Tash Sultana has announced a new EP, SUGAR.
Set to be released in August through their own label, SUGAR is the highly-anticipated follow-up to their 2021 full-length album TERRA FIRMA, which topped the ARIA Albums Chart and earned Sultana an ARIA nomination for Best Soul/R&B Release.
Unsurprisingly from the multi-hyphenate, Sultana produced, composed, arranged, and played every single instrument on their upcoming EP, writing the songs in the comfort of their own home and studio.
SUGAR is described as “encapsulating their life from 2021 to 2023,” serving as a deep reflection on that period. It contains new single “Bitter Lovers”, a collaboration with BJ the Chicago Kid.
“We had been following each other for a while ’cause I’m a fan of what he does, and lo and behold, one morning, I woke up, and there was a nice little message in my DM’s from BJ saying, ‘let’s fucking do a track.’ Now here we are,” explains Sultana.
The US artist was equally enthused about the project. “This was one I had in the stash waiting for a good home, or I would use it myself. So happy Tash loved it as much as myself. This one will only get better with time,” BJ says.
SUGAR also contains previous singles “New York”, written about a specific experience the multi-instrumentalist had in the titular city, and “James Dean”, which acted as the singer-songwriter’s reckoning with self-reflection and transformation.
You can listen to Sultana’s BJ the Chicago Kid collaboration below.
During an in-depth discussion backstage at the 2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards, held in Sydney earlier this year, Sultana shared their excitement about entering into this new chapter of their career. “It’s still me, I’m doing it, it’s just that I’m much happier than I was before,” they said.
Tash Sultana’s “Bitter Lovers” is out now. SUGAR is out August 11th via Lonely Lands Records (pre-save/pre-order here).
