It's a myth perpetuated by people who often like to put labels on artists, especially if those artists came out of Seattle back in the mid to late ‘80s and right through to the early years of 1990. The label? Grunge band. There were quite a few talented bands that came out of that era who, unfortunately, were automatically labeled as grunge simply because they resided in Seattle. One of those bands was called Candlebox. Kevin Martin, their enigmatic lead singer and front man wishes that people would just simply listen to their music and hear what they have to say. Their music was, is, and always has been rock. Yup. Surprise. They're just a straight ahead rock’n’roll band. Formed in 1990 and making their rounds in the Seattle club circuit, they finally found the recognition they deserved with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1993, which eventually sold over 4 million copies. In 1995 Lucy was released to mixed reviews, however the album went gold and was followed up with their third album Happy Pills in 1998. But the band members had become both disillusioned and disheartened by the lack of work ethic shown by their then label, Maverick Records, and unable to get out of their contract, they simply disbanded. A four year battle with Maverick ensued and Candlebox was faced with the backlash for several years after. Fast forward and Candlebox is back with their first album release in 10 years titled Into The Sun. A lot of things happened in those 10 years. Young boys turned into young men and with that maturity comes growth, experience, and changing times. One has passed the bar exam and is now a practicing lawyer in Seattle. One is now a new father. And everyone has put aside the bad experiences of their past to show the naysayers that they still have the ability to produce a great rock’n’roll album.

Calling me from L.A. recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Martin on everything from the band’s new album, his thoughts on music, making it on his own, labels, politics, and yes, even poop. Thanks for sharing Kevin, I'm still laughing!

TINA PEEK: It's been 10 years since the release of the band’s last album in 1998 titled Happy Pills and it seems that Candlebox is back with a vengeance with your new album Into The Sun. Tell me how it felt to get back out there with the original members, writing, recording, and of course, touring.

KEVIN MARTIN: Well initially it felt like a nice old pair of shoes that just fit perfectly and everything. It worked great. And we all, I think, expected that not to last very long. And to our surprise, it's been amazing ever since. We've continued on the same path. The process of writing in the studio was something that we had to relearn, or even just writing together in general was something we had to relearn, so that was a bit challenging. But initially, the whole thing was really just enjoyable and exciting.

TP: A lot of the media perpetuated the myth that Candlebox were a “grunge” band, but the truth is, you guys were never a grunge band, you were always a straight ahead rock band. Do you get tired of having to explain that to everyone, to the masses?

KM: I don't get tired of it, I think what I honestly, what I'm really tired of is just the social commentary that goes on when it comes to talking about Candlebox and reviewing Candlebox records. You know, my biggest thing is just talk about the songs, and if the songs suck, then just say, "This song sucks and that song sucks," and say why it sucks. Don't go into the whole thing about being from Seattle, being a grunge band, because it really is just a waste of time.

TP: Because all it does is put labels on you.

KM: Yeah, I mean we're just a rock and roll band and people that write, "Grunge band from Seattle," it's just stupid and that's what I'm tired of, you know? I don't tire of talking about it at all, because I love hearing myself talk for God's sakes, [I start laughing], so explaining that is just as simple as saying, "We're not a grunge band, we're a rock band from Seattle and that's it." And I can be as simple as that and just be an asshole about it, but when I'm really an asshole about it is when a journalist doesn't do their journalistic responsibility, and that is, the research, and talk about what it is that made the band, or what you don't like about the band. Don't be a social commentary because you went to college with a bunch of people who thought they were really cool.

TP: Exactly. And I hate when people put labels on bands. “This band is this and this band is that.” To me, if it's good music and they're a rock band, it's rock. It's pretty simple. And all the grunge labels, I never did get that to begin with.

KM: No. And you know, the funny thing is, bands in Seattle never would've called themselves grunge. It was a term that somebody...sorry, my son's getting a bit flustered at the moment [during parts of our interview, Kevin's 9 month old son Jasper was cooing and crying a bit for his daddy's attention]

TP: Aww, I can hear him.

KM: But you know, none of us would've ever called ourselves a grunge band. Chris Cornell doesn't walk around saying, "Hey, I'm the king of grunge because I was in Soundgarden." It's just a term that someone came up with, and I think it was an unfortunate one. We made a joke of it. We made light of it early on in our career with our first concert t-shirt which had "Dorks Grunge Burgers" on it, because there's a really famous burger joint in Seattle called Dicks, and we used their logo and changed it to "Dorks Grunge Burgers" and people bought the shirt like mad. It's one of those dumb terms that I think unfortunately stuck around way too long.

TP: I also wanted to talk to you about Maverick Records...now that you can talk about it, and I wanted to know what that time in your life was like, how that situation affected you personally, the band as a whole, and ultimately how it caused the demise of Candlebox.

