his home state.

"I like to think of the music as Americana, that kind of covers it. I just started writing about seven years ago, I went into the studio in west Texas and decided I was going to start laying down songs," he says.

Ward and the rest of the members of Sleepercar took several years to release the first album, West Texas (April 2008), as they worked through many different recording sessions during Sparta's downtime from touring.

"I think there's a big fear when you go into something like this. If you release it, then people are going to judge it. There was a little bit of fear about that," says Ward.

When Sparta released their first CD, Wiretap Scars, Ward received numerous bad reviews from critics who weren't amped up about his subtle style of vocals.

"That record received a tremendous amount of criticism, both positive and negative criticisms. It was my first record that I would ever sing on ... it was trial by fire for me really," he says.

"You try to avoid reviews, I read some saying I can either scream or whisper and nothing in between. I think that's bull (expletive), but whatever."

Several of Ward's, equally scream-worthy, former bandmates from At The Drive-In (Omar Rodriguez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala) went on to form prog-rock sounding group The Mars Volta.

Ward cut ties, reportedly on bad terms, with the boys from Mars Volta when At the Drive-In broke up and Rodriguez and Bixler-Zavala left Texas for California to pursue their new band.

"Everyone tries to get me to say something about them. But I never offer opinion. I think there's a general interest to see if one of us will say something bad about the other, and I generally avoid it," says Ward.

"After At The Drive-In, well everybody moved to Los Angeles, and my girlfriend was in college and we couldn't afford to pay out-of-state tuition. And I kinda figured she would need a degree if we were going to last. She was studying, I can do what I do from anywhere. I prefer El Paso, this is home. It's so isolated and the people treat me so well and don't bother me about anything."

Sleepercar play the Jacksinger Concert Hall on Sunday night. Call Ticketmaster.