John Leslie Lands the Hook on The History of Sugar with Latin Rhythm and Peter Koppes
A Sunshine Coast Songwriter’s 2023 Ballad Gets a Second Look in Queensland’s Big Music Year
The hook of The History of Sugar is the way its love story ends. Two people meet, fall for each other, realise they are not a match and part as friends. John Leslie sets that ending over Latin rhythms, jazzy drums and layered harmonies, with Peter Koppes as the featured guest. The single came out on 25 August 2023. Three years on, it still fits a year when Queensland music has had plenty to celebrate.
John Leslie’s music is waiting in the playlist below, and his coverage is gathered on John Leslie’s artist profile. The History of Sugar came through PopHits.Co Music Charts, the programme that verifies independent artists and places their releases across its network of music news desks. Hit play on the song, then read on for the Queensland scene it sits in.
The Queensland Music Awards Went to the Gold Coast and BIGSOUND Turned 25 in Fortitude Valley
Queensland music had a crowded 2026. On 22 April, the Queensland Music Awards were handed out at Miami Marketta on the Gold Coast. Brisbane band Ball Park Music took Album of the Year and Highest Selling Album for Like Love. Jem Cassar-Daley won Song of the Year for Kiss Me Like You’re Leaving, her second win in that category. She also took the Pop award.
The genre awards showed how wide the state’s output runs. Tori Darke won Country with Remember Me Like That. Lontano took Blues/Roots with Way Too Long, and DZ Deathrays won Rock with Skyline. In the People’s Choice vote, the Maleny Music Festival was named Festival of the Year. The volunteer-run event returns to the Maleny Showgrounds in the Sunshine Coast hinterland from 6 to 8 November. More than 430 acts applied to play.
Then came BIGSOUND. The artist showcase and industry conference marked its 25th year from 1 to 4 September. Its BIGSOUND 100 programme put 100 Australian and New Zealand acts across 15 venues in Fortitude Valley over three nights. In addition, QMusic increased its financial support for the acts selected.
Put together, those results describe a state where pop, country, roots and rock share the same calendar. The History of Sugar belongs to that mix, though it comes from a quieter corner of it.
John Leslie Brings Americana, 90s Rock and Latin Rhythm Together From the Sunshine Coast
John Leslie is a singer-songwriter, composer and producer based on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, about 100 kilometres north of Brisbane. His first single, Town of Love, came out in 2020. Since then, his catalogue has moved between styles. This single, however, sits at a specific crossing of Americana, 90s rock and chillout.
Reviewers who covered the release in 2023 picked up the same blend. Less Than 1,000 Followers described it as Latin-infused, with jazzy melodies and a silky lead vocal. Senocular Media heard an Americana song built on lush guitar, groovy bass and jazzy drums. Layered harmonies sit behind the voice, and the track runs 4 minutes 50 seconds.
The words follow one relationship from start to finish. First, a chance meeting leads to tenderness and passion. Then comes the realisation that the two people are not right for each other. They split on friendly terms. Plenty of pop ballads stop at the heartbreak. This one keeps going to acceptance, which is why the song stays warm rather than bitter.
The featured guest brings a long history. Peter Koppes is a founding member of The Church, the Sydney band inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010. The official Koppes biography credits the guitarist with starting the jangling harmony guitar style the band became known for. It also names the jazz feel of Jimi Hendrix’s drummer Mitch Mitchell, and the guitar of Santana, among the early influences. Those are fitting reference points for a single built on Latin rhythm and jazz drums.
Leslie has kept inviting guests since. A later single, Dream, features drummer Jackie James Barnes and sitar player Sudha Manian.
Powderfinger and Keith Urban Give The History of Sugar Its Queensland Neighbours
Powderfinger formed in Brisbane in 1989 and won 18 ARIA Awards before the band split in 2010. These Days was written for the 1999 film Two Hands and never released as a single. Even so, it topped the Triple J Hottest 100 that year. It is still one of the best-known Brisbane guitar ballads. The History of Sugar carries a 90s rock label of its own. However, it sets the guitars on a Latin groove with jazz drums instead of a straight rock beat.
Keith Urban was born in New Zealand. When he was two, his family moved to Caboolture, north of Brisbane, where he grew up. He has named rock players Mark Knopfler and Lindsey Buckingham as influences on his guitar playing. Later, he took that rock-trained guitar into country music. Somebody Like You went on to become Billboard’s biggest country hit of the 2000s. The link to Leslie’s single is that guitar-first approach. The History of Sugar gives a rock guitarist, Koppes, the featured credit on an Americana song.
From the PopHits.News curator team: “Play The History of Sugar for anyone who grew up on 90s guitar ballads and now wants them with a gentler swing. Latin rhythm and layered harmonies carry a break-up story without a trace of bitterness.”
Listen to The History of Sugar and Follow John Leslie
Hear The History of Sugar on SoundCloud. After that, follow John Leslie on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Bandcamp. You can also find him on the YouTube channel, Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook. The rest of his catalogue is on the official John Leslie website.
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