KM: Initially it was a...[speaking to the baby, "Come here bubba"]...he says, "I'm frustrated and I'm tired." [referring to Jasper] Initially it was exciting. We were thrilled to be on a label, and we were excited about the prospects of being the first band to have the opportunity to make a name for a label that already had a name involved, and that name being Madonna.

TP: Right.

KM: Unfortunately, with the success of Candlebox and then the Deftones and Alanis Morissette, I think the label really lost sight of what had initially given it their real kick-start, and that was the art, the artists that they were signing, the bands, the music and so on. And they became very, very big for their britches with their attitudes and moving out of a small building into a three story building in Beverley Hills, and every single one of our guys had a publicist and on and on and on. And that led us to wanting to leave the label and wanting to call it quits in 1999, because of the disillusionment that we were experiencing dealing with these people, that at one point were our friends. Unfortunately that's no longer the case. We aren't friends with anyone from the label, and it's no longer a label, so I think karma's a bitch. For us, it was a great launching pad for our careers. Now we're having to re-build, and it's a nice place to be.

TP: I bet it is. During the hiatus from Candlebox, you wrote and sang in another band called The Hiwatts. What was that experience like for you and how did it differ from your experiences up to that point with Candlebox?

KM: Hiwatts is a blast. It's just a group of friends getting together in a garage. You know the difference between The Hiwatts and Candlebox is in Candlebox none of us were friends, per say, outside of the band.

TP: Really?

KM: The only person that I knew for a long term before I started in the band was Scott, the drummer. Marty and I went to high school together, but he was in Ireland when I first moved to Seattle in my sophomore year, and I didn't get to know him until my senior year. So we weren't really friends. It was more of a band that kind of fell together. And we got Pete through a relationship with Carey Gray saying, "Look I've got this kid I paint houses with. He's brilliant as a guitar player." So that's how Candlebox was kind of formed. The Hiwatts, we were all friends because we'd all played in different projects together. And we were on softball teams or hung out at different musicians homes and decided hey let's jam and see what happens. So that was the difference with that relationship. It was a lot more carefree. Candlebox was something that, after the success of the first record, we knew we really had to kind of keep motivated, to keep moving, to keep pushing forward with this project and make sure that the band was on the right path. And then with The Hiwatts, it was just like, "What are ya doing tomorrow? Do you wanna go tour Europe tomorrow?" Seether gave us a call that they'd pay us a hundred bucks a night if we can come over there and do three weeks in Europe with those guys. And not having to answer to a label, not having to answer to a manager, it was just like, "Well yeah, cool, let's go." "You free tomorrow? Well, the flight’s at five o'clock." I mean, that's how simple it was. That's what was so amazing about The Hiwatts. There was no success there. There was no, I mean, I think we sold five or ten thousand records, which was a lot of fun and great, but it wasn't something that any of us were really banking on. It was more like, “It's enjoyable and it's paying the rent for the time being.” We have another record that's in the can and hopefully when this Candlebox thing slows down next year, after we finish working on this record I can release that and go out and have some fun with my friends again. I mean, it's not that Candlebox isn't fun, and it's not that we're not friends, it's just a different beast. We are friends now. We've been friends for eighteen years, so it's pretty great.

TP: You're now signed with Silent Majority Group, a label based out of Florida, and from what I understand they do a 50/50 joint venture recording and royalty deal with all their artists, is that one of the reasons why you signed with them? And especially after the fiasco with Maverick, how wary were you of signing with a label, any label for that matter?

KM: Very wary.

TP: I bet.

KM: Yeah. We were extremely cautious about it and were not looking forward to signing with a major label in any way, shape, or form. It was something that the four of us—well the four at the time—Marty was still in the band, now he's practising law in Seattle, but at the time we were very cautious. We would have conversations at least once a week about our concerns with this label that was approaching us and that label. So when we got the phone call from Silent Majority, we knew that it wasn't going to be a huge success, you know, a successful relationship up front. We knew it wasn't going to be easy to get them to agree to do what most majors do which is, "Well we've gotta make a one hundred thousand dollar video and we've gotta tour, so we need a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to support us there." Etcetera. We knew that it was going to be an uphill climb, and it has been, but the nice thing about it is that we share in the profits. We share in the expenses and everybody wins and learns at the same time.

TP: Right, and you're not going to have them dropping people when you release an album and suddenly it's not getting radio play, because you all have a stake in it now.

KM: Exactly. Everybody's, you know, it's a win/win situation and everybody's definitely working towards a successful record for Candlebox.

TP: And I would imagine they also give you the freedom to make the music that you want to make, as opposed to being told, "Well look, we want you to fit into this specific genre of music." They give you more freedom to do what you feel you need to do, I would think?

