I am the Goth on the team, so it is fitting I guess that I should be the one plunging into this feature on emerging British ‘doom punk’ / Seattle sound band BLDSUGR! I say fitting because they are one of those visually interesting bands pushing the theatrics in their music and live shows up to ten.
BLDSUGR are:
Jake Brown: Drums. Jake has only known music, playing from before the age of 11 he has played in bands for years. Joining BLDSUGR in February 2025 he was a catalyst that turned them to 100! The others describe him as “funny, loveable and mad.” He wrote and played the drum parts on “Carmilla.”
Leigh Evans: Guitars & Bass – BLDSUGR have crafted a unique sound, using pedals and a specific set of amps and guitar. Leigh has found a unique sound that drives the music and BLDSUGR took inspiration from bands such as Soft Play and Royal Blood to find a unique sound that fills the room. Leigh is new to music in the grand scheme of things only picking up guitar in 2019.
Lolly Hayes: Vocals. Lolly has always had a spark for the stage, from dance to theatre to music she loves the art of performing and is inspired by a wide range of artists from Janis Joplin to Stevie Nicks. But above everything she loves rock and the theatrics and that bleeds so deeply into BLDSUGR!
And as for the band! There is every reason why we would be featuring them here, you know we like to be there when we spot a new band that is gaining some real traction…Anyway, they have recently gone semi viral on tiktok with the track ‘The Ant Burns Under The Magnifying Glass,’ boasting over a quarter of a million views. This has boosted the band to over 8k followers on the app, and put them at over 5k monthly Spotify listeners with over 20k streams in the last few weeks. Because of this success, the next release ‘Carmilla’ was moved forward to October 15, so it is out on all platforms now..
The track details the turn of a vampire, pulling from the gothic and strands of classic literature, this song is fundamentally BLDSUGR!. ‘Carmilla’ has already garnered attention with a teaser for the track getting over 40k likes.
Onwards to my interview:
“Carmilla” – gave me vibes of The Undertones with those Teenage Kicks, not sure why….but I liked the drum kicks and I thought it had a more commercial melody to your earlier EP – a bit more late night Radio 1 even. Is this a slight shift of gear? (- strong guitar break late track too).
Lolly: Yes I can totally see that! That wasn’t intentional but I love how music inadvertently or subconsciously has influence over one another. You know, it wasn’t a shift in gear this was actually the first ever track me and Leigh wrote for BLDSUGR! We held it back to really simmer on it and make sure it was right though because we felt it was special. (And) Yes! Leigh doesn’t give himself enough credit with guitar stuff I think the solo rips!
I have a picture on my wall at home – it is taken from the back cover of Alive II by Kiss with Gene Simmons drooling blood mid show – love it! With the theatrical side of the band do you pull on personal influences, and do you plan the image deliberately or is it more spontaneous?
Lolly: So, I grew up wanting to always be in a band but… I was a bullied socially awkward kid with undiagnosed autism. So instead of the huge task of finding people to be in a band and be around 24/7 (I wasn’t ready for that when I was younger!) I went into the theatre. I adore theatre. I ended up going to drama school actually in my teens but to the dismay of my teachers, I went towards literature instead because I didn’t like how regimented drama school was. I pull from Artaud, Brecht, weird literary influences like I wrote SWRM inspired by the Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, there was a particular performance of the Bacchae that really inspired me too! I also just grew up with rock and roll and music, I grew up around these theatrical cool heavy bands like Sabbath, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper bands who create their own world on stage and go full force you know? It’s like I can take my theatrical training, nobody is giving me a role to play, I give myself that role and it’s a space where I can play and just be free. But yes! Everything is intentional. From costumes, to gags and what not. We have a lot of fun with it too!
I’ll stick to the image for a moment. One of my favourite reads ever was Bram Stoker’s Dracula, I also do like to dress in my Goth clothes and be me! Do you find dress, vampires and the whole vampire back story liberating as songwriters?
Lolly: Well, me and Leigh dress a bit more gothic and it’s always been a facet of my being with rock culture as I’ve grown up around it.
Leigh: I’ve only been dressing alternative on stage recently and I feel a lot better doing it. I feel like it gives me freedom and it gives me that confidence. I’ve always moved around the stage a lot but I wear a waist cape now on stage and I feel flowy and free. But off stage, I’ve always dressed alt too. I love my flares, I love my funny silly shirts as well and I love to dye my hair any colour I feel. I think to dress how you want is the freedom to express yourself and you should do it!
Lolly: In terms of the vampire backstory, I think ever since I watched ‘Twilight’ and it changed my brain chemistry at 8, it just changed my life really. They’re these evil, sexy and really fucking cool beings who you shouldn’t like and shouldn’t be seduced by, but you are! To embody the confidence and allure of a vampire is the goal forever and always. I think as well, the draw towards the dark and the morbid and to not care is kind of freeing too. A vampire is complex and morally flawed at best and murderous and callous at the worst, so to explore that was really interesting and exciting for me. The song is the initial struggle and then eventual moral collapse of the person who turned into the vampire so it was really fun to write about!
A question for your drummer Jake, from Mark’s son. (Mark is our boss, he runs the magazine!) – He has been playing drums and loves it, ever since he met Eric Singer who signed his drumstick and was lovely to him when he was 7. At home he has an electric drum kit to keep the neighbors happy (he’s getting good, training on tracks like “Come Together” and “Paint it Black”, he asks whether Jake finds electric kits useful and what kit he is using atm. He also asks how he approached the new song “Carmilla” as the heartbeat there is strong!
