Sugar was formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1992 by singer‑guitarist Bob Mould, former Hüsker Dü, alongside bassist David Barbe (former Mercyland) and drummer Malcolm Travis (former Human Sexual Response). After leaving Hüsker Dü, Mould recorded solo material and recruited Barbe and Travis, rehearsing thirty songs in a downtown Athens tire shop before naming the band after a sugar packet spotted in a Waffle House. The group’s debut single "Helpless" appeared in 1992 and preceded the release of their first album Copper Blue in September 1993 on Rykodisc in the United States and Creation Records in the United Kingdom; the album was named NME Album Of The Year 1993 and spawned videos for "If I Can't Change Your Mind" and "Helpless" that received MTV airplay. In spring 1993 an EP, Beaster, was issued, followed by the second studio album File Under: Easy Listening in September 1994, which reached number 7 on the United Kingdom Albums Chart. The band disbanded in January 1995 after a final show in Sendai, Japan, and Mould continued as a solo artist. A compilation, Besides, was released in July 1995, and in 2014 the Complete Recordings 1992–1995 box set was issued by Edsel. In 2025, the trio re-emerged with the single "House of Dead Memories", followed by "Long Live Love" and a world tour in 2026.
