SUGAR – the iconic alternative rock trio led by Bob Mould alongside bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis – returns with their first new music together in over three decades, “House of Dead Memories.” Recorded at Tiny Telephone Oakland in June 2025, the song is available everywhere now via Granary Music/BMG.
In addition, SUGAR will celebrate “House of Dead Memories” with their first live performances together since January 1995, set for New York City’s Webster Hall on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3, 2026 and London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town on Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24, 2026.
“SUGAR was a meteorite,” says Bob Mould. “I spent all of 1991 writing and performing new material at solo shows. David and Malcolm had never met but I was certain we three would work well together.
“SUGAR was a workhorse. After weeks of rehearsal in early 1992, we spent three months recording Copper Blue and Beaster. By summer 1992, the musical climate was perfect for what we created.
“SUGAR was a phenomena. No one could have predicted the results. We held onto the wheel and did our best to enjoy the wild ride. SUGAR was part of a pivotal era in popular music, and a special time in my life.”
Having already placed his indelible mark on the future direction of rock with Hüsker Dü, Bob Mould teamed with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis to found SUGAR in late 1991, making their live debut early the next year at Athens, GA’s famed 40 Watt Club. Named by NME as its 1992 “Album of the Year,” SUGAR’s now-classic debut album, Copper Blue, immediately proved a sensation, earning worldwide acclaim and landmark status for the melodic strength and intensely cathartic popcraft of songs like “A Good Idea,” “Helpless,” and the alternative rock radio hit and MTV favorite, “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.” The trio quickly found themselves performing on increasingly larger stages, including a legendary show-stealing set at London’s Great X-pectations Festival in Finsbury Park.
David Barbe recalls, “Since we last played in 1995, I have worked on hundreds of records and engaged with music people all over the world. When the subject of SUGAR comes up, it is like a misty legend that they either remember from a long time ago or have only heard about. I am excited for fans to experience it in the real.”
“The return of SUGAR is a moment that I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time,” says Malcolm Travis. “What we managed to accomplish in the short span of time we were in existence still boggles my mind. There was so much packed into that period….the travel, the shows, the recordings and getting to meet so many people who loved and supported us. To get back to working together again with Bob and David is such a gift and I’m looking forward to what the future has in store for us.”
