
The Los Angeles-based alternative-rock band Hurricane Sugar declares the release of a forthcoming EP through the project's scorching hot lead single, "The Grind."
Creating music filtered through a vintage lens, Hurricane Sugar prides themself on their high energy and guitar-driven sound. Taking inspiration from 60s psych artists, 70s rock bands, 90s grunge, and 00s desert rock, it's safe to say that Hurricane Sugar leaves any listener on their toes.
Gearing up to release their forthcoming EP, Hurricane Sugar recently dropped the project's lead single, "The Grind." When lead vocalist Alex Chamis touched on the single, he mentioned that it's rooted in Greek mythology. "In the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the titular character pushes a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back to the bottom again and again. He rails against his eternal task at first but ultimately becomes complacent to it."
Listening to "The Grind," the track opens with a blazing instrumental intro through fiery rhythm guitar, a wailing lead guitar, a punchy bassline, and invigorating drum breaks. As lead vocalist Alex Chamis enters the track with his raspy and powerful vocals, he sets the song's gripping and heavy tone that leaves any listener banging their heads.
As Chamis continues his vocal venture with immense might and strength, he brings us into the theme of grinding through our days while encouraging us to find ways to break free from dreadful cycles, or else we'll end up at the bottom of the hill alongside Sisyphus.
We're more than impressed with the instrumental dexterity and heart that Hurrican Sugar has poured into their single, "The Grind," and we're sure it will leave you in need of more hearty tracks like this. Find "The Grind" on all digital streaming platforms.
What a thorough and intense listening experience you've provided with your recent single, "The Grind." What inspired your group to release a song surrounding breaking free from our grind?
In my songwriting process, music always comes first. So as we created the music, I started asking myself what kind of vibe the song was giving off. The instrumentation has this very driving, industrial feel to it that just keeps pumping along. It sort of reminded me of a machine, and I think we all feel like we're working machines at one time or another. I tried to use phrases like "program in your mind" and "you turn the wheel, good little cog" to emphasize that message.
What was your band's creative process like when formulating the instrumentation for "The Grind?" How did you go about finding the right groove and sonic atmosphere?
The song began, as many do, with a kernel. The main riff came first and we sort of built outwardly from there. We wanted to keep the verses very sparse instrumentally to leave room for a vocal melody. In the first half of the verses, everyone is sort of hitting on the same beat and creating this pulse, but then in the second half everybody spreads out and the rhythmic quality becomes much more diverse. In contrast to the verses, the choruses have a very open and washy feel. It was important for us to give the listener a break from the more aggressive stabbing nature of the verses and move into something airier. I tried to mimic this shift in the music in the lyrics. There is a perspective shift here. The song goes from being sung from the point of view of a spectator who is commenting to the listener about their life, to being sung from the perspective of the "employer" down to the "employee" in a very tongue-in-cheek kind of way.
Do you normally create music with such meaningful themes and concepts similar to your single, "The Grind?" Do you always leave the listener reflecting on their own lives?
I think music is about connecting with others and feeling like they share a similar set of circumstances or experiences. In my approach to lyric writing, I start from a very inward place. I personally have my own daily grind, for example. But then, rather than making it about my own struggle, I try to turn those thoughts and feelings outward to connect with the audience. I think about how others may feel the same way and create a sense of relatability. My hope for the listener isn't that they feel I'm calling them out for this very negative thing. But rather, that I'm attempting to inspire them to be introspective and make changes in their life for the better.
Should we expect to hear "The Grind" on your forthcoming EP? Do you have a name for the project yet? What should we expect from the EP?
Yes! The Grind will be the first of four tracks on our upcoming, self-titled EP Hurricane Sugar. We will be releasing two more singles in the coming months, followed by the EP and fourth song in late September. We also have music videos to accompany each of the four songs, so stay tuned for those. We have a great video for The Grind that will be dropping sometime very soon. Musically, we tried to make sure that the four songs on the EP cover lots of ground sonically and lyrically, so there are tons more to dig into! Thank you so much for talking with me today, it's been a pleasure.