American violinist, singer, and songwriter Brittney Denise Parks, known by her stage name Sudan Archives, continues to push musical boundaries with bold, genre-defying work. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she learned to play the violin by ear from a young age.
Signed to Stones Throw Records, she has released two studio albums so far: Athena (2019) and Natural Brown Prom Queen (2022). In 2023, she picked up two Libera Awards — for “Best Breakthrough Artist/Release” and “Best R&B Record”.
Her new single “A Bug’s Life” is part of her upcoming album THE BPM, due October 17. The track premiered on BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Sian Eleri.
Musically, the track layers soulful house elements with sharp production to tell a story of someone materially successful (“just hit a scam over 90 bands”) yet still searching for love.
Sudan shares how the song was born: “I remember the beat sounded like A Bug’s Life — I used to play the A Bug’s Life video game — and I laughed at it.” She also explains the geographical journey of its creation: started in Los Angeles, expanded in Detroit, and finished in Chicago with a quartet.
On THE BPM, she introduces her alter ego Gadget Girl — a tech-savvy musician who wields rhythm and electronics as tools of empowerment.
