NOVEMBER 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM

’80s pop culture like John Hughes’ fi lms and U2’s cinematic sound during that era. “We were teenagers then, and a lot of the pop culture was about archetypes of what it was like to be that age,” Bush says. “And that’s what really inspired us to become musicians. A lot of the songs came from conversations about that.” While the powerful, anthemic sound of The Incredible Machine won’t surprise anyone who knows its origins, it might shock country fans used to more down-home sounds. But reinvention is almost as much part of Sugarland’s identity as any one genre. The group grew out of the Atlanta singer-songwriter scene but found immediate success in mainstream country music with its 2004 multiplatinum debut, Twice the Speed of Life. “We’ve turned over a whole lot of new leaves since starting this

Stewart Volland band,” says Bush. The trio became a duo when founding member Kristen Hall abruptly Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush quit while Sugarland was still riding high on the first album’s success, and some wondered if the shift would upset the group’s unique chemistry.chemistry. But SUGARLANDSUGARLAND NettlesNettles and Bush made the transitiontransition The country duo turns over another new leaf seamlessly,l l andd subsequent b albumslb haveh proved so successful that they’re now with its new album’s arena-rocking sound headlining arena tours—which comes with its own challenges. IF SUGARLAND’S NEW ALBUM, The result, “Wide Open,” appeared “Our touring and writing cycles have to The Incredible Machine, sounds grand on AT&T’s digitally released Team USA happen at the same time, and that changes and full of ambition, that’s because its Soundtrack, and served as the jumping-off the process a little,” Bush says. “But you inspiration was, too. “We had gotten a call point for Bush and bandmate Jennifer Nettles realize you can be just as creative 30 about writing a song for a 2010 Winter to write much of the rest of The Incredible minutes before you go on stage as you can Olympics soundtrack,” says guitarist Kristian Machine. “We have always been really good holed up in some mesa in the Southwest. Bush. “So we started thinking, ‘If I were at writing for a specifi c emotion,” Bush says. Once you take that superstition away and writing a song for a skier or snowboarder “We did ‘Wide Open,’ it felt good, and we realize you have the confi dence to create to play on their iPod before they competed, said, ‘Let’s do that again.’” They also drew anywhere, you will.” what would it be?’” on some deeper-rooted inspiration: iconic –Katie Dodd

in England. “Growing up in my household, there was every kind of Not that Mixed Race is a rap album by any means—Tricky music,” says Tricky (born Adrian Thaws). “My uncle, who was white, also incorporates old-school dub reggae alongside French and playing Al Green; his son playing Parliament, T. Rex, Gary Numan North African infl uences, in part a result of his penchant for inviting and English radio when I was a kid.” He absorbed those infl uences interesting musicians he meets by chance into the studio to see so completely that he claims he’s typically all but unaware of them what happens. It’s a method that avoids a lot of the bureaucracy of when making his own music. On Mixed Race, though, he was more planned collaborations arranged through management fi rms and conscious of maintaining a vibe. “It’s a very urban album,” he says. labels. “When you’re feeling good about something, you’re vibed “It’s got stuff about street life. It’s the closest I’ve come to making a up, you contact someone and their manager doesn’t get back to gangsta rap album.” Tricky was already making his name working with you for two weeks, it takes you off your vibe,” he notes. electronica pioneers Massive Attack in the late ’80s when gangsta Although Mixed Race only recently hit the street, Tricky is NOVEMBERrap began 2010its ascendance, M MUSIC but the impact & MUSICIANS was immediate. “When MAGAZINE nearly fi nished with the follow-up already. He’s also considering a N.W.A. came out, that changed everything,” Tricky says. “Eazy-E new collaboration with Massive Attack, their fi rst since the mid-’90s. wasn’t the greatest rapper, but he had a vibe. It was like he was “I fell in love with music again,” he says, “and now there’s so many saying, ‘You can do this.’ Rakim was one of my favorite rappers, but things I want to do.” he was almost too good. He was beyond my level.” –Eric R. Danton

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