RockRevolt Magazine: How are things going during the pandemic? What are you doing to keep busy?
Kevin Martin: (laughs) baking bread, trying to learn how to play guitar again. Taking Spanish lessons on my phone. Whatever I can to keep myself busy. My wife has a clothing line, I go with her every now and then and work with her. It keeps me busy. I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the road to play shows. That’s something I think that every musician in the world is missing right now. I miss the fans a lot. And I really miss being able to play this stuff live. Having this record done now, I just really want to play it live because I love it that much.
RR: There’s no doubt the fans are really missing live music as well. Never would have expected something like this. Getting into the new track “Let Me Down Easy” co-written by Chris Cornell’s brother Peter, is this a first for Candlebox in terms of a collaboration with someone outside of the band or is it common?
KM: It’s not a first but it is a rarity. I always write with the guys in the band, I don’t write by myself. There are certain songs I have done on my own but I tend to like to collaborate. This is the first time I’ve ever collaborated with Peter, who’s an incredible musician, a couple years older than Chris. He had a couple bands out in Seattle before Soundgarden formed. It’s kind of in the scene there. I met him when I was 19 or 20 years old but we weren’t really friends as he was older than me. Never really had an opportunity to write with him until a couple years ago. He came out to some shows we played in Seattle with our my manager who is his wife Amy and we started chatting and I said I would love to have a song by you. I’ve been a big fan of his for years. I’ve got pretty much every record he’s ever released. A lot different songwriter than his brother Chris. And he said he would be honored to do something. So he sent me this track acoustically. Had the same exact energy that it has now. It influenced the lyrics, immediately, that I wanted to say. I knew it was going to be something special. It was absolutely the catalyst for the rest of the album. It’s the one that kickstarted me to get going on the album. I certainly have Peter to thank for that. It’s not out of ordinary for Candlebox to collaborate outside of the band but it’s certainly the first time I’ve collaborated with someone of such stature as a musician.
RR: It’s a great track and from the reception on YouTube it’s received nothing but positive feedback from the fans. Going a little deeper what can fans expect from the upcoming album Wolves?
KM: There are a couple songs that are similar to this but I would say the album is a bit bi-polar, isn’t doesn’t really know what it is. We weren’t looking to make it sound like every other song on the album. We always have tried to go in a different direction and with this record we’ve done that immensely. It’s kind of all over the place. It was inspired by our influences as musicians over the years. Things that we’ve loved, bands that we’ve loved, songs that we’ve loved. If we found that a song was going in the direction we were able to attach ourselves to, maybe a Led Zeppelin riff or something like that we ran with it, we didn’t stop ourselves we allowed the song to go there. We didn’t have any rules as to what we were doing or how it had to be and I think that’s what made this record so much fun and I think what people are going to love about it. It’s really just all over the place. It sounds like Candlebox, it feels like Candlebox, it’s everything Candlebox has ever done and wanted to do thrown into one record.
RR: How did Candlebox manage to complete an album under the current circumstances with COVID?
KM: We actually recorded the record last August and I didn’t do the vocals until this past January. So the record was done and mixed by February 14th and was supposed to come out in August. We’ve been sitting on this for a while. The worst thing about it and not being able to get out there and play it. Like I said it’s been done we just want to get out there and play the shows. Play the songs live for everybody and get the record out. Now it looks like it won’t be until January or February of next year for a release.
RR: Is that because you want to be able to tour immediately behind it?
KM: Yeah tour on it. Also it’s distribution and it’s issues with Sony and Red not having room in their distribution catalog to get the record out. So we need to wait for them as well. We can’t put it out on our own because we do have a deal with Pavement Entertainment.
RR: Going back to the writing process how has that changed over the years specifically when you began with the original band members up to now being the only original band member, has that changed things?
KM: It’s pretty much the same. I would either write a song with Pete or Marty. I would form the melodies and write the choruses, things like that. So it’s really the same with whoever I’m writing with. I wrote a little bit more by myself on this record then maybe I did on previous albums. But really it’s whoever has something that jazzes everybody we’ll roll with it. I’ll go where the band wants to go. If they like what I’ve written by myself then we’ll stick with it. If they want to be a part of writing with me on the record then we’ll do it that way. We don’t really follow any rules when it comes to that. Maybe we should (laughs).
RR: Often times you’ll hear of bands that has a single person who controls that entire process. It’s nice to hear that Candlebox takes the approach you do, especially with you being the only original member.
KM: It’s my voice and always has been. I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to steering a song.
RR: Speaking of the original members, a couple years back you did a show celebrating 25 years of your debut album release. And you had a couple dates scheduled in October to celebrate your sophomore record Lucy.
KM: Yeah we did but they had to be postponed until November of next year. Pretty bummed about that. I don’t know why we are in this position we are in. As a society not wearing a mask. If people would just wear a mask I think we’d see a really quick reduction but that’s not the case. Shows are being postponed, bands are unable to tour. Not able to get your music fix. If you’re one of those people refusing to wear a mask then it’s kind of on you.
RR: It’s obviously a serious issue. It’s not just a U.S. thing but you are seeing it worldwide. I agree lets get those masks on so we can see some live music. Going back to the playing with the original members you obviously all have a good relationship why not reunite full time?
KM: Bardi is an attorney, he’s got a very successful practice. Scott’s got a business that does very well. He can’t take 6-8 weeks off to go out and tour. And Pete is a producer and songwriter in Florida so it’s not an easy thing for us to go out. We’d need to go out at least six weeks. I think if we had time to schedule it; Bardi was able to take time from his business and Scott could get away from his for that long then maybe we could do it. I just don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s just too much that is going on.
