Founded in 2021, The Sugar Roots feature an all star lineup of Portland greats. Front man and multi-instrumentalist Chad Rupp has been soaking in and performing with the PNW's most significant blues exports for decades (Curtis Salgado, Lloyd Jones, DK Stewart, Jim Mesi, Paul DeLay, Robbie Laws). You can hear those influences in Chad's vocal presentation and song writing. The rest of the line up includes Jason JT Thomas on guitar (Lisa Mann Band, Sons Of Bitches), Pat McDougall on organ/piano (Rae Gordon Band, Ben Rice Band, Tall Static), Timmer Blakely on bass (Paul Gilbert, Terry Evans), and Chandler Bowerman on drums (Ben Rice Band, 5 Guys Named Moe). Their collective century of experience rolls off the stage like a powerful blanket of confidence.

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The Sugar Roots launched as a band by competing in the Cascade Blues Association's "Journey to Memphis" in September of '21, succeeding in landing the coveted spot to represent the CBA in the Blues Foundation's '22 "International Blues Challenge. Simultaneously, they wrote and recorded an album of original material called "Savage's Life" which was released by Lightning In A Bottle records in October '21. By the conclusion of 2021, "Savage's Life" was charting on multiple blues and roots charts and gaining significant amounts of radio play and programming. 

 

"Savage's Life" features 10 original songs composed by Chad and the Band and one cover; a second line version of Steve Miller's "Rock'n Me". Both "Rock'n Me" and the title track "Savage's Life" feature guest vocal appearances by PNW stars Rae Gordon, Melanie Owen, Lisa Mann, and Karen Lovely. The funky blues tune "Rain Checkin'" also features an appearance from Portland legend LLoyd Jones. The Atlas Horns featured on many Lloyd Jones albums also appear on five of "Savage's Life" tracks.

 

Midwest Records Reviews says "Portland white boys with the blues put their best feet forward this this heady debut that lights up the night with power to spare".

 

Fotobluesrockandmore says "With Savage's Life, The Sugar Roots show that they are the generation that will school the blues of the future, in Portland and around the world".

 

John Alexander Kereiff says "fu@#$ng EXCELLENT album!!!"
 

While the '22 IBC has been postponed to May of 22, The Sugar Roots are using the down time to prepare songs for their next album while they line up a summer festival season. Recording is estimated to begin in September'22 on the next album and the goal is to have it available from the stage by winter of '22.

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