KM: Yes, they do. I mean, they do have their opinions, just like everybody does. And the nice thing about it is that you can sit down with them and discuss those opinions, and at the end of the day, if we choose to go in one direction, the label just says to us, "Okay then that's where we're going. Go ahead."

TP: That's cool. You're writing has always been your strong suit as far as I'm concerned. You've never been timid about writing about the things going on in the world today, the politics, etc., and “Stand”, the lead off single certainly proves that once again. Tell me why you wrote that song and what it means to you.

KM: Why I wrote “Stand”?

TP: Yeah.

KM: Well at the time I was…well, when I wrote the song initially, it was a song I had written for The Hiwatts, and I was just like, "Man, this is just way too Candlebox." What I had done was, I was listening to some of our Happy Pills record, our first album, and the one thing I really enjoy and I kind of miss it, is working in the time signature of six, and it's kind of what Candlebox does really well. So I sat down with a friend of mine and we took a couple of different patterns of “You” and just tried to interweave them together to see if we could come up with some kind of new riff, and what we came up with was that song. [Kevin sings da da da da da dum] Which is basically, the intro of that song is three different guitar riffs from “You” and “Happy Pills” combined to create that riff. So I just knew it was too Candlebox, I knew I couldn't use it for The Hiwatts, so I put it in the can. But what was behind the song when I started writing it, and the reason that I wrote the song, and the reason I wanted to do that, was I was so frustrated with what was going on in our government. I have never been a George Bush supporter, I have never been a Republican. I've always been a Democrat. And it's one of the things my father and I clashed on, politically, when I was young, and I always found it interesting that my father was a Republican because he served in WWII and stormed the beaches of Normandy and I always felt that he should have been more of a Democrat. But anyway, long story short, that frustration led to paying attention to what I felt has kind of been the demise of the United States, and that is, young people don't realize their voice, their power, their strength, and that's been--I've been proven wrong now, obviously, with what's happened with the election and everyone chose the right man—but I was frustrated with the fact that I felt as though people weren't paying attention to the Constitution. They were allowing this government to make these fucking decisions that were costing us hundreds of billions of dollars and our Constitution states, "We the people." Those are the first three words. That's us. That's not George Bush. That's not Dick Cheney. That's not Condoleezza Rice. It's us, The United States Of America, and I was so proud the other night when I heard Barack Obama say, "We are the United States Of America." And that's where I've always kind of stood in my political views. And musically, “Stand” is that kind of a song, and that's what I wanted to say. You prey on the loneliest cubs in the zoo, well that's the weak and unwilling, the weak and unknowing, those are all the kids in the suburban neighbourhoods that...[Kevin turns his attention to his son and tells me that Jasper has just learnt to flush the toilet]

TP: I could hear the toilet flushing. [we're both laughing]

KM: [laughs] He's in his fifth flush of the toilet, because that's what he's learnt how to do.

TP: I honestly thought it was you flushing because you had to pee during our interview. [we're laughing again]

KM: Yeah, no. I wouldn't do that. Well you know, it's just that whole recruiting process of trying to recruit guys in neighbourhoods that...[Kevin's attention turns to Jasper, who wants to flush the toilet again]...You want to go in there Bubba, but you can't. [I'm laughing] This is a funny interview. [laughs] You know, that's where the frustration came from, and that's why the song was written. And I have friends that have been killed in Iraq that I will no longer see and that makes me very angry. So that was the basis and foundation behind that song.

TP: And I have to assume you voted?

KM: Oh yeah. Absolutely.

TP: Because unlike many artists who talk the talk, you're not scared of backing up your political beliefs are you?

KM: No. No. And you know, that was one of the things I was really frustrated with. A lot of these bands were releasing their records and in Rolling Stone saying, "Oh they're saying it's a political record," but not one of them is saying what they're fucking standing for and what the song’s about, you know? Maroon 5, "We've got a political song." Well what the fuck are you trying to say, you know? Don't be afraid of alienating your fans. That really pisses me off, and I think that's kind of what's lacking in this artistic community that I'm a part of, in this musical community, is that these people are afraid to fuckin' say, "George Bush is a piece of shit." And that's one of the things I really respected about the Dixie Chicks and their career took a major, major tumble.

TP: Yeah it sure did.

KM: Fucking God damn right, and they said exactly what they felt and that's what we're supposed to do as musicians!

TP: So what have you learnt about yourself and the music industry, in the 16, 18 years plus, since being with Candlebox, the good, the bad and the ugly? And I'm sure there's a lot of ugly. [we both laugh]

KM: I'm all three of those. [laughs] What I've learnt about myself is that I'm a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. I definitely have very strong opinions. I've learnt that I don't have the patience sometimes, to sit and contemplate what it is, the gift that I'm given. Sometimes I get very frustrated with it and I don't appreciate what it is, the opportunity that I've been given for the past 18 years. And I've learnt that I need a lot more patience and I need to take a lot more time for myself, to respect the craft, to respect the fans, respect the fact that when I get a royalty cheque every quarter, it's because somebody decided that what I had to say was valuable. That's what I've learnt the most about myself, is that I definitely need to appreciate and have more patience.

