Getting to know: Vanilla Sugar

I just watched the video for ThisDarkPlace and would like to know what that poor lady has done to deserve this, or perhaps that’s how everyone behaves in Los Angeles? Maybe all will become clear after we speak to:

Vanilla Sugar

Introduce yourself?

Hi! I am Vanilla Sugar.

When did you last speak to your family?

I am super close to my family; I talk to them at least 4-5 times a week!

What are your instrument makes/models of choice and why? Which effects could you not live without?

I absolutely could not live without my Korg Keytar. I love that instrument so much. It really is my favourite thing to play. I love the fact that it combines two of my favourite instruments – synths and guitar. The audience tends to get super excited when they see it too!! The world could always use more keytar.

I could not live without Saw synth effects either. That specific sound is what got me in to electronic music / Industrial / EDM. There’s something special about that gritty sound that my ear just really gravitates to.

What are the defining characteristics of Vanilla Sugar?

I would say some defining characteristics would be: Haunting, Ethereal, Energetic, Creepy, and Fun!

If you could have a DC or Marvel superhero as a member of your band, who would it be and what role would they have? Which band member would they have to fight to get the position and who would win?

I would love to have Starfire on my team. She seems like she would be really easy to get along with and can fly at super speeds! We would never be late to a show. She wouldn’t have to fight me, I would be nice and let her join. She doesn’t want to mess with me. She knows I am crazy. Haha….

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently shooting a couple of short concept videos for each song on my album, She. I am going to finish editing these and upload them as playback videos for the songs on Spotify. I am really excited to see how they come out!

I am also working on booking a tour for late September – March 2022 in the US, Canada, and Germany. I am scheduled to tour the UK with The Birthday Massacre in November of 2022. I am looking forward to being on the road again!

Who are your favourite bands/artists/songwriters/musicians?

Some of my favourite bands are KoRn, Grimes, Mindless Self Indulgence, Mudvayne, Alison Wonderland, and Vanilla Sugar (lol!). I love KoRn and Mudvayne for their heaviness. I grew up listening to Metal, and that was my main genre for a while. I was introduced to Mindless Self Indulgence, who kind of crosses the bridge when it comes to mixing Metal/Rock with Electronic music.

After falling in love with synths, I took a dive off the deep end into the world of EDM, Dubstep, Hardstyle, Industrial, etc and just fell in love. I then expanded my palate to artists like Grimes, and Alison Wonderland.

Who is your favourite author, which is their best book and why?

My favourite author is Stephen King. I am a huge Horror fan, but really despise jump scares in movies and TV shows, so find myself staying away from things like that, and leaning more into books and podcasts.

My favourite book by Stephen King is Bag of Bones. I read a lot of books in high school and this is the one that I can remember line by line text from.

I also love Michael Crichton; I read a lot of his material when I was in middle school. My favourite of his is The Andromeda Strain. I would love to go back and re-read the books now! Sounds like a good idea, thank you for inspiring me! (Ed. Note: your welcome!)

When is your next single/album likely to be released? What is it called and where can we get it in our ears? Why should we buy it?

I will be going back to the studio this year to work on the next album. I don’t have an official date, name, or track list for it, as we are still shooting music videos for the debut album, She. But I am thinking maybe sometime late next year!

I would recommend listening to She until then! It is available to stream and purchase from your favourite music retailer, and has ten tracks with not one song sounding like the other. A lot of blood, sweat, and glitter was put into this album and I truly believe it doesn’t sound like anything else that I have heard before.