Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Lee Floyd.
Hi Monica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My name is Monica Lee Floyd, and I am a published author of two poetry collections available on Amazon, Kindle, and Barnes & Noble entitled “Lifting the Veil” and “Savannah Gothic”.
I have been featured on the Paramount Network reality television show “Wife Swap: Floyd vs. Clanton” as a representative of the Savannah alternative community. I starred as Elizabeth in the Jeffrey Hatcher adaptation of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” at The Tybee Post Theater; directed by the amazing Tony Marchetti-Knarr.
I am most recently a contributing writer for The Savannahian, which is a digital alt-weekly newspaper that covers events in and around the Savannah, Georgia community. I am the manager, booking agent, social media specialist, lyricist, and vocalist for the local and Southeast regional band out of Savannah, Georgia called Sugar and Spit. My band Sugar and Spit is a multi-genre punk rock, grunge, and goth-inspired band that is the brainchild of myself (AKA Sugar), and my fiancé, Billy Matthews (producer and guitarist) AKA Spit. We perform with three other band members who are an essential part of our music.
Their roles are Dan Harrison on bass, Austin Gordy, AKA Austin Chains on drums/percussion, and our newest addition Erin Re, AKA Erin Caution on keys and synthesizer. It has been a journey to get to where I am today. I am originally from Long Island, New York and I moved to Savannah in 2009. I started out in Savannah as a stay-at-home mom of three amazing children named Alexander, Anthony, and Janie. I am also the mother of Billy’s son, Logan; we have been a blended family for about two years. I have been a writer my whole life, and because of the skills I have developed over the years, I was able to translate my writing into lyrical content for our band.
I try to express relatable emotions in my lyrics while Billy composes the music to correlate with those feelings. More often than not, Billy will write some music that moves me so much I have to express it in words. I love being a vocalist and performer because I get to use my voice and body as instruments to evoke thoughts and feelings in the people that surround us and support our art and music in this amazing community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most of the struggles I have faced in my life have been very personal. My two boys, Alexander and Anthony, lost their father, Alexander Paul Roux (11/4/1988-10/23/2009) when they were babies. The grieving process was not conducive to a creative mindset for me, and it was a time to focus on my family.
My daughter, Janie was born several years later and it resulted in a failed marriage that left me a single mother again. Once I was released from the emotional burdens of loss and grief I was able to focus on my writing and my art. Billy and I met shortly before the Covid pandemic and our combined artistry has been essential for me to be able to express myself on a free way.
He is a huge support and one of my greatest muses. I am proud to be sharing my life with him. I love him so much. He is one of the most talented people I know.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
It is quite obvious that my passion project is my music and our band Sugar and Spit. I am also passionate about giving back to the Savannah community and supporting other artists and charities who do so. I love being able to write for The Savannahian because I can showcase people in this community who give back.
Bringing awareness for the people in our community that need work and help from others is something that I aspire to continue doing through musical charity events I’ve participated in such as the Dog Days of Rock hosted by the local music venue, and The Wormhole in support of Renegade Paws Rescue.
I am most proud of pushing through my own boundaries in order to help others through their own emotional struggles in life because I have been there. Our band is different because we don’t box ourselves into anything or restrict our creativity to fit in with any type of label. Our music is a reflection of our experiences in our lives, and communicating that to an audience that it will resonate with.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Myself as an author/writer and also the band Sugar and Spit as a whole are extremely collaborative with our time and resources. People can reach out to us through social media. We have a Facebook page for Sugar and Spit, and I have an author page for my writing; Author Monica Lee Floyd on Facebook.
Sugar and Spit has an Instagram handle @sugar_and_spit. Twitter is @SugarAndSpit. We have a TikTok as well under @Sugar_And_Spit. Our YouTube channel is sugar Nspit. Anyone can also reach us by email at [email protected]. My author email is [email protected].
We are very visible to the community if anyone wants to reach out for events or collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://sugarandspit.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sugar_and_spit
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sugarandspit
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SugarAndSpit
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCNT0akymhQuAoHTbFEapAPA
- Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8bsH92b/
Image Credits
Shout Pixel Photography, MMS Productions, Monica Lee Floyd, and Michelle Wright