TP: Do you find having your son has made a difference in your life?

KM: [laughs] Enormous!

TP: I'm sure, in more ways than one, but I mean in the way you look at life...

KM: Totally...

TP: In the way you write your music...

KM: Totally. I mean it's such a gift. It's such a...[Kevin speaks to his baby boy]..."Hey it's a long ways down, huh Bub?"...It's such a joy. I'm no longer as important as I thought I was, I'm no longer "Kevin Martin lead singer of fucking Candlebox, how you doin'?" It's like, "Oh I have a child." And daddy's cool, you know? And to be honest, I'm going through a period right now, where I'm contemplating if this is still something I want to do, if I still want to sing in this band.

TP: Really.

KM: I don't know if this is the life I want to lead anymore.

TP: Because now you're a dad and you want to be at home with your family.

KM: Well it's just so much more important. It's just so much more important than I am and it's more important than Candlebox fans, you know? This life that I have with my wife and child, they're so great and brilliant, but it can be very short lived. You know, my father passed away four years ago, and I didn't know him real well when I was growing up. And then I got to become very close to him in the later years of his life. And that's something that I feel very strongly about, you know, with Jasper, is I want to be there when he walks. I wanna be there when he learns how to ride a bike. And if I'm on the road doing this, it's probably not going to happen. I mean who wants to run around in tight fuckin' jeans at the age of fifty anyway?

TP: [I'm laughing] Well some are still doing that, but it's not necessarily a good look.

KM: [laughs] Well I'm not Jagger. I wish I were. I wish I had his problems.

TP: And what about the music industry? What have you learnt in your years in the business? how do you feel about them now?

KM: My opinion of it is this: again it's a lyric in a song “Bitches Brewin”, which is about this industry, it's like, you made this fucking bed, sleep in it, you know? You've been screwing the artists over for so many years and now you're bitching about the fact that you're down 20 percent in record sales? Well, it's your own God damn fault. And I kind of feel that way. I'm not, again, it's the patience thing, and maybe it's a lack of empathy, or I'm not sympathetic to it, but it's just, I have no fucking patience for you, you've done this to so many bands, you've fucked over so many bands and this is what you get! And unfortunately, people trading music and downloading stuff and yeah, you're stealing money from the artist, but at the end of the day you're only stealing sixty cents, because that's what we really only make and that's sad, you know?

TP: That is sad.

KM: Yeah, because after taxes at seventeen points, four band members have gotta split sixty cents.

TP: Unreal. That's unreal.

KM: Granted, their argument is, “Well we do all the marketing and we do all of this…” But you're making eight dollars a fucking record. That's what you're wholesaling at.

TP: Meanwhile, you're writing the songs, you're writing the lyrics, you're writing the music...

KM: Exactly. And who told you to hire a fucking ten million dollar a year president of your stupid fucking label?

TP: I've talked to a lot of artists and they all feel the same way. Yup. Not much empathy there, that's for sure.

KM: And you know, we're coming to the point, as a generation of musicians, where we're going to have to just give our music away for free. Just say, "Hey the records out, just take it." Or you go in the studio and as you're making your record you mix the song that night and you put it up and you say, "Hey, there's a song available, Hey, there's a song available. Hey, there's a song available," just every day, instead of doing this process of three months out, you set up the interviews and press for the fucking record. But that's where everybody steals the songs, is some asshole from the label decides, "Hey I'm gonna fuckin' put this up on the web." And that's how it gets out there. Instead just say, "The song is done. It's up on fucking iTunes. Just download it." Or, "It's up on my site for free, go get it." I just got the Killola record, which I think is a really cool band, and they made it available on their MySpace page for free. All I had to do was sign up for some sort of questionnaire. And it's a great record.

TP: Well Kevin, let me ask you, why are they doing that then? I mean, why do that?

KM: Why put it up for free?

TP: Yeah.

KM: Because you want people to have the music. Because when you tour, that's where you make your money. Like when we go on the road, our guarantees are ten to twenty thousand dollars a night, sometimes fifty thousand dollars, and you know, I'm going to make more money touring, than I would ever make off of record sales. Four million records on our first album, I didn't make a million dollars. Unless you're in the twenty or thirty million and your publishing got the fucking shit done, but we didn't do twenty or thirty million records, we did four million. It's just, that's where the money is, so get the music out there. If the people like it they'll go, "I got this fuckin' record for free. I want to see this band live!" Cool. Come see us live. Pay eighteen bucks or twenty dollars, Come see us live. And that's another thing, you know, when we book our tours we do ticket prices eighteen to twenty bucks, and that's inclusive of the surcharge. So if there's a six dollar surcharge and we do a twenty five dollar ticket, that's nineteen for the ticket and six for the surcharge and that's it. We don't do twenty five plus six so it's thirty one.

