It’s hard to neglect the purity in musicianship which is why it’s easy to become attached to the sound of a group such as SUCRÉ. Started by Eisley’s Stacy King, Mutemath drummer Darren King and instrumentalist Jeremy Larson, the trio lace your eardrums with the delicate sincerity behind alternative rock – the intricacies that seem subtle but explode with every listen. Part of it is due to the group’s bond but it’s also related to the landscapes they’ve provided each other to paint. According to vocalist Stacy King, the group’s evolution was a natural path for the three of them and has attributed to the story behind their debut A Minor Bird and their push to reach a higher standard.
Coming from a detailed music background, is starting a new project refreshing or challenging?
It was really refreshing for me. I’ve worked with my family for over a decade so I hadn’t had much outside experience before working with Jeremy. I felt a new sense of intrigue for writing music. Darren and Jeremy’s capacity for producing is huge, so I felt like I had a ton of room to do anything I wanted musically.
What invoked the idea to start Sucré?
It was really such a natural progression. Darren introduced me to Jeremy when we were dating and he’s from a town 30 minutes from Springfield in Missouri, so we’d often come to visit. We’d always end up hanging out at Jeremy’s studio listening to whatever music he was working on. I really loved everything I heard and quickly gained a huge respect for him musically. I was secretly thinking how amazing it would be to get the chance to work with him and Darren together on a song. Before I could even ask, he sent me a track and asked me to try singing something to it. I did and that song later became “Endless Sleep”. After that, we worked on the record sporadically over a year and a half and finally finished it when Darren and I visited his family for Christmas last year.
How has working with Jeremy and Darren pushed you as a songwriter?
They’ve given me more room than any songwriter could ever imagine. Therefore, it pushes me in new ways to be creative due to the fact that I actually don’t have to worry about how it will translate to new recordings because they are such wonderful producers.
How has the new project/material affected you personally?
I just feel so glad that I did it. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that this record will always be special and signify a huge growing period in my life as a young woman. It’s affected me very deeply.
Even on Eisley’s latest extended play, Deep Space, there’s a sense of maturation – almost like a spike in musicianship – as songs like “Laugh It Off” are on their own experimental level. Have you focused a lot on exploring different styles and refining your voice?
I feel that Eisley is definitely about to reach that point as a band. We’ve never had the freedom before to do so, but those doors are opening for us and we’re all really eager to experiment and tear down some of our previous habits.
What experiences did you draw from while working on Sucre?
My marriage was a major influence. I took bits of feelings, some good and some bad, and magnified them into elaborate stories of romance and love. It definitely follows a storyline of someone young and naive, finding what true love means and also finding one’s self in the midst of it.
Given the lush theatrics of A Minor Bird, was it difficult to edit two years of material and layer the arrangements into works you were comfortable with?
The record took a long time because we worked on it sporadically in short bursts over a year and a half. Thankfully, Jeremy and Darren had such a natural sense for dynamic for each song. Not a whole lot of editing was done to the tracks. However, there were hours spent getting those lush moments just right.
Does it take a lot of patience to achieve that?
I think for all of us, time stands still when we’re trying to perfect something. We’re never sitting around tapping our feet. We’re just taking shots in the dark so we don’t have time to get bored.
What was it like performing the material for the first time at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles?
Wondrous! I’d never sung to a more attentive, sweet audience. It will forever be a really special show to me.
With how personal this record is, will touring around it be an emotional process for you?
The record is personal to me in that I wrote it, but not every song is personal to my life. I get to escape somewhat and imagine I’m singing from the emotional state of someone else, which is very fun. I love performing these songs live and escaping for a little bit.
Do you think being direct in terms of songwriting truly shapes a musician?
I always try to be personal, but I wouldn’t say being direct is always the key. Being honest with yourself is extremely important. I’m constantly questioning myself and reaching for that higher standard. It’s really easy to say, “Yeah, this is good enough”, but really, is it? Could it be better? Most of the time, the answer is “Yes”.
[The group’s debut A Minor Bird is available now // iTunes | Amazon MP3]