Mutual friends led to the meeting, but after that, it was a creative spark between Luke and Rachel that led to Sugar Nova. Since then they’ve been able to build up a world of music around them that calls for a sequinned ensemble. At least that’s how the crowd was decked out when they played their record release show last month in Denver. We talked about that and ‘Halogen,’ what sends them higher, and more in this back-and-forth exchange.
Kendra: How did you two manage to find your way to one another?
Luke: Rachel and I went to the same college in Indiana, but at different times. So we had some mutual friends and we were both in the music scene in Denver. Me with the band Lotus and Rachel with the band Raven Jane. We did a couple of tracks together, one with Lotus, and one with my DJ project Luke the Knife. But we were both interested in doing an original, more electronic-pop-oriented project.
Kendra: Were there any duos, music-based or not, that you feel you two are like when it comes to creating together?
Luke: We looked at duos like Sylvan Esso, DRAMA, and Sofi Tukker, but less musically and more to envision what a live show could be like.
Kendra: And how long after you connected did the wheels start turning for what would eventually become your debut, ‘Halogen?’
Luke: We started working on songs during the pandemic. It took a little while to land on what our sound was going to be. How electronic would it be, and how much live instrument focus. Eventually, this dreamy sound emerged that we rolled with.
Kendra: Was there anything you learned from your partner in writing and recording that you feel helped elevate you as an artist?
Rachel: As a producer and multi-instrumentalist, Luke is thinking about each song’s arrangement with both a breadth and a depth that help me move out of a silo-like focus on the fundamentals of chords, lyrics, and melody. He sprinkles in a lot of ear candy in his production that you don’t realize is missing until he adds it, and the song levels up from these little touches.
Luke: I’ve spent most of my musical career in an instrumental band. So working with a vocalist helped me learn about the intricacies of different vocal timbres. You can sing one note a million different ways. The human voice is extremely expressive.
Kendra: The album is full of goodies, including “Send Me Higher.” What sort of instances in your life helped bring that song about?
Rachel: I was at a small club dancing to a DJ set, and everyone was mesmerized by the guy spinning. He was a really engaging performer, and the room was electric with sensual energy. I came home and went straight to my studio and channeled the feeling into the first draft of “Send Me Higher.” Luke picked up on the disco-inspired vibe I was going for on that first rudimentary pass and added this kind of Nile Rodgers-esque guitar, re-arranged the chords, funkified the bass line, and produced an infectious beat.
Kendra: I felt attacked by “Finish What You Started” because I’m one of those “get a hobby and abandon it 5 minutes later” types of people. Do you have anything like that that you recently took up and then thought, nah – not for me?
Rachel: Ha, I love this question. I’m definitely that way with various workout routines like pilates and yoga and trail running. But the song is calling a partner out for starting a fight and not seeing it through to the end.
Kendra: By the time this drops, you will have already played the ‘Halogen’ release show. Would love to know how that went!
Rachel: We played our debut show to a packed house in Denver. The crowd showed up and showed OUT, singing along to our lyrics and dancing nonstop. So many people were decked out in sequins and shimmery clothes – seeing it from the stage was like looking out into a sparkly night sky with multi-colored stars. They channeled such good energy that we were feeding off. People think of performers sending out energy into the crowd, but it’s definitely a two-way street.
Kendra: Time for a side note: This month I’m asking everyone for a song they listen to when they’re feeling a little lost creatively and are in need of some musical inspiration…
Luke: I have a bunch of songs that fall into this category. One that jumps to mind is “Born Slippy” by Underworld
Rachel: I go outside of Sugar Nova’s genres for inspiration usually. It helps me bring something fresh to my own writing so I don’t feel like I’m copying someone else. Right now, I’m really into Jensen McRae – her lyricism is so intimate and confessionally raw, and the production is usually super stripped down and naked. Love it.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Halogen’ out now, what else can fans be on the lookout for as we roll into summer?
Luke: We have a couple more remixes we’ll be releasing over the summer. We will be performing at Summerdance Festival in Ohio Labor Day weekend, and we are going to start working on songs for our second album.
