Sugar Ray's ascension to fame has thus far been guided by producer David Kahne, who oversaw both 14:59 and the group's 1997 breakthrough Floored. The Orange County, Calif. band, in pre-production for their third album since mid-summer last year, had originally planned to again work with Kahne, but the Sugar Ray handed the producer his walking papers for unspecified reasons. Now on board to knob twiddle is Don Gilmore, whose production/engineering credits include Eve 6 's eponymous debut, Lit's A Place In The Sun and Pearl Jam's landmark Ten.

Originally the band had hoped for a Valentine's Day release, but now a mid-May on-sale date looks more realistic. Despite earlier reports that they've already titled the record "Just To Be Nominated," sources close to the band say that the title has since been abandoned and the record has no official moniker just yet.

Pre-production on several tunes took place at bassist Murphy Karges' home studio, with upwards of fifteen tracks tried on for size. Among those was "Craiggae," a duet with Mark McGrath and 311's Nick Hexum. Named for Craig Bullock (a.k.a. Sugar Ray's DJ Homicide), the track may or may not find its way onto the album, which McGrath has loosely described as something of an homage to the Eighties.

In other Sugar Ray-related news, there is still no official word on when McGrath will drop his lyrical science on the forthcoming solo debut from Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal. The singer is one of many guests slated for the still nameless album also to include Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland, Korn's Jonathan Davis, Bizkit's own Fred Durst, Eminem and Method Man. In addition to once spinning platters for House of Pain, Lethal produced Sugar Ray's 1995 debut Lemonade & Brownies.

GREG HELLER
(January 5, 2001)