Les Farrington - keyboards, lead vocals Daniel Harville - guitar, lead vocals Michael Harville - drums, vocals Greg Bagby - guitar, vocals Kelly Riley - bass
Just when it seemed rock 'n' roll had been bled dry by corporate merger-mania and timid radio consultants, along comes SUGARBOMB to transfuse some artistic self-respect. Straight outta Ft. Worth, TX - a town better known for Cowboys tailgate parties and Lone Star Beer - Sugarbomb makes it look easy with their RCA debut BULLY. In its eleven tracks, BULLY serves up a welcome helping of Alt Pop... and not a minute too soon.
Produced by Mark Endert (Fiona Apple, Vertical Horizon, Semisonic, Madonna), BULLY draws on the band's deep-seated influences (Beatles, Queen, ELO and Jellyfish come to mind), and hurtles towards a brightly-lit future, thanks to the inspired songwriting of Les Farrington and Daniel Harville. "All of our favorite musicians have been songwriters," says Les. "They would set poems to music, paint cinematic pictures and point to a new direction. Daniel and I try to do that as writers."
Sugarbomb ambushes listeners with complex harmonies, unexpected key changes, trilling keyboards, crushing guitar textures, and wry, insightful lyrics. BULLY kicks off with "What A Drag," an up-tempo meditation about holding on to something unchangeable in a fickle world. The title track compares a burdensome relationship to a schoolyard thug, while "Hello" is a ripely melodic embrace of a wayward lover. A comic tour-de-force about a brain-dead Mr. Lonelyhearts, "Mail Order Girlfriend" features spectacular harmonies and orchestral colors. The exceptionally adventurous "Motor Mouth" blends hip-hop and jagged-edge rock, while the 80's-flavored "Clover" depicts an obsessed lover begging for one more last chance.
Songs like the seething "Over" and "Gone" offer insightful snapshots of decaying relationships, while the coy and clever ballad "Poster Child For Tragedy" artfully echoes the great songcraft of yesterday. The hard-rocking "Waiting" tells the droll tale of a passive chucklehead hoping to get his sticky fingers on someone who never seems to show up. The album ends with the scathing, operatic "After All," an undisguised homage to Queen. "The music we do really reflects our personalities," says Daniel of the new album. "We're all a little left-of-center."
Having been raised in shit-kicker country, that was probably no easy row to hoe. Sugarbomb formed in March 1998, and played their first show in October of that year, but their story begins much earlier. Memphis born-and-raised brothers Daniel and Michael Harville grew up in a musical family, and moved to Texas in 1990 to form a band of their own, one that lasted until 1995. Meanwhile Les Farrington and Greg Bagby grew up in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, and have been close friends for years. They loved the classic rock of the 60's and 70's, with Les having added years of music theory study to his bag of tricks. When the Harville brothers decided to try giving music another go, they met Bagby who introduced them to Les. "After my last band, I was depressed," recalls Daniel. "I was so particular in my style and taste, I didn't think there was anyone I could write with. But when I met Les, there was so much mutual respect, it was a blessing." Sugarbomb was off and running.
"We chose the name because of the two extremes," says Michael. "The sweetness of sugar and the chaos of a bomb fits our music and personalities." The band quickly made its presence felt on the thriving Dallas area music scene, and beyond, touring throughout Texas. In early 1999, the band signed with indie label Rainmaker Records, which released Sugarbomb's debut CD TASTES LIKE SUGAR in August of that year. Shortly thereafter, they caught the attention of RCA, and, badda-bing, they were signed to a major label. Work on BULLY began in June of last year, with the band completely re-recording five favorite earlier songs, as well as adding six new ones to the mix.
The guys are well aware that breaking through is a challenge for any new band, but they're up for it. "I hope the spice we have in our music will take hold," says Les. "I'm banking on the intellect and good taste of America coming through for us." Notes Daniel, "I like to think that when a band comes out with something to say, they're going to be listened to."
In for the long haul, the members of Sugarbomb have aimed high. "People have so many distractions these days," notes Les. "Video games, computers, 500 cable channel: who has time to study an album? That's why we try to make our music as interesting as possible. Adds Daniel, "Every song has been written, every chord progression has been done, so it's a challenge to come up with something fresh, but that's what we try to do every time."
With bassist Kelly Riley having signed on, Sugarbomb's line-up is complete. Now comes the fun part: converting new believers across the country. With a spectacular debut album and a bully pulpit like the concert stage at their disposal, it would seem that BULLY and Sugarbomb are right on target.
Source: http://www.sugarbomb.net/
