Sugar & Gold Talk Favorite Music, Touring Horrors, and Their Trippy 'Salty Seraphim' Video

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Since before 2007, Sugar & Gold has remained one of my all-time favorite bands in San Francisco. Not only does the funky quintet know how to write and perform amazing dance grooves and unforgettable pop hooks, but within everything they do lies an inherent sense of fun and devil-may-care attitude that is quintessentially SF. Sugar & Gold has proved itself resilient to dance music trends coming and going, has held fast in the wavering music biz climate, and -- the hardest part for all bands -- has stood the test of time. It's recorded two wonderful albums and toured the world, both alone and with major acts like Of Montreal.

Now, after the release of their latest album, Get Wet!, the five band members are coming home. This Saturday (June 12) at The Uptown in Oakland, Sugar & Gold will return to the loving embrace of their friends and fans after a lengthy North American tour. Before that party, Behind the Beat had a short conversation with one of S&G's masterminds, Nicolas Dobbratz (pictured, third from left). Via email from New Mexico, he let us in on the different incarnations his band has taken since its inception, what tunes have been pumping up the Sugar & Gold tour van, and what he plans on doing the moment he returns from being on tour.

Quickly describe your music to someone that knows nothing about vintage disco, boogie, or R&B.

Heartbeat music. Poppy, electronic dance grooves.

How many different formations of Sugar & Gold have there been over the years?

We started as a bedroom project, moved into the living room, then our moms kicked us out into the backyard. I guess that's three.

Is one person responsible for the technical end of producing the songs, or does everyone chip in?

There are a few producer brains in the band, so we end up sharing the work. We have different techniques, so it keeps it interesting.

What piece of equipment could you not live without in the studio? How about on stage?

My drum machine has been there every step of the way, so I guess I can't
live without that. On stage, it's all about MIDI magic and my Yamaha DX-100.

Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your latest album, Get Wet!.

I think the new record touches on our main ingredients: electronic pop and classic Euro dance-funk mixed with a smooth, punk R&B style.

What are some of your favorite producers/bands right now?

Strength, Ariel Pink, SSION, and Shazam. Studio from Sweden is a great producer. The-Dream has made some serious hits in the last couple years. Loose Shus is an awesome local producer.

You guys are on tour now, and have toured extensively in the past. Any horror stories from the road? What's the first thing you're going to do when you get home?

There are many stories. It's like one big book; we just turn the page every day. As you do it more, I think you learn to avoid the horror better. When I get home I'm gonna sleep, take some nice showers, and call my mom.

There's an awesome video of you guys playing "Salty Seraphim," from Get Wet!, all psyched-out, weird, and totally different from its original form. Where did the idea for that come from?

That was for a website called The New Gay. They asked us to do an exclusive video for the site, so we improvised a version in the studio while we were rehearsing. Jerome did the after-effects. We wanted to do a sort of acoustic version, and it just sort of got twisted. That stuff comes pretty naturally.

What's next for Sugar & Gold?

A couple more videos, a new 7" on Aerobic International and a collection of remixes are in the works!

Any advice for aspiring producers/bands?

Sometimes not listening to your music for a little while is the best perspective you can get. Write and produce in a comfortable environment, take some time off, give your ears a rest, and then take your jams into another studio to mix. And when you go to play live, challenge yourself with creative arrangements of your songs. You'll be happy in the end.

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