Patrick-Gtr.Vox.Songs

Eddie-Heartbeat

The Hawk-The Lowdown

For more than two decades, the three members of Heavy Sugar have been sidemen and hired guns—musicians who spent years playing other people's songs, backing other artists, and learning their craft from the stage up.

Behind the scenes, guitarist/vocalist Patrick Parrish had been writing songs for years. For a long time, he never believed those songs were good enough to stand alongside the music he loved. That changed when he finally started bringing some of them into another band.

The response surprised him.

The other musicians were blown away by the songs. Although only a few eventually made their way into the setlist, the experience planted a bigger idea: What if these songs had their own band?

When that band eventually ran its course, Patrick knew it was time to stop writing songs for someday and build the group he'd always envisioned.

The first call went to drummer Steady Eddie Hermanek, someone Patrick had known and played with for more than 20 years dating back to their time in Chicago. Eddie was an immediate choice. His instincts, creativity, and monster chops were exactly what Patrick needed behind the songs.

Then there was The Hawk on bass. Patrick and The Hawk had spent more than a decade playing together, primarily in Ella Reid's band. Patrick knew he was the right bassist—but he also knew The Hawk was in demand and busy with other projects.

When Patrick finally called and asked if he wanted to help bring these songs to life, the answer came without hesitation:

“I'm in.”

One of the biggest questions was whether Eddie and The Hawk—two incredibly strong players with distinct personalities and approaches—would immediately click as a rhythm section.

They did.

The chemistry was instant.

And Heavy Sugar was born.