The Sugar People

The Sugar People Bio

“The Sugar People craft dreamy soundscapes where you can shrug off the day’s worries and lose yourself in the better parts of your mind. But, it seems to be the live shows that have got everyone talking, audio/visual experiences that transcend the bore of classic, typical performance, instead building and interactive atmosphere of sights, sounds and pure bliss." --Ann Arbor Current

The Sugar People embarks on a cerebral departure from traditional guitar, bass and drums, delivering a message enhancing all five senses, combining honest rock hooks with break-beat R&B. Forming an ambient sound all their own through atmospheric tones influenced by the tough economy, life’s everyday grind, and true life stories, The Sugar People creates music best described as rural hip-pop, neo-soul or chilax. Sugar—the human body’s most basic component—represents the group’s finished creation: music for everybody, formed by fusing rock, funk, soul, pop and country.

The process of achieving a cultural balance in society inspires this group from Ann Arbor to make music that includes something for everyone. The Sugar People shares a belief that their music can make a positive difference in our culture, represented by their logo of two people towering above a desolate skyline reminiscent of urban cities like Detroit. “The Man and Woman unite in song and voice to transcend social formulas based on race, class and genre,” says project founder, Jeff Wenzel.

Rich with variance, The Sugar People takes the listener on an exciting voyage, allowing a chance to escape the everyday grind in a current of fluid, breathing, quality music. Hundreds of hours were spent recording and living in an isolated 130-year-old haunted farm house, and The Sugar People’s musical collaboration emerged with a sense of atmospheric depth permeating into every track.

The absence of external interruption allows each band member to bring a different sound and uniqueness to each track. As Jake Stamper, the lead singer, provides an innocent, romantic sound to all the songs, one of the most distinct members, Uneq’ka McNeil of Chicago, contributes raw and true emotion that can be felt reverberating throughout the entire body. Influenced by a true life event, “Reality Killed My Dreams” provokes the listener to feel her pain as Uneq’ka sings about the death of one of her students. In addition, Brandy Sweat, MC Willy Pitchford, Wenzel, Mark Krueger, Shawn Neal, Karla Velikan, Jacob Gold, and Emma Stamper all contribute their endless talents in vocals, song writing, and other musical elements.

Embracing a belief in interactive live performances awash in blue, The Sugar People uses a mixture of color, light and video screen, while presenting themselves in high-powered, full-watt fashion. Encouraging fans to dress in blue and interact with the music they hear on stage, The Sugar People look to combine costumes and performance elements to heighten audience senses.

Taking troubles away is what this group looks to do, and a combination of ambient soul and onstage creativity, The Sugar People exceed experiential expectations.