Short & Sweet: A Brief Interview With SUGARFUNGUS
/Many odd, triumphant projects that have come out of quarantine, whether that be individual growth, spiritual discovery, or perhaps even the beginnings of a band. SUGARFUNGUS is one of those quarantine miracles, coming onto the scene during the crux of the pandemic in 2020. The five-piece band, comprised of Tess Meckling (lead singer), Alex Marr (bassist), Bradan Decicco (lead guitarist), Jackson Moore (keyboardist), and Ivan Barbou (drummer), describe themselves as “introverts making dance music.”
The band released their first EP Letting Go, Moving Still, a set of warm and fuzzy tracks that blend bright guitar lines and atmospheric synths with pop-driven hooks that capture the feeling of drifting in and out of sweet, mushroomy bliss.
The band released a six-part visualizer alongside their EP, in collaboration with local visual artist Harry Sung.
We had a chat with SUGARFUNGUS about their journey within the Vancouver music scene, who they are as a band, and how they’ve grown.
Where does the band name “SUGARFUNGUS” come from?
Alex: The name SUGARFUNGUS comes from the anglicized translation of Saccharomyces yeast, which Jackson and I both studied for our PhDs at the University of British Columbia. We joked that that would be a cool funk band name early on and it was weird enough to kind of stick.
How did SUGARFUNGUS come together?
Alex: Bradan and I played in a band in high school. Bradan knew Tess and Ivan through Capilano University’s Jazz program, and I knew Jackson from our PhD research lab at UBC.
Tess: Like Alex mentioned, one connection kind of led to another, which I think speaks to the development of the tight-knit but evolving music scene building up in Vancouver! We immediately clicked, and I soon came to respect each individual member for their own unique strengths.
How was forming a band during quarantine a unique experience?
Alex: We started having these songwriting challenge sessions that we would hold on Sundays over Zoom during lockdowns in 2020/2021. We would each present and discuss a song idea, then collaborate and add onto each other's ideas until we had complete demos. It became like a therapeutic ritual or something. It was something to look forward to every week when we were in isolation. In the end, I think the constraints of our situation did have an influence on the EP’s overall sound.
What was your experience creating your first EP, “Letting Go, Moving Still”?
Bradan: Rehearsing and gigging weren’t really options for us at first, so it was great putting songwriting first and using production to communicate some of the vibes early on. Some of the more difficult instances were inviting Ivan and Tess to the band. Bradan was friends with them but Alex and Jackson hadn’t met/heard either of them before, so we interviewed them over Zoom and sent them some of our demos to see what they would come up with. We had finalized our lineup in January 2021, and would meet once a week over Zoom to share ideas, but we didn’t meet in person as a full band until July.
Tess: It was, without a doubt, unconventional. I learned a lot about different instruments, production (including songwriting, layering, mixing, etc) and probably most importantly, collaboration. Since we’re independent, it was cool having control over everything, from the songwriting to the artwork to all of the in-between.
What was the inspiration behind the six-piece visualizer?
Jackson: Collaboration with other artists is something that excites all of us, and we’ve been lucky to work with some really talented people that have produced visuals, album art, and photography for us. Visualizers were specifically of interest to us because they’re really good at capturing the mood and tone of a song, and can really aid in further conveying those emotions to our audience. I just want to give a huge shout out and thanks to Harry Sung and the team that produced the visualizers for us.
What’s next for SUGARFUNGUS?
Bradan: We are looking to play more gigs and develop our live shows. We’re starting to record tracks for a new album as well.
Jackson: We’d also really like to have a music video produced this year, and we have some fun ideas in the works. :)
You can check out SUGARFUNGUS’ latest EP and more through their Instagram, @Sugarfungusband
Tasheal Gill is a film production student with a passion for storytelling through various artistic platforms. She is dedicated to uplifting BIPOC voices, and telling stories through a socially conscious lens. Follow her on Instagram (@tashealgill).
