Premiere + Interview: KANDY & Funky Craig enlist Example to release ‘Weapons’ on Laidback Luke’s Ones to Watch imprint
by: Dancing Astronaut
Mar 28, 2016
In 2010 Example exploded on to the electronic scene with his break out hit “Kickstarts” and the track’s subsequent remixes, including one crafted by Afrojack at the height of his career. Since then he’s locked down numerous BRIT awards for his solo work, but it’s electronic music that has been without his vocal talents for too long. Enter KANDY, a bass menace who has been making serious waves on the circuit, culminating with his debut at Ultra Music Festival earlier this month. The prolific talent’s latest release “Weapons” comes in hot on Laidback Luke’s Ones to Watch imprint, an ideal home considering Luke and Example collaborated in the past on “Nautral Disaster.” We sat with KANDY to talk about his quick-paced rise to prominence and how he came to work with Example and Funky Craig for a track that is destined to dominate the festival airwaves in the coming summer months.
You just got done playing Ultra 2016. What was that experience like? Is EDM alive and well?
Playing Ultra in Miami last week was one of the craziest experiences of my life. I’ve been going to Ultra as a fan of music for the past four years, so going from being in the crowd to being on stage was super surreal for me. A lot of the people that support me, from all over the world, were there. It was such an incredible feeling to meet my supporters after the show.
How did you get your start in music?
Music has always been a very important part of my life. I grew up with my parents being very much into the 80’s heavy metal era! With my dad being a lead singer in a band since he was 17, I pretty much grew up with music being around me constantly. Around the age of 18 I started getting involved in the NYC rave scene, going to Brooklyn undergrounds and pretty much every event in NYC that I could find. I fell in love with electronic music from there on out! I bought FL Studio and locked myself in my room, day in and day out. I pretty much did absolutely nothing but that for five