Durham adds a new record label to its ever-growing music scene. Poet and musician Shirlette Ammons has partnered with her twin sister, a former librarian turned community gardener and food justice activist, Shorlette Ammons, to launch SugarQube Records.
Shirlette says the goal of the label is to “create a platform that supports artists who blur genre lines by making music that pushes the bounds of categories and labels” and that the concept behind SugarQube developed from her own experiences as an artist seeking support. “I love hip-hop and R&B, but what if you’re a black musician who wants to create outside of the molds you’ve been arbitrarily cast into?” Shirlette says. “SugarQube aims to allow artists that opportunity.”
SugarQube Records will co-release Shirlette’s upcoming sophomore solo album with fellow Durham label Churchkey Records. The album will feature a range of artists who represent the label’s mission to blend genres and represent artists who otherwise might not easily find label support.
