New York, NY (Top40 Charts) The collective millions who have already discovered them on TikTok know that Glam Rock-meets-Pop duo ROYAL SUGAR--Tyler Cohenour (lead singer/guitars) and Garrett Carr (bass/vocals)—is the future of rock and roll. After soaring into the music stratosphere during the pandemic thanks to their blistering cover of Harry Styles' "Medicine," now is their time to shine with the release of their latest original song, "Fleeting Love."
Out today on all digital outlets, "Fleeting Love" delivers a mix of '70s and '80s nostalgia made fresh by their penchant for modern pop, channeling everything from Def Leppard's rawness to Jim Morrison's swaggering flamboyance.
A lyric video for the song can be found on the band's official YouTube page.
"This song is about our drug of choice: Toxic relationships" explains the duo about the intoxicating lyrics. "A widely experienced trope, but one of the most powerful. Running back again and again to a toxic fling for a quick hit and feeling low right after knowing that's all it will ever be. You want more. You want love. Likening this person you run to as being as addictive as a drug. With just as many side effects."
Tyler Cohenour and Garrett Carr first met in college in Florida, the same state they both hail from. Growing up, both musicians had a penchant for the type of rock music their dads raised them on, like AC/DC. Upon meeting and becoming friends, they realized they may be musical soulmates. "First couple times we played, we're like 'There's chemistry there. We should run with this and see what happens,'" Carr recalls.
And run with it they did: Cohenour and Carr ended up relocating to East Nashville in 2016. They bought a house and turned it into a studio where they began their writing relationship. While the
Music City is known best for its country scene, the pair were more interested in the great rock bands that were either born there or also gravitated to it, like
Jack White and
Kings of Leon, among others.
They only became ROYAL SUGAR in the fall of 2021, a product of pandemic isolation and a reinvigorated desire to make things happen for real. Cohenour and Carr ended up being separated for nearly two years during this time; Cohenour has an immune disorder and decided to move back to Florida when COVID hit. Even with a harrowing pandemic as the backdrop, the two kept themselves productive by writing together and covering their favorite songs over Skype. "Quarantine pressurized our feelings that life is extremely precious and art is extremely precious," says Cohenour. "What's holding us back from doing exactly what we want to do?"
After attending Harry Style's show in Nashville back during one of his first solo tours, they were blown away by the track, which the former
One Direction member has played live frequently, but never released officially. ROYAL SUGAR decided to drop a cover of "
Medicine" on TikTok that immediately blew up and helped them gain over 70,000 followers, so they decided to record it. It solidified them as the duo they knew they were destined to become.
"We've witnessed some really special moments in venues of just about every size," Carr says. "It's an out-of-body experience when you're in these massive stadiums and amphitheaters and everybody's engaged. That's something that fascinates, scares and motivates us. To be able to facilitate that would be such a special thing."
Stay tuned for new music, album, and tour news about ROYAL SUGAR in the coming weeks…
