Alex Marr & Tess Meckling - Sugarfungus

On the Rhythm Changes Podcast, Alex Marr & Tess Meckling talk about their indie rock band, Sugarfungus; and the band's first EP, Letting Go, Moving Still. Alex plays bass, and Tess sings, in the five-piece band.

Thank you to 12TH ST Sound for sponsoring this episode. Get going on your next music project today at 12thst.ca/booking.

We talked about:

• How Alex got the bass sound for Sugarfungus. My favourite track is "Retrospect", but the bass also pops out from the first notes of the first track, "Catch and Release"
• How the band members cross over and bring in their own songs, even bringing parts to other members' instruments
• Which of the songs arrived fully formed
• Tess' shifts in vocal register from one song to another, and whether or not she intended to do it
• How Sugarfungus decided which singles to release ahead of the EP release for Letting Go, Moving Still
• The oddity of their most successful song to date having a non-traditional form
• What their first editorial playlist placement felt like
• The value Alex gained from a consulting call with Music BC
• What happens in the workflow when one song goes from each band member to the next, collaborating online
• The asynchronous production style in Sugarfungus, which would be the envy of some software development companies
• Ivan Barbou and his work on the songs' demo tracks
• The local bands who are the biggest influences on Sungarfungus
• The band members who curated their artist playlist on Spotify, Sugary Fun Tunes
• The arrangement choice that Alex and I agree on as our favourite across the EP's track list
• Why the severe jazzheads are coming for Tess, and where Sugarfungus fits into Tess' journey as a vocalist
• What Alex and Sugarfungus will do with the FACTOR Artist Devleopment grant
• The meaning of the EP's title