CANDLELIGHT RED
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 26th August 2011.
Hailing from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Candlelight Red deliver hard edged melodic music. Their first full length CD "The Wreckage" was recorded with Grammy Nominated Producer David Ivory.
We caught up with guitarist Jeremy Edge to find out more.
Left to Right: Jeremy Edge - Guitar, Vocal Ryan Hoke - Vocals Jamie Morral - Bass, Vocals Josh Hetrick - Drums
Hi Jeremy, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Jeremy: No problem! Everything has been going great and thank you guys for having CLR!
What’s the history behind Candlelight Red? How and when did you get together?
Jeremy: We got together about three years ago. We knew each other from previous bands in the area and once we started playing together, things sort of fell into place right away!
Who were the early influences?
Jeremy: All kinds of influences.... Pantera, Deftones, Korn, Taproot, Sabbath, Motley Crue, Alice in Chains, Rage, you name it. Were a big melting pot of hard rock and melodic metal!
Did you know what sort of sound you were destined to have at the start, or has it developed a lot since you began?
Jeremy: We knew we wanted a big heavy sound with melodic and well written songs that are accessible to a wide audience. We were a big fan of Terry Date records and wanted a big rock sound like that. We feel our producer, David Ivory (Halestorm, Silvertide) really helped us achieve that.
You won a competition to open for KISS last year. Has that helped your profile in a big way, or was it simply a cool experience?
Jeremy: It was both! It was an exhilarating experience to share the stage with them and play in front of thousands. We actually met gene and Doc Maghee and everyone in the KISS crew was so nice and hospitable. Doing that certainly helped speed things a long with the buzz that was already happening with the band.
New album “The Wreckage” is out September 27th. How long did it take to write and record? Was the process enjoyable, hard work, or a combination thereof? Tell us about it...
Jeremy: We started writing it last year and started working with our producer for preproduction in January. It took about 4 months and a lot of that was rehearsing and restructuring the songs to get them right. It was hard work and it was also a really fun experience as well.
Where did the title come from?
Jeremy: The Wreckage is the first song we wrote with Ryan. We felt it befitting to title the record after that song.
What did producer David Ivory bring to the project?
Jeremy: He just brought out the best in us and really made the songs better. He taught us how to make the songs more interesting from beginning to end and really take the listener on a journey. He kept things light and strengthened our sound without changing the songs or the band too much.
How do you go about writing your songs? Talk us through the construction of a typical track...
Jeremy: Usually starts with a guitar riff, then music. Ryan writes melodies and lyrics and then we move the structure around to make it best for the vocals. Sometimes the last part requires a lot of reworking, sometimes things come together very quickly.
Where do you look for your lyrical and musical writing ideas?
Jeremy: Ryan seems to draw his songs lyrics from real life experiences. We feel that rock music should have real emotion behind it and soul. You can't really do that with fiction. Everyday life stuff we feel makes the songs more easy to relate to than writing about politics or stuff like that.
Do you do anything special or unusual in the studio to get your sound?
Jeremy: That is top secret! lol
Actually just taking our time and getting the right tones while you are laying your tracks. I don't like the "We got good raw sounds so we'll fix everything and make it shine in mixdown" approach. David and the band are firm believers in creating the sound from the ground up.
Are there any particular tracks you rate highly, or is it all brilliant?
Jeremy: I think "In your hands" has become the band fav, but we are pretty proud of the whole disc. We can't wait to start on the next!
How has the reception been at radio for the single "Closer"?
Jeremy: Radio for Closer has been great! We've been hearing from people all over the country from it and with Octane adding this week, we are pretty stoked!
Talk us through your existing touring plans, and what sort of show you put on...
Jeremy: We are finishing September with Saving Abel and going out with Ten Years in October.
We like to put on a highly energetic show and expend every ounce of everything we have onstage. It's kind of like a sporting event lol!
What have been the highlights and lowlights of your musical lives so far?
Jeremy: Getting to open up for Kiss and playing for 6000 fans in Salt lake city and Kansas City were some of the highlights so far. We love big rowdy crowds! I believe vehicle breakdowns are always the low points!
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Jeremy: The answer is Jagermeister! lol Just insert any question you like, and that is usually the answer!
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Jeremy: Going to Ziggy's in Winston Salem NC to do a show with Saving Able and Egypt Central!!!!!
Anything else you would like to mention?
Jeremy: Check out facebook.com/candlelightred for all our latest updates from the road.
Thanks again to Jeremy or his time.
http://www.candlelightred.com/
https://www.facebook.com/candlelightred
