Sugarplum Fairies

by Jason Birchmeier
The Sugarplum Fairies are an Austrian indie pop/rock duo who mix hushed, melancholic English-language female vocals with jangly, often acoustic guitars over spare folk-rock productions. Comprised of Vienna natives Silvia Rider (vocals) and Ben Bohm (guitar, background vocals), the Sugarplum Fairies draw influence from French cultural icons such as Françoise Hardy, Anna Karina, and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as the Velvet Underground, John Lennon, and Lee Hazlewood. Frequently mentioned as a point of comparison by critics, Mazzy Star, a similarly styled female-singer, male-guitarist duo from the 1990s, are also cited as an influence. The Sugarplum Fairies debuted in 1999 with Flake, released by Starfish Records. The duo's next two albums, Introspective Raincoat Student Music (2003) and Country International Records (2006), were also released by Starfish; notably, the latter album was produced in Nashville by Ken Coomer, well-known for his work with Wilco.