With a growl that sounds like deep southern blues, Sugar Bear and the Monkey Tangs deliver a heavy dose of soul to Louisiana.
Christopher Torian, University business freshman, and non-LSU students Lynden Segura, Michael Aucoin and Ethan Davidson met during their freshman year of high school in Lafayette, and their camaraderie is immediately apparent.
While their band Sugar Bear and the Monkey Tangs is a more recent project, formed in the summer of 2012, the roots in this band run thick, and the band’s dedication to their work is readily visible through the amount of time they put into it.
Even though Torian is the only member residing away from Lafayette, the band doesn’t let that small fact detract from their performance quality. When school is not in session, Torian, Segura, Aucoin and Davidson can be found together in a jam session or recording a new song.
“I honestly don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t in this band,” Aucoin said.
Self-described as a medley of classic rock, blues and funk, Sugar Bear and the Monkey Tangs members cite the Jimi Hendrix favorite “All Along the Watchtower” as one of their most-played songs, as well as an indicator of their overall sound.
This comes in part from their main influences: their families.
Raised on classic rock, the members share a common link that bleeds through into their work, creating a sound that’s part gritty and part expressive, a dynamic that thrives in the live setting.
“It’s like we mix blues lyrics, jazzy rock, and funky riffs,” Segura said.
While the band has not yet played a show in Baton Rouge, its members are looking forward to breaking in to the scene.
When asked what advice they have for people wanting to start their own bands, Torian, Segura and Aucoin imparted a bit of wisdom, finishing each other’s sentences.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Torian started.
“You have to learn to accept rejection,” Segura added.
“But in the end, it’s really fun,” Aucoin finished.
Segura was quick to list off his hopes for his band’s future.
“Continue this band as long as we can,” he said. “It’s more than a band — we’re pretty much all brothers.”
Sugar Bear and the Monkey Tangs’s EP, “Meet the Monkey Tangs” is due out in February.
“It’s more than a band — we’re pretty much all brothers.”
