INTERVIEW: AARON LEE OF KILLIN’ CANDACE

Hollywood’s Killin’ Candace play a style of hard rock they like to call Love/Hate Rock ‘N’ Roll that is a blend of rock, punk and melodic metal styles: think Murderdolls in a dirty brawl with Static-X. Killin’ Candace is currently in the studio working on their forthcoming, debut record, titled Straight From The Underground. Here is British transplant and Killin’ Candace vocalist Aaron Lee.

Describe the driving force behind Killin’ Candace and how do you harness that force and deliver it to your fans?

Pure passion and realism. I write for myself, as well as writing for everyone else out there too, but I write in a way that I know people can connect to the music and lyrical content quite naturally. It’s all about that connection and energy between the music and everyone consuming it, so I always try to deliver the songs with honesty and the right amount of emotion to cut through.

What was the process of finding the exact tones and pitches of your instruments before landing on the Killin’ Candace sound?

I fell in love with Blackstar Amps many years ago (and yes you may say I am biased being a Brit!), but the balls, power and punch that Blackstar rigs offer is what really contributed and helped mould the band’s high-energy sound. Our tuning stemmed from me starting to write a more “angst”-like sound, so I decided to de-tune to drop C# rather than continuing to write in E-flat standard. It bought a whole new feel and energy to the sound that I was trying to create. It’s the right amount of gnarly, accompanied by the right amount of melody (I think?!) - but not too much experimentation was done…I still think of Killin’ Candace as more of a straight-up, back to basics hard rock band. I put pen to paper, we plug in, find a nice raunchy tone and let the beast roar.

Are there any rather odd gigs you’ve performed at? Would you ever do an odd gig again?

With this band no, not yet, but people reading this send in your requests and we’ll consider the best suggestions!

Do you have someone that was a huge inspiration to you that made you want to be in a band?

A lot of my influences were bands that had a pretty bold, prominent image and sound. I always admired the rebels and the bands’ that played their hearts out live. I’d say I was most inspired in my teens and at that point music saw a lot of bands like Marilyn Manson at their peak, so he for sure was a big influence on me. Also stand out bands like the Murderdolls, Dope, Static X - I really gravitated towards that aggressive, in your face sound - so those types of bands really paved the way for me wanting to be in a band and write music.

You’re working on your new album at the moment.  How is it progressing?

It’s going great. It’s an interesting and exciting time for the band, because even in the space of a year I feel as if the material and sound is evolving into something that will for sure turn a few heads. The album is definitely a work in progress, but I feel as if we’ve found our niche and swagger to where the sound and style definitely set us apart from most of the current acts, so I’m excited to bring a new fresh sound to the table.

Where are you recording, who is producing and what is the expected drop time frame?

We are recording the album at Stygian Sound, at the legendary Sound City Studios in Van Nuys. My friend and producer Alex Crescioni has a studio setup within the studio complex there, so that’s where the magic is and has been happening for the past few months! I don’t want to rush the release, but the way things are coming together I’d say April 2020 is a fair estimate.

Please name some of the highlights of the album so far and what song are you most proud of?

The title track #STRAIGHTFROMTHEUNDERGROUND is a very driving, upbeat and high-energy anthem. I want to accompany this song with a promotional music video because it has such a great energy and I can already envision it having a full-on, “punk”-like rebellion type vibe to it. The song is in that vein of “let’s take down the system, and take back our power”.

The song I’m most proud of (that came out of nowhere but will add a new feel to our sound) is a song I recently wrote called “Indigo” You might even say it’s risky including it on the album, but I’m all about versatility and doing what comes natural to me and my writing. I think it will also demonstrate dynamics as a songwriter, so I hope it gets received well ‘cause I think it’s one of the catchiest riffs I’ve ever written.

Who have been your favorite band(s) to perform with?

Our debut show we actually played with David Silveria (ex-Korn drummer)’s new band BIAS, those guys are killer. We also played a show in Downtown L.A. with DeepDrain and Uncompliant - two great local acts to keep an eye out for! To be honest we haven’t prioritized shows so much this year due to making the album the priority, so writing and being in the studio is pretty much how we intend to spend the summer and the rest of the year, that way we can gear up for a solid push in 2020.

What is your favorite part about performing in front of an audience?

I think the truth to that is that every musician is always eager and curious to see what kind of feedback/response they get from a crowd. But for me it’s all about that collaborative energy of everybody in one place, feeding off of the energy of that universal language that is music.

What has been the biggest obstacle you run into when performing/getting ready to perform?

Sometimes the band before us taking forever to get off the stage and cutting into our set time lol. But in all seriousness - I had a nightmare with the lineup for the longest time, it was hard to get people involved in the project until there was any solid content and product out there - so for me I had to invest a lot of time and energy into the band before we even hit a stage or announced shows. I built the band up from scratch and have always tried to put out a sound that is unique to its own, but my hardest task has been solidifying a lineup. That was a big reason why I decided to focus on content and recording the debut album, because once that’s done it puts us in a better position to market and promote the band.

Has your music career given you any opportunities that you normally wouldn’t have?

I love that music gives you the opportunity to connect, network and experience different emotions with different people. It really is a language that brings people together. Usually traveling is a perk too, with touring, so even though I enjoy traveling and experiencing different places in my personal time, I love that aspect of being a musician and that you can get to visit and see so many different countries, towns/cities, and connect with so many different people from all walks of life. I feel as if many musicians are free spirits at heart, so the road can easily feel like home. I like the adventure of traveling so I think that for me is one of the more rewarding opportunities that comes with being a musician.

What do you do when outside of the music?

I assist my partner with her clothing brand/business, SinScissors Boutique. We’ve had the pleasure of making wardrobe for In This Moment, Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Jake Pitts (Black Veil Brides) and more. We also lead a pretty active lifestyle; enjoy hiking, being out in nature, cooking and generally embracing the West coast!

Our drummer Vinnie is a full-time drum tech + coordinator at a music institution in Dallas, TX.

What’s up next for Killin’ Candace and what are the plans for the rest of the year and 2020?

As mentioned earlier I’ve decided to hold off on local shows and focus on the album. There may be one or two more local LA shows before the year is out (to promote the release and share the new material), but the goal and priority is to make sure that #STRAIGHTFROMTHEUNDERGROUND is ready to go for next year…so on that note we’ll see ya on the other side! ;p