RR: Well the cool thing is that you guys still all get along well. It wasn’t a bitter break-up. Now most people look at you as a Rockstar. Since getting signed have you been able to exist solely off of Candlebox or have the changes in the industry made it so you need another source of income?
KM: Yeah I’ve definitely had to do other things. Candlebox wasn’t a band that sold 20-30 million records. We’ve sold I think 7 million worldwide and that’s going on 30 years. It pays the bills. It’s definitely a labor of love now. I work with my wife, she has a clothing line. I have a vacation rental in Palm Springs that I rent out. It’s whatever you can do to sustain yourself. Would I have loved music to be a huge financial money maker for me, absolutely. But I enjoy what its giving me now. I do like having other things to do to keep myself busy and inspired. I would get bored if I sat at home and lived off the wealth of a hugely successful record. I enjoy the process of working. I had a ton of jobs before I got signed. Even back in the day when the band was at its height I was a construction cat, I did a ton of development stuff. So I built my own kitchen and redid my house in Seattle. I kept myself busy and that was the best thing for me, to have some other outlet to look forward to besides just music.
RR: When writing a song like “Far Behind” do you remember when that song came to your head. Do you recall how long it took to write that song and how it came together?
KM: That’s the first song that Bardi brought to us. The first day he came to try out for the band he had the bass line. That night Pete took it home, brought it back the next day and turned it into a guitar line. Later that afternoon the song was done. Lyrically it took a little while to develop what I was trying to say. Early on that’s how we worked. Somebody would come in with an idea and 1 or 2 hours later the song would be done. We didn’t overthink things. I guess that’s why the first album is timeless because it’s not overthought it’s just a really easy album to listen to. So “Far Behind” took us maybe a total of 4-5 hours to write.
RR: That’s amazing. Now when it’s finished do you know you have a hit on your hands?
KM: I didn’t think so. My friend Kent did. He was pretty convinced. I was never a ballad guy. I didn’t think ballads were going to be the success of Candlebox. I thought oh it’s a ballad on a record if people like it, it’s a chick song or something like that. I honestly didn’t think it was going to be what it was. I initially is because the lyric was Andy, not maybe because I had written the song for Andy Wood and I didn’t change that until I got in the studio to record the demo of the song. That’s when I changed it.
RR: Was there a song off of the first album that you thought was going to be a big hit?
KM: Yeah I thought “You” was going to be the main track that was going to take us to the ends of 2-3 years worth of touring. Goes to show you what I know.
RR: What do you mean, “You” was a huge hit as well. I don’t think you were too far off. Just a few more questions as we wrap things up. Is there a favorite band that you’ve toured with?
KM: Oh man, To Whom It May out of Houston I love those guys. Whole Damn Mess who’s done the last couple runs with us, out of Florida. Love those guys. We’ve had some really good times out there. Dates with Rush were probably my fondest memories back in ’94. That’s something you just never really get over when you tour with a band like that. We did 3 months with those guys. It was pretty intense to watch them every single night. Just watching them switch up their set and move things around was brilliant. I’d say that was probably the main one.
RR: How about the worst band to tour with?
KM: Not they were a bad band but their fans hated us, Metallica. The summer of ’94 was a hard run. Their fans hated us. Alice in Chains was supposed to be on the bill. I think people were looking forward to Alice in Chains and they got Candlebox. I don’t think they were very happy about that.
RR: Do you recall the largest show you played?
KM: That would have been Woodstock ’94 like 300,000 people.
RR: How about top 5 records everyone should own?
KM: Oh man that’s good. Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles White Album, Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde, Neil Young Harvest Moon and Nirvana Nevermind. That’s a tough one.
RR: We should have a Candlebox album in there shouldn’t we?
KM: Oh god no (laughing). Okay so here you go let me do that again. Debut Candlebox album, Into The Sun, Disappearing in Airports, Wolves and Led Zeppelin IV alright.
RR: I like that list, good one.
RR: I’ll finish off with this. Currently the political environment in the United States is nuts, any comment about what is going on?
KM: I think people need to pay attention to what’s going on in the world. The divisive nature of this president, whether you agree with it or not he’s choosing to divide people. That’s not a good thing. Just use your brain. Think about what’s being said. Whether you believe Biden should be president or not that’s beside the point. This president just lies constantly. Lies, lies, lies and that is not what we need as a leader. We need to be able to trust the President of the United States. This guy has proved that you can’t. Everything out of his mouth is a lie. This whole thing he knew what was going on, well I didn’t want to cause a panic. You can’t do that, it’s your job as the President of the United States to say listen this is a serious event, this is what’s happening, we’re going to see some deaths, we’re going to see some terrible times. People need to prepare themselves for this. That’s what a president is supposed to do. Not say oh I don’t want to get anybody upset or panic. By that way that’s just my opinion. Any of the people out there that listen to this interview and get upset with what I’m saying, it’s just an opinion it doesn’t fucking mean anything. It’s just an opinion. And if you hate me because of it go ahead and hate me but it’s just an opinion.
RR: I appreciate that and I like that you point out it’s just an opinion. We need to be allowed to have opinions. Any final words for the fans?
KM: Can’t wait to see you all. Thank you so much for letting us do this for 28, 29 years. If you would have told me when I started this band back in 1991 that is what I’d still be doing and how I would be able to pay my rent I wouldn’t have believed you. We are so grateful and I’m glad that people still chose to listen to the bullshit that comes out of my mouth.
RR: Looking forward to seeing you on the road. I remember seeing you back in ’94 at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Flaming Lips opened up for you. It was a great show. Obviously want the fans to check out the new song “Let Me Down Easy” and the new album coming up next year Wolves. Thank you again, always a pleasure talking to you. Best of luck with everything.
KM: Thanks buddy good chatting with you.
Interview by RockRevolt Photojournalist Brett Tully
