The mission of the recently-founded local musical collective Sugarcube is to provide space and resources for independent musical artists. Through fundraising efforts and “Sugarcube Presents” showcase-style events, the founders behind Sugarcube aim to eventually raise enough money to fund an inclusive, all-ages music venue in the Charleston area.
Their first focus is helping to launch local artists by assisting in booking shows, offering advice, recording and highlighting the work of musicians involved in the local scene.
The group is founded and led by musicians Elizabeth Southwell, Nate McKinley and Jose Gonalez, who each bring a decade plus of experience in the local DIY music scene.
Southwell said she’s “lived through and participated in multiple eras of the Charleston music scene,” to which McKinley added, “during that time, venues have come and gone. With Sugarcube, we’re looking forward to a new chapter here.”
The founders, Southwell, McKinley and Gonzalez created a collective with 10 artist-members who pool their resources and knowledge to assist other DIY-music makers. The first official Sugarcube event was a pop-up at Monster Music on June 8, where the group said they gained valuable feedback from the community on where the scene needs help.
McKinley said Sugarcube’s eventual venue, and in the meantime, their showcases at existing venues, aim to “give more local acts a chance to play with touring acts, and put more local bills together.” Sugarcube, he said, is aimed towards bridging the gap between the big local stages for touring musicians and the DIY-vibe of a house or backyard show, which often feature local or regional acts.
Meanwhile Southwell explained how many places that used to serve this niche have been lost due to financial, logistical and other issues.
“We always seem to like to lose our DIY spaces,” Southwell said. “For example, Cutty’s had rock shows a couple of years ago, and then that stopped. I feel like a lot of places, whether it’s because of money or the fire marshall — there’s just a lot of factors that prohibit the facilitation of the music scene. Like Monster Music can’t even have shows anymore! And a lot of the venues that do exist are very hard to get shows at and require a certain number of ticket sales.”
So for their first show, “Riot Stares,” to be held Aug. 14 at Music Farm, Sugarcube is responding to this issue by creating a stacked lineup of local acts. The lineup includes Riot Stares, in their final show before leaving Charleston, with Skywatching, who celebrates a new release, plus Art Star and Show Me Mary.
McKinley and Southwell said one of the goals of the debut show is to bring out the local music-loving crowd to Music Farm, and thus, prove the value of making space on bigger stages for local independent acts.
Southwell said, “the short term goal is to keep hosting events like the one we have coming up in August. … Long term, the goal is to continue spreading our ethos and vibe out there, and getting funds to eventually establish our own space.”
The best way to support local musicians? Embrace the DIY vibe our city’s scene has to offer, Southwell said. “Come to shows. Start bands, start music projects. If you have a house you want to offer up to a show, do it. That means more opportunities for us to all have fun playing and enjoying music together.”
To keep up to date with the latest from Sugarcube, follow their Instagram @sugarcube.chs. Find $15 tickets for the Aug. 14 show at musicfarm.com.
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