TP: I wanted to ask you, too, was the writing for the new album different for you this time, as opposed to writing on past Candlebox albums, and if so, why?

KM: Yes, much different. We wrote a lot apart, I brought three songs to this record that I had done prior to even putting Candlebox back together. I had to bring them, obviously, to Pete and Scott and say, "Hey, these are some songs I've got. I feel they're great examples of Candlebox songs, and I think that we could do something better with them as a band.” Etcetera. Etcetera. And then there's the writing process of not being able to write, the four of us in a room, because we've grown up and we've done so many different things that we really just had to narrow it down to Pete and myself sitting in a room, me behind the drum kit, him behind the guitar. I would sit there and play the drums to what he was playing and then sing the melodies and work through the songs that way. And that was something we had never done, Candlebox would never have done.

TP: What would you normally have done?

KM: We would've all four sat in a room for five fucking hours and beat our brains out on one melody, which just doesn't work. You know, when we did the first record we were so in tune with one another that it was easy to write. But then, when we got to doing Lucy, everybody thought that they were gonna do something different, be the key musician/writer sort of thing and it became very difficult, because everyone wanted to throw their idea in. And at the end of the day, and as much as everyone wanted to do that, it ended up being just two of us would write the songs. And even though we shared publishing on everything, it broke down to there's actually only two of us that could make this work. [Jasper starts crying and Kevin turns his attention to his son] "What's the matter Bubba, what's the matter?"

TP: He's probably thinking, "Daddy, you're talking too long to that lady, I need attention."

KM: He's just...[speaking to Jasper]...you're gonna' get into too much trouble, cuz you're going to crush those fingers in there and then you're going to be like really upset about it...sorry.

TP: That's okay, no problem. You know he's only nine months old, but it sounds like he's going through the terrible two's already! [we're laughing]

KM: [laughing] Oh yeah, he's like, "I want the phone, give me the phone you're talking on it I want it." Oh Bubba, it's all fuckin’ bullshit isn't it?

TP: Aww, I know. [the baby is crying]

KM: [laughs] It's okay. He's cool. He just wants to play with the drawers on the dresser.

TP: Are you at home alone, looking after him by yourself?

KM: Yeah, we do this all the time.

TP: That's sweet. That's so great. Okay, so what inspires you as a writer?

KM: What inspires me?

TP: Mmm-hmm.

KM: [Pauses] Life, you know? Lookin' out the window. Seeing something, hearing something, talking to someone…

TP: Everything.

KM: Yeah, I mean I really, I'm a bit of an existentialist I suppose. Like a song on this record called “Consider Us”, that was a song inspired by listening to the song "The Funeral" by Band Of Horses. I was just driving down the street and I was listening to that [Kevin begins to sing the eerily haunting notes in the song] and I was listening to that, you know, that thing in there. And I was just like, "This song is really fucking dark, but it's so hauntingly beautiful." And I literally drove home, turned my computer on and sang into the computer, exactly what was crossing my mind. And it's got an existential view to it. There's a bit of Candlebox in there, there's a bit of Kevin in there, there's a bit of Pete in there, there's a bit of my wife Natalie and a bit of my son Jasper in that song, and yeah, it's all inclusive of everything that I want to say. I've been very fortunate in my career as a musician, as a songwriter, and as a lyricist, to tap into something that someone's feeling just by writing around what it is that exactly I want to say. But I don't want to be so specific about because I really like people to pull from my songs, like I do when I listen to my favourite musicians—Ray LaMontagne, Kings Of Leon—there are some really brilliant songwriters out there that have affected me. Kings Of Leon have been a huge inspiration over the past four years for me, because I think that they just continually impress me. They continue to expose themselves. They continue to push the envelope of music. And when I heard "Sex On Fire" for the first time, I was just like, "God, these guys never fucking cease to amaze me!" They just are brilliant. And sometimes I aspire to be that musician. I aspire to be the songwriter that does push the envelope, and I think sometimes Candlebox doesn't allow that, you know? We're the type of band that our fans definitely expect something from us that is not necessarily what I'd like to give them. So I feel a bit, um, trapped sometimes in this band, and that's why I said earlier I need to learn to appreciate the successes and the creativity I've been given. But sometimes I really wish that I weren't stuck in this type of a musical environment, if that makes sense?

TP: Yes it does make sense. But then you've still got The Hiwatts that are more of a fun project, where you can be yourself and write what you want to write, so you still have that outlet.

