Sugar Man single debuts on 10 February

Nic Pugh, operating under the solo moniker Midniter, released the single Sugar Man on 10 February 2026 via SugarTank! Records. The track utilizes elements of 1970s glam rock and electronic pop, departing from the guitar-heavy arrangements of Pugh’s previous musical output. The accompanying video, directed by Paul Juan of Yawn Productions, premiered on The Big Takeover following a four-day shoot in a studio in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina.

The track functions as a critique of commodity fetishism. Pugh draws a direct line between the chemical hooks of narcotics and the algorithmic hooks of modern capitalism, citing Jeff Bezos and the street-level economics of The Velvet Underground’s “Waiting for the Man” as core inspirations. The titular character is a personification of the manipulative corporation—a dealer of convenience and excess.

Nic Pugh (36) has spent two decades within the punk and rock circuits. Midniter was conceived in January 2024 as a departure from traditional band dynamics, influenced by the production aesthetics of the indie sleaze era and the electronic precision of Justice, The Knife, and Aphex Twin. Alongside Nic Holman, Pugh runs SugarTank! Records, an imprint established to provide a platform for LGBTQ+ artists and their collaborators.

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