Some Candy Talking

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Candy Claws
Genre : Experimental // Newgaze
From: Fort Collins, Colorado United States

Colorado's foremost practitioners of psychtronica Candy Claws have taken some time out from perfecting their whisper quiet electro pop to and promoting their current album 'In The Dream Of The Sea Life' (Indiecator Records) to provide a unique insight into what makes them tick.

In the musical equivalent of expensive psycho analysis, the Devil's interview the band reveal their biggest influences, their mastery of useless Turtle related trivia and what (apart from their mastery of useless Turtle related trivia) makes them unique.

The Devil - Why Candy Claws? What other names did you ponder before deciding on Candy Claws?


Candy Claws - Hi! Kay and Ryan here. Candy Claws was a name that went into Ryan's mind a while ago, just as a neat thing. Then we started a band and it went on the band, as the band's name. It means nothing, like all good band names, but at least it is catchy, and if you want to think deeply about it, it makes a nice contrast - the sweet innocence with the sharp danger. Kay has a side project with a much cooler name -fire breather! (Ryan's jealous.)

The Devil - Who are the band's biggest influences?

Candy Claws - Starflyer 59, the Lassie Foundation, the Beach Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Cornelius, and a bunch of mid-century composers like Frank Comstock and Bob Thompson. In worlds other than music, we're very much into old Golden Guides, mid-century science fiction, and Rachel Carson, of course. So wonderful! Also, big things like the ocean and the universe and little things like cute diatoms (a major group of eukaryotic algae, and are one of the most common types of phytoplankton- courtesy of Devipedia).

The Devil - What was the first record the band members ever bought?

Candy Claws - We can't remember (they say the memory is the first to go, The Devil), but it was most likely an MxPx album, or something very rebellious like that, for both of us. More interestingly, there's a species of turtle that holds its breath for the entire winter!

The Devil - What makes Candy Claws stand out from the millions of other bands in the world? What makes you unique?

Candy Claws - We have several approaches to guarantee our uniqueness in the universe even if our music itself won't. Every album will be a "musical companion" to a book we love, most likely about science or nature. Also, when we play live we use miniature guitars and drums, but make them very loud, to create a nice contrast. Also, we try to have a 14-billion-year perspective, realizing that the dawn of life and the slow unfolding of the world until our lives and the music we're making right now is all just a Cosmic Blink, so we better do the best we can.

The Devil - What's the strangest place you've ever played and would you go back there?

Candy Claws - We haven't played many live shows, and the ones we did were all at exceedingly normal places. The strangest place we'd like to play is at one unit of Planck time after the universe came into being. (Before that it's too unpredictable to know we'd get a good mix.)

The Devil - Other than Candy Claws who are the most exciting bands on the US music scene at the moment?

Candy Claws - 45 light years away from the earth in all directions, the radio and light waves from Brian Wilson's best years are traveling through space. We're more in tune with that expanding wavefront than with most music happening these days. But as far as current U.S. music, we're really into Lisa Germano, Ocean Bump!, Lightning Bolt, Macha, Rainbow Rider, and Mount Eerie.

The Devil - If you weren't in Candy Claws how would you keep yourself occupied?

Candy Claws - We'd probably still do all the things we do even while being in Candy Claws. Here are the things: Hiking, biking, growing a garden, tubing on a river, playing Katamari, cooking Fantasy Island, making art, traveling to Italy and the Philippines, reading, and being in love.

The Devil - What are the band doing to beat the credit crunch? Any tips on saving money for the Devil's readers?

Candy Claws - We ride bikes as much as possible, and buy used books for a dollar (.71 euro)

The Devil - If you were interviewing yourself what would be your killer question and how would you answer it?

Candy Claws - "What is the most fascinating thing?" The strange miracle that this slow, beautiful world had its origins in such fantastic hot violence. Thinking about the movement of all the particles from the first explosion, all the way across billions of years and light-years, to this cool summer day, with its breeze and trickle of a stream under the tree, the dragonfly drifting past, makes us smile more than anything else.

The Devil - Anything else you'd like to say the the Devil's readers?

Candy Claws - Thanks for reading all of our answers! How's Liverpool? (It's on the up - The Devil)

Go Try

MP3 - Candy Claws - Beyond The Skies
MP3 - Candy Claws - Snowy Shores
If anyone from the IFPI is reading these tracks are linked direct from the Candy Claws Last.FM site and are therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.

Go Buy










Candy Claws 'In The Dream Of The Sea Life' from Indiecator Records

Go Visit

Candy Claws - Myspace // Last.FM


If you like Candy Claws check out one of their favourite bands...

MP3 - Ocean Bump! - Flight
If anyone from the IFPI is reading this track is linked direct from the Ocean Bump! Last.FM site and is therefore already freely available so please refrain from alleging infringement of copyright.