Jake: So I think electric drums are good for the exact reason you’re saying, for noise and what not. But, electric doesn’t replicate the feel of a proper drum kit and when you can, getting on a proper kit is a good shout. For now and for practicing, electric is great. I approached Cami by feel, I always go at something by what feels right . I really drilled into the hi-hats and focused in on having a strong back beat I suppose! Feel is really important though, probably the most important thing.
I listened to the EP, “The Ant Burns Under The Magnifying Glass’ (what a title!) has clearly been really popular. I noted you describe yourself as ‘doom punk’ – I know genre is a fluid thing, and really only assists with Spotify algorithms, BUT I found the EP more a blending of the Seattle Sound/Grunge and Sabbath style rock. You may not agree…but! Do you find genre useful or is it no more than a peg to hang a hat?
Leigh: I think it’s loosely useful. Genres are not just a few words to me for an algorithm, I think it has some kind of an effect. Some of our songs are more one genre than the other though and sometimes I’ll write something more punky consciously or doomy, or I’ll add in different elements from other genres to meld them together too. It’s like I love being called Seattle sound, but we are actually from where Sabbath was formed. Birmingham. So, that industrial influence is ingrained and will always be there within our music. It’s not just ours though, it’s every Birmingham band even pop artists from Brum have that slightly industrial sound! I think a big part of us though is that genre is fluid and writing feels fresh and performance feels fresh. But genre itself can just be a useful demarcation of what you could maybe expect if you’re coming in blind.
Lolly: Leigh actually wanted me to make a longer name for a song, so I came up with ants. The song did super poorly at first but out of nowhere, its small scale blew up on tik tok. I didn’t like the name I came up with at first either but it’s growing on me!
You have been gigging as a band since 2023 (?) and building up a base of fans. Do you have a memorable gig or story you can share of life on the road so far?
Leigh: We’ve actually only been gigging since 2024. I have many, some may not be appropriate but they’re rock and roll. I personally just really enjoy when the three of us are in the car together and singing the same songs, telling the most random stories, that’s probably the most fun thing for me.
Lolly: I think my favourite thing from gigging other than just playing on stage as a band and loving it, is when Jake has had a drink and I take him to get food. There’s one time I took him and Leigh to Burger King (I am the driver) to line their stomachs and there’s the most funny picture of Jake in this Burger King hat that he found and just was going around singing in this empty Burger King. He looks like an overjoyed toddler. Jake has like a bulky, gym build but a baby face so it’s just so funny. I at least get one funny picture of Jake per gig and post it to our little close friends story that fans can opt into joining.
Jake: I think the first time we had a proper gig together because I only joined the band this year from a line up change, it was a competition called metal to the masses. The way that felt and we all played together, the crowd going absolutely crazy, it properly felt like something special. Like we melted minds.
On the road do you have any must have in the van? A particular piece of music that gets you hyped up? A packet of jelly babies? Etc ?
Leigh: A can of monster is always needed and dad rock. Divorced dad rock. We love belting out Creed on the way going ‘HOLD ME NOWW.’
Lolly: I mean as the driver, always a ‘Red Bull.’ Always always. I also usually plan in a toilet stop because of tiny bladder – not naming names (Jake!)
Jake: A can of white monster or whatever energy drink from the off licence, and then being in the back among all the equipment in Lol’s little car is great.
If someone (like me actually) comes to your music fresh, what should be the first track they check out, and why that one?
Leigh: I genuinely think it should be Cami (nickname for Carmilla) It may be our newest track but it’s actually the one that’s been in our set the longest and something that is unapologetically BLDSUGR! That might change though once we have our EP recorded because I am slightly biased about a track that’s going to be on there that’s just my absolute favourite.
Last of all, as fans – what has been the best gig you have been to, and what is your memory of why it was so special?
Lolly: The best gig I have been to and why? Wow! Now that is a bloody question. I’ve been very fortunate to grow up getting to go to lots of gigs but a lot of my favourite gig memories have been at Download fest here in the UK. When Bring me the Horizon headlined, Metallica doing a 2 day headliner with two different setlists, seeing System Of a Down, so so so good the list could go on! If we ever got to play there, I think I would collapse in tears on stage if I ever paused to acknowledge my feelings. I think probably if I had to choose one overall it would probably either be seeing Fleetwood Mac with the rumours line up (insane) or when I saw Motley Crue in Tampa Florida on a complete whim. The atmosphere was electric, it was a small outdoor venue, the warm summer air was around us, we were so close to the stage and it just felt amazing. It had the theatrics, the flare, just everything! But I have so many concerts that I’ve been to that just left me exhilarated and in awe.
Leigh: Half Alive at the 02 Institute. That was just so special. That is my favourite. But I’ve also enjoyed Bob Vylan, Limp Bizkit, The 1975! But the reason that’s my favourite is that there’s something about being in such a small venue for a band that’s come over from America in a sold out show. There was something so special about that.
And that closed down my interview! Onward to my review of the new single:
“Carmilla” blows through my headphones with a heavy acidic feel of The Undertones, kick-ass vocals and a meaty hook in that dirty riff. It is a track that late night commercial radio DJs should check out, it is the type of track that retains an older punk attitude and spins a powerful new tone for 2025.
In summary, BLDSUGR blends doom-punk grit with gothic theatre, and the result is electrifying. “Carmilla” cements them as one of the UK’s most intriguing new acts — confident, creative, and unapologetically themselves. Expect their name to be echoing far beyond the Birmingham circuit before long.
And we hope you liked the feature, dear reader! If you did, please check out the other pages of the magazine; we have many great features, merchandise pages, shops, editorials and even a poetry page. Content is free here, but we work hard for you, and to support the magazine, please show your appreciation on the support button below and buy us a coffee!
Stream music from the band here
By Anna-Louise Burgess
