Sugar Officially Reunite, Announce First Shows in 31 Years

The Bob Mould-led ’90s outfit Sugar have officially reunited, dropping a brand new song and announcing their first tour dates in 31 years.

Fans began to suspect something was afoot last week when the band’s social media accounts suddenly became active once more and started posting short teasers. Though there had been some speculation that this might pay off in an album reissue, there was also hope amongst longtime fans that the short-lived ’90s era rockers could potentially be reuniting.

What Exactly Are Sugar Announcing?

It appears as though Sugar are dipping their toes into the reunion process. The band has issued a new song “House of Dead Memories” that already has a bit of a history within the group. It comes with a corresponding video. Plus, Sugar have announced a pair of 2026 stops for reunion shows that will take place in New York and London.

As for the new song, it was actually written by Mould 14 years ago when Sugar contemplated a reunion for the 20th anniversary of their Copper Blue album. But that proposed trek never took place as the trio weren’t feeling it and Mould instead decided to revisit the album on his own with his solo group while never debuting the song.

“It’s a failed-relationship song, nothing too unique for me,” Mould shared with a chuckle to Rolling Stone. “But the riff is definitely a Sugar-type riff, and it was fun to get the three of us on the floor together to record for the first time in ages.” The actual version of “House of Dead Memories” was the band’s first take at the song.

Who Were Sugar?

Bob Mould was the most recognizable name in the band. He had fronted Husker Du during the ’80s before going solo. He sang and played guitar in the group. The trio also featured bassist David Barbe, who had previously played in Mercyland, as well as drummer Malcolm Travis, whose primary credit prior was with Human Sexual Response.

Over the course of their career, the band had their most success with the singles “Helpless” from Copper Blue (No. 5, Alternative Airplay) and “Your Favorite Thing” from File Under: Easy Listening (No. 14, Alternative Airplay). The video for “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” also received significant airplay on MTV.

Why Did Sugar Split in the ’90s?

Sugar’s formation was kind of incidental. Mould had been working on a solo record, recruiting David Barbe and Malcolm Travis as his rhythm section. While rehearsing they were invited to play a one-off show in Athens, Ga., and the vibe was so good they decided to form a band.

But Sugar’s initial success was a new level that the band members had not experienced before and Mould found himself consumed with more responsibilities than he had ever had to deal with prior.

By late 1994, the wear started to show. Barbe told Mould he wanted to spend more family time. Meanwhile, Mould confessed that the death of Kurt Cobain earlier in the year had hit him hard.

“Kurt’s passing really hit me personally,” Mould shared with Rolling Stone. “Sugar were in Atlanta, working in the studio and to see Kurt Loder pop up on the TV and say, ‘Kurt Cobain is dead,’ it was pretty demoralizing. It made me wonder, ‘What is this?’ Kurt’s situation was unique to him but not dissimilar to what was starting to happen when young people get really successful and lose track of things. And I thought, ‘Wow, this business is sort of harsh.’”

sugar in 2025

Photo by Ryan Bakerink

Why Did Sugar Reunite Now and Will It Continue?

Mould revealed that while their previous reunion attempt failed in 2011, the idea of revisiting Sugar started to come back around last year. He could feel a resurgence of interest in the group, especially from those in the music industry.

“Fans have always shown interest,” he explained. “But people in the business, whether it was BMG to different promoters around the country, were voicing things.”

So the trio reconvened to play the old material and this time things felt more right. “This second time felt much, much better for all three of us, personally and as a former band,” Mould explained. “So we started looking at getting back together to do a few things.”

As for what the future holds, Mould is cautiously optimistic but holding off on confirming more. “I don’t want to get out too far in front of the skis, as they say,” he shares. “People’s reactions will probably guide a lot of the possibilities in front of us, whether it’s more songs or more shows. All three of us are all in for whatever feels right. I just want to see if people are still interested.”

In a press release announcing the reunion, Barbe shares, ““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.”

Travis adds, ““The return of Sugar is a moment that I’ve been dreaming about for a very long time. 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.”

Where Can I Hear Sugar’s New Song + Get Concert Tickets?

As stated, Sugar have officially released the new song “House of Dead Memories.” The video can be viewed below while the track is currently streaming via multiple platforms.

As for the band’s touring, so far Sugar have announced two shows apiece at New York’s Webster Hall (May 2-3) and London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town (May 23-24) for 2026. These will be the group’s first shows since January 1995. Ticketing info can be found through Sugar’s website.

It should also be noted that Sugar’s 1992 debut album, Copper Blue, will be commemorated with a 4LP box set dubbed Copper Blue – The Singles Collection that is set to be issued by BMG on Record Store Day Black Friday (Nov. 28)