On The
Move
Sug Daniels is relocating to Philly, but says she will always consider herself a Delaware artist. Photo by Yarissa Luna
The versatile Sug Daniels continues her ascent to musical success
By JulieAnne Cross
S
ug Daniels has long been most recognizable as the leader of those darlings of the Delaware music scene, Hoochi Coochi, a self-described “hand-clapping soul-stirring, funky soul-blues band” that performs original music along with occasional crowd favorites. In their six years as a band, they’ve packed venues and festivals up and down the First State, and opened for national acts like Low Cut Connie, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Larkin Poe. They played XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, N.J., in September. Co-founder and vocalist Daniels, known also as Brown Sug (and as Danielle Johnson before launching her solo career), has had her hands in booking, promoting, and writing lyrics for the band since its founding. “We had a really busy summer,” says Daniels. “Like every other band, we didn’t do anything for a long time. Once summer kicked in and everybody was outside, we were booking shows like we never left.” For the past few years, she also has performed as half of an acoustic act, Brown Sug & Blonde Blonde Roast, with Lauren Kuhne. While the duo caters to Wilmington’s thirst for cover music, they also offer some original songs, and occasionally add drummer Barret May — from Kuhne’s band, Lauren and the Homewreckers — to make a trio. ► DECEMBER 2021
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