Sugarstone talk mateship, mental health and moshing ahead of homecoming gig

When it comes to Sugarstone, don’t expect polite indie strumming and introspective shoegaze.

This Manchester-based four-piece: George, Joe, Brandon, and Ben, are a synth-punk juggernaut. Think the industrial bite of Nine Inch Nails colliding with the glamour of Duran Duran, channelled through four best mates from Northern towns who’ve been playing music together since they were 11.

“We’re a four-piece electronic synth-punk band, we think,” laughed frontman George.

“We’re all best mates, we live together, and we’ve been playing in some form of this band since we were eleven years old. We were the Year 7 rock band, the Year 8 rock band… now we’re just the band.”

Introducing Sugarstone

Originally hailing from Northern towns like Preston and Chorley, Sugarstone came of age in Manchester’s buzzing music scene, working nights, playing gigs, and soaking in the raw energy of the city.

“It’s such a good community here,” George said. “We’ve played a lot of grassroots venues in Manchester and we still love going back to those. The Soup Kitchen show is gonna feel like coming home. Last October at the Deaf Institute was the best show of our lives… but we’re hoping this one tops it.”

Sugarstone has earned its rep the hard way: gigging relentlessly, selling out shows, and even self-funding a gritty tour across New Zealand and Australia. “Months and miles of bad food and sleeping bags,” George grinned, “but it toughened us up, made our sound more aggressive, more direct. Our stage presence got… well, ‘incendiary’ is the word people keep using.”

Vinyl dreams & remix realities

Their new release,  a debut vinyl via cult label Cracked Ankles Records (Hotwax, Evil Blizzard),  is a double A-side pressing of Terrible Tendencies and In Tatters, two EPs that map out Sugarstone’s sonic evolution. With themes rooted in mental health, anxiety, and growing pains, it’s music for the overstimulated and emotionally fried.

“It’s electro-punk with a live edge,” George explained. “We draw heavily on industrial sounds. Nine Inch Nails are a massive influence, but there’s also that glossy Duran Duran side in the harmonies. We’re trying to find a balance between those two worlds.”

Lyrically, they don’t shy away from the messier aspects of your twenties. “It’s about anxiety, mental health, that feeling of being pulled in a hundred directions. It’s stuff we live through, stuff we talk about as mates. This band’s also our therapy, in a way.”

Take Mature Themes, a standout from the vinyl. “That one we actually rewrote in the studio. I wrote the lyrics for the verses on the spot, we never do that. It was the first time we let it be organic in that way, and it changed the whole feel of the track.”

Then there’s Hostile, George’s personal favourite to perform live. “It’s the third track on Terrible Tendencies and it didn’t even get released as a single, but it hits hard. It’s about feeling hostile for no real reason, just your own brain playing tricks on you. There’s this line, ‘terrible tendencies’, which gave the EP its name. And Joe’s vocal at the end is my favourite he’s ever done. It’s just him, raw, and he went a bit mad with it.

“I remember watching him record it thinking: yep, this is something special.”

In true DIY spirit, they also dropped a deluxe digital remix EP with reworks by friends and collaborators Bobby Wolfgang, Slap Rash and Material Goods.

“It ties the whole thing together. It’s amazing hearing other people’s takes on our songs.”

From Trent Reznor to Simon Le Bon

Sugarstone wear their influences proudly, but they also draw inspiration from the bands around them.

“Bobby Wolfgang: we used to watch his old band, Strange Bones, religiously. Now he’s producing our tracks. Che are smashing it, we supported them years ago and they’ve just exploded.

“Calva Louise are the best DIY band in the country. Their videos are like films, their comics, their artwork, all self-made. That’s what we want to do.”

Sugarstone’s live show blends it all: the grit, the glamour, the electronic tension, and the raw punk edge,  into a full-on experience.

Why should you go and see Sugarstone?

“I promise you, this is the best we’ve ever sounded live,” George said confidently. “We’re tighter than we’ve ever been. We get in the crowd.

“We jump around. There’s lights. There’s smoke. There are moments. And the people who come to our gigs, our regulars , they bring the energy. It’s moshy, it’s sweaty, it’s emotional. What more could you want?”

It’s the kind of energy that’s seen them land airplay on BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, and Radio X. Even Simon Le Bon featured one of their tracks on his show Whooosh!

“It’s mad. We grew up on Duran Duran and now he’s playing us? That’s full circle.”

Tickets to see Sugarstone at Soup Kitchen

Sugarstone play Soup Kitchen, Manchester this Saturday.

Don’t sleep on it — this might be your last chance to see them in a small venue before they break big.

You can get tickets by clicking here