A decade later, Candlebox returns

By John Benson

The release of the new album took so long because band members knew it had to be perfect.

Ten years and a day.

That’s the exact time between Candlebox’s 1998 album “Happy Pills” and the group’s new release “Into the Sun,” which is due out July 22 and will naturally target the post-grunge rock radio world.

“It feels pretty damn good to get a record out finally,” said Martin, calling from Kansas City, Mo. “But post-grunge? It’s just a really good rock record. Candlebox never really sounded like a grunge band.

“There is a lot of blues influence on this record but also Pink Floyd to The Who. We kind of grabbed everything we had been excited by since making music as kids and found a way to put it in our songs.”

With the idea you only get one chance at second impressions, the members of Candlebox understood their comeback album had to be perfect. It’s for this reason the release of “Into the Sun” took so long.

“We actually talked about putting it out last year, and what we ended up doing is kind of scrapping everything we had written,” Martin said. “Even though we wrote for the past two years, we really didn’t connect with what we were trying to do until October and November of last year.

“The songs just didn’t have what we were looking for, that thing that people kind of expected from Candlebox. So I think when people listen to the record now, they’ll get an idea of where our heads are at and what type of record we wanted to release. It’s something really powerful and some great rock songs, and poignant songs as well.”

Martin points to the fact many of the new songs are piano-based as showing a different side to Candlebox, which early in its career – with hits “Far Behind,” “Change,” “Cover Me” and “You” – was criticized as being a calculated act hoping to cash in on the grunge scene.

These days, Martin and company are just hoping to stick out in today’s rock world. The act is excited about its lead single “Stand,” which is a politically charged tune about materialism in America.

Fans of the band who didn’t get a chance to hear the track at Candlebox’s 2007 Northeast Ohio gig at The Wedge will have another shot when the Seattle group returns to the area tomorrow at Quaker City Raceway’s Ribs-N-Rock Festival.

“Ohio has always been a good state for us, and it’s always a good crowd in Youngstown,” Martin said. “So this is a new beginning, and a lot of fun. Our shows are all about great energy.”

When asked if he’s confident Candlebox will successfully find a new beginning to a career that has been long considered over, Martin said, “Confidence is not really the word. Everyone hopes they can get a second chance in a career that they accomplished early on in their life.

“So if lighting strikes twice for us, that’s great. Really, it’s just about we like making and playing music. This is what we do. This is what we know.”