KM: Yup. Yeah. [Jasper is starting to cry and Kevin coos at him]...What is the matter? He's tired I think, let me just put him down. I think we had too much to eat and we're tired. But yeah, sometimes I just feel a bit trapped as a musician and I can understand the frustrations of artists when they feel as though they're not respected for their craft and whatnot. But you know I would love to have a career like Ray LaMontagne, where I could just go and grab my acoustic guitar and stand up there and sing songs and have my stories be told. But I just don't think I'm ever going to have that opportunity because people expect something different.

TP: Why?

KM: I dunno

TP: Why can't you just...

KM: We play shows and people are like, "Where's the long hair?" Like, it's fucking 2008.

TP: Yeah, I was just going to say that, but people change. Time changes people. That's just part of growing up. That's part of living and life. I mean, what's stopping you if you do decide to leave Candlebox? What's stopping you from grabbing your acoustic guitar and getting up on stage and doing your own stuff?

KM: [laughs] Lack of ability for starters. [I laugh] No. I don't know. Several things, I guess, my own personal insecurities as a musician. It's very easy for me to stand up and sing Candlebox. It's very easy for me to pick up an acoustic and play for Candlebox, but if I get invited up to sing for somebody else, on their set, I can't do it. I get nervous.

TP: Really?

KM: Yeah.

TP: Why?

KM: I don't know. It's not my show I suppose?

TP: But what if it was your show, if you decided...

KM: It has been our shows, like I was asked to get up and sing when Drive Blind were performing with us and touring with us and I was like, "I just can't do this." It's nerve wracking.

TP: Really.

KM: Yeah. I don't know what it is. It's stage fright or something. I can do it when it's my own thing, because I know people are there to see me at that moment, that song, I suppose is what it is. I sound really fucking crazy, maybe I need therapy.

TP: [laughing] Well I don't think you need therapy. [Kevin laughs] What I'm saying is, you said that you may not want to continue on with Candlebox, and that's ultimately your choice, and something you'll have to come to terms with or confront because of Jasper. And I totally get where you're going with that. But what's stopping you from say, if you did leave Candlebox, and people would be there to see you, it may not be arena type shows, it may be smaller bars, venues, but you could pick and choose where you want to go and when you want to go, and you get to sing your own songs, and people would be there to see you. It's not like you're being invited on stage by another artist that happens to be playing there. Why don't you feel you could do that?

KM: You know what, my wife asked me the same question this morning. Well you know, I'm not that accomplished of a guitar player, I'm not that accomplished of a singer, I'm more of a...I'm in a rock band. I've been asked this question on several occasions, and I can't seem to fuckin' come up with the right answer.

TP: That's really interesting. It's surprising.

KM: I don't know, I'm totally crazy.

TP: No. It's just surprising because you ooze such self-confidence on stage with Candlebox, obviously, and your writing is superb, and I don't know, that's just very surprising to hear from you.

KM: [laughing] Yeah. I definitely have some thinking to do.

TP: What's your favourite song to play live?

KM: Hmm, I would say “Consider Us” off the new record because it's just such a moment. Just me and the keyboard player, piano player on stage, it's just got that whole, nakedness to it and I really love that. I hate when we don't have our keyboard player on the road and we can't play the song. It's like, "Fuck, I really want to play it right now." And I think it's just that moment when people have to just kind of listen to what I have to say, sort of, I dunno. And “Into The Sun”, I just really love doing that song live.

TP: If you could get on a tour with anyone, who would it be?

KM: [Thinks for a moment] Old, new, dead or alive?

TP: Well, I guess it would be your choice. It's hypothetical. If it was dead, okay, we'll say dead and then we'll say alive.

KM: Dead, probably...[long pause]

TP: Lots to choose from, unfortunately.

KM: Jimi Hendrix. Just because he was so brilliant and so unfucking jaded. [laughs] He's just so fucking amazing. And then contemporaries, I'd probably say...I’d really, really love to tour with Led Zeppelin if they’d do it. We had an opportunity, it's one of the things that just kills me, back in '95 we had an opportunity to do that Page/Plant acoustic tour?

TP: Oh really?

KM: And our manager said no, cuz we were in the studio.

TP: [I'm inhaling my breath] Nooo...

KM: You see? And we didn't know about it.

TP: Oh my gawd.

KM: Yeah. And to this day I'm like, "You fucking asshole."

TP: I had no idea, I didn't know that. Wow.

KM: You know, I really think I'd like to tour with The Black Crowes, too. I think we have a similar energy. We have a jam band mentality. We don't play the songs the same way every night. It's one of the things, unfortunately, when I go to see concerts now, I get upset about, because no one is expressing in their songs anymore. They're just playing their fucking songs. And I'm like, "Fuck, c'mon man, you know, take me some where!" And it's what I really loved about bands like Janes Addiction and The Dead, and one of the things I loved about Metallica when we toured with them. It's that they would just go off in a song, wherever they wanted to. And I love that about The Black Crowes. I think that's something that's lacking, and I think it's because bands today don't have the talent to do it. A lot of these kids today don't really know how to go anywhere. They know how to sound like Taking Back Sunday or Kings Of Leon or they know how to sound like The Strokes, but they really don't understand why. You know, I love the fucking Strokes. That band to me is like, dude, they are the new New York Dolls ya know? It's like this don't give a fuck attitude, get wasted, have a great fucking time and do it however they want to do it, and I really appreciate that about art, ya know? The Pretenders as well, you know, same thing, I'd love to tour with The Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde has been one of my biggest inspirations as a lyricist since I can remember.

TP: That's interesting.

KM: Oh yeah. I think she's just fucking brilliant.

TP: She is brilliant. Okay, one song on Into The Sun has a special meaning for you personally, the song titled “Miss You”, which is about your dad who passed away, who as you mentioned, was a WWII veteran. Could you elaborate on that song and why you wrote it?

KM: I was um, I dunno, it's weird. My friend picked up the guitar one day. It was right after my father had passed away, about three months, and he played this chord progression. It's not even on the song now, it's a totally different thing, but it triggered this hole, I mean really honestly, this hole in my heart sort of thing that I didn't realize I had. And it triggered it, and it just made me write the song. It was instantaneous. And the first word that came to my mind was all, all, all that's done all right. I had this romantic relationship with my fathers past. Born in 1922, being one of the first Golden Gloves boxers with the CYO organization out of Chicago in the ‘30s, late ‘30s when it was first starting, enlisting in a war and believing that that's what he had to do for his country, storming the beaches of Normandy, coming home and becoming a cop on the South side of Chicago, meeting his wife in 1959 and getting married six months later...you know, just all these really brilliant things about my dad that I didn't find out until later in life. And it just inspired the song. It made me write it. And that's where it comes from. It just comes from that whole process. The lyric from the beach, it's about my father storming the beaches of Normandy and then fourteen years later meeting my mom. I'm only here because he survived such a horrific experience, and I know that it was incredibly challenging for him at the time, being twenty years old. Well actually twenty two at the time. Yeah, lots of really brilliant things that my father did. He was a great jazz musician and just crazy stuff, ya know, just lots and lots of stuff that gave me lots of ammunition to write with, and that's what the song's about. And obviously since I've written the song, so many things have happened in this country and in the world, that they've now taken on a new meaning, not just for me, but for everybody else that's kind of dealing with war.

TP: I love the song. It's a really beautiful song.

KM: Thanks.

TP: You also did a song recently with label mates Tantric, who ironically, also used to be with Maverick Records, called “The One”. How did you come to record that song with them? What was that experience like for you?

KM: The experience was hilarious. I was not a fan of Tantric. Not in the sense I didn't like them, I just didn't ever really listen to them. I didn't pay much attention to what they were doing, because they were signed to Maverick after we left and I was kind of anti-establishment at that point with Maverick Records and whatnot, and I really kind of dismissed myself from all that, so I didn't really pay much attention to them. I knew they had hit singles and were having a career, but I didn't really know what was going to happen, so when I got the phone call from Jeff Hanson, he said, "Hey would you be interested in dueting with Hugo on this song?" And I was like, "Who's Hugo?" I didn't know who he was and he was like, "Oh from Tantric," and I was like, "Well why would I do a duet with a guy from Tantric?" And he's like, "It's a song where they kind of trade back and forth." So it was Jeff's phone call that kind of inspired it. And when I heard the song I thought, "Well I guess this would be kind of cool." And so I get to the studio and Hugo was three hours late. [we both start laughing] He walked in with a six pack of beer and was drunk, and I thought that was really funny. So I was like, "Okay, this is going to be a good time." I actually appreciated the opportunity and I actually really enjoyed it, and it was a lot of fun. He's an interesting guy, a great character to his voice, and it's a cool song.

TP: So when he came in three hours late with a six pack under his arm, it didn't bother you?

KM: Oh no, not at all, because I've done that on several occasions. I mean, if you can't walk into a studio late with a fucking six pack of beer, what's the point of being in a band? I appreciate sobriety, people who choose to be sober, but I'm not, Hugo's not, and we don't have to be, so...

TP: Okay then, if you had the opportunity to collaborate with anyone, either writing and/or recording, who would it be?

KM: Jack White.

TP: Jack White from The White Stripes? Interesting choice.

KM: Brilliant.

TP: I love The White Stripes.

KM: Yeah, that guy is fucking unreal.

TP: Would you want to write with him and/or record or both, wouldn't matter?

KM: Oh both. Like dude, write my record, with the two of us writing something really cool and let me sing on it, I think it would be fucking awesome.

TP: What's in your CD player or iPod these days? Who are you listening to?

KM: Kings of Leon, Carolina Liar, Zeppelin, Queen, um let's see...MGMT, The Kills, the new Snow Patrol, which I'm not crazy about, what else, The 88's which I think are really cool, I don't know if you've ever heard of them?

TP: No I haven't.

KM: Yeah The 88’s. I listen to a lot of...people would be surprised, but I don't really listen to a lot of rock and roll music. Like I don't listen to Nickelback, even though I think they're a great band, it's just not something that I listen to. It's just me, I dunno.

TP: Do you like to listen to more obscure stuff?

KM: Yeah, I think it gives me a little bit more of a skewed outlook on the inspirations that I get from music.

TP: I've got another question for you that goes back a bit, but you started out as a drummer in your early years, early in your career, what made you decide to be a singer fronting a band, I kind of wanted to know that.

KM: Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil and Henry Rollins from Black Flag. I'd seen their shows and they were really inspirational. [Kevin speaks to Jasper] Whew, we really took a big one, didn't we buddy? [Kevin is changing the baby's diaper] Oh buddy, wooo, good God!!

TP: Thanks for sharing that Kevin! [we're laughing]

KM: Is this on tape still? Whew....

TP: Yes it is. [I'm killing myself laughing at this point, Kevin is so funny!] I might even squeeze it into the interview.

KM: [laughing] Oh please do, cuz that's hilarious. Okay, this is what rock stars do, is change diapers. Oh buddy, this is something else.

TP: I thought he went down for a nap because I heard you turn on that musical chime and he's been so quiet.

KM: Oh no, not now. He's gonna have a sleep after I change his diaper that's for sure! He's so fussy. [Kevin whistles loudly] Good Lord.

TP: [laughing] Oh gawd, Kevin you kill me. [he starts laughing]

KM: Oh Bubba, holy cow!! [whistles again]

TP: Oh this is gonna be great. Agreat interview and Jasper has just added to it. [we're laughing]

KM: Holy jamoly! I may leave this diaper on just for mom to take a look at.

TP: laughing] Oh that's just cruel!!

KM: [laughing] Good gawd.

TP: Well you know, it sounds like you've got your hands full Kevin, so I should let you go.

KM: Oh no, no, no, go ahead.

TP: Are you sure, because honestly...

KM: Oh it's okay. He's totally fine with it.

TP: Is he? He's prety quiet, so he must be happy. He got his poo poo diaper changed.

KM: He's gettin' that taken care of so, no worries.

TP: Okay, well I don't have many left, I just wanted to ask one or two more. Fans have been coming out in droves to see you guys play live. Are you surprised to see people still know who you are and are receptive to the band, the music, and the new album?

KM: I am and I'm pleasantly surprised. It's been a real pleasure playing for all these people and seeing a lot of old familiar faces and a lot of new young faces bringing their kids. People that were in their 20's when we first started touring that are now adults who are turning their kids on to music, all sorts of things. It's just been really great. We've been just enjoying it, and at first it was surprising. When we toured back in 2006, we just didn't know what to expect We were pleasantly surprised and we're very, very happy with the turnout and very happy with the current sales of the new record. You know we've been fortunate with this thing to have it be selling every week and people enjoying it.

TP: Yeah, it's been going up in the charts which is really great.

KM: I can't believe that we actually debuted in the Billboard top fucking 200 again with the new record. That was something that I was very happy about.

TP: Well I think a lot of your diehard fans were always hoping for a reunited Candlebox and were looking forward to another new album.

KM: Yeah. You know, I think it was interesting with the MySpace page, which a friend of mine had actually started back in, I think it was 2003, and he gave me the password and said, "I think you're going to be surprised to see how many fucking people still call your band theirs." It was a great experience and we're very happy with it.

TP: Well I guess that's pretty much it unless there's anything you'd like to add that I haven't asked, or any messages for your fans out there?

KM: No really, thanks for taking the time and to all the fans out there, thanks for listening and giving us a second chance. I mean, not a lot of people get it and we're very grateful that people are paying attention to what it is that Candlebox does.

TP: Well you guys are kind of hard to ignore, as I said, the writing is superb, the music is amazing, so I don't think you'll be going away too quickly in the minds of your fans.

KM: Thank you.

TP: Well Kevin, good luck with Jasper. It was a real pleasure, I enjoyed the interview. Thanks so much for taking this much time with me.

KM: Not a problem. Thanks for taking time with us.

TP: Okay, take care, I'll be looking forward to seeing you on tour.

KM: Right on. Bye bye.