Sugarcult

In the year since their debut album, Start Static was released, Sugarcult has played more than 220 dates in over 40 states. They've passed nearly 100,000 highway mile markers. They've shared the same stage as Rancid, Unwritten Law, Blink 182, Less Than Jake, Good Charlotte, The Hives and Jimmy Eat World, just to name a few. They've downed a lot of beer, blown-out four tires, and slept in many of the nation's seediest motels. They've been hit by bottles (and received stitches), they've jumped off drum risers (and received knee surgery). They've lost their drummer on more than one occasion (he once resurfaced after 36 mysterious hours). They've caused structural damage to historic landmarks (the floor of the legendary Detroit venue St. Andrews Hall collapsed during Sugarcult's raucous set). They've been arrested (for surfing on top of their RV bus as it cruised through New York's Times Square). And along the way Tim Pagnotta (vocals/guitar), Marko 72 (guitar) Airin (bass/vocals) and Ben Davis (drums/vocals) have become one of the tightest rock outfits in the U.S., beloved by an ever-increasing legion of loyal fans.

"The other day I was driving my car and I heard 'Pretty Girl' on (L.A.' s influential modern rock station) KROQ," says Tim with a slightly impish grin, "pulled my car over and had a heart attack. Then I heard the DJ say how amazing our fans are. It's been a ton of work, but our fans have made it all worth it." With more than 200,000 CD's sold and a third single ("Pretty Girl") already on MTV2 and climbing the Billboard Modern Rock Radio Chart, there is no end in sight for the road hungry members of Sugarcult.

Taking their name from a group of girls next store -- actually 7 lesbians who lived across the hall from Pagnotta back when the band formed in 1998 -- Sugarcult are sweet, but don't be fooled by their sugary veneer. As the L.A. Weekly said in a recent review of Start Static, "underneath the sweet, crunchy coating lies something far more complex and emotional."

Songs like "Stuck In America," a fiery anthem about escaping the rut of youthful boredom and discontent, the angst-ridden, Elvis Costello-channeled "You're The One," or the close to the ledge sentiment of "Hate Every Beautiful Day," belie their three chord punk rock structure.

It's no surprise that Sugarcult's songs reveal some anguish. As a kid, Tim, who is the group's chief lyricist, moved around a lot, living in thirteen different homes and going to 9 different schools before graduating from high school. As a result he had a hard time fitting in -- he was always the new guy. As an escape, Tim turned to music.

In 1997 Tim moved to Santa Barbara and eventually met Ben Davis, who had recently quit his job at the Denny's Restaurant in Boulder, CO to pursue his musical career on the west coast. Although Davis began playing drums when he was just 9 years old, his musical aspirations were grand. He now plays a multitude of instruments and was producing local Santa Barbara bands when the two hooked up.

Shortly thereafter, the duo became a trio when they hooked up with Airin, who was attending a local college. It was at a tiny local club that the three became four, after Marko 72, a veteran of punk bands Swingin' Utters, The Ataris and Nerf Herder, was in the audience at their very first gig. "He's a natural," said Marko after seeing Tim perform an energized set with his band mates. "I saw this young guy up on stage in a ragged thrift-store suit and tie, singing these really cool pop songs and flooring the audience. I hadn't heard of them, but they seemed like they'd probably been at it for years. It turned out it was their first gig ever!"

"We all immediately discovered a mutual admiration for the elements that make our favorite bands great," adds Tim. "We asked Marko to join the band before hearing him play a note of guitar!"

The quartet gelled quickly, recording tracks in Ben's home studio and soon caught the attention of the L.A.-based indie Ultimatum Music. With the help of Matt Wallace (Faith No More, Replacements), Sugarcult's debut album avoids settling into the comfortable, predictable territory of a single genre. Instead, the band brings together the universal qualities from all the music they love. While the record subscribes to the don't-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus approach of power pop, it's the don't-give-a-fuck attitude of seminal punk rock that forms the backbone of Start Static.

As the band prepares for a heavy fall touring schedule, Sugarcult is absolutely not a band to rest on their laurels. Never jaded, the success they've enjoyed thus far is still a little unbelievable to the hard working musicians. As Marko says "All we ever wanted was just to get out on the road and tour, play our music and have a great time, and that's exactly what we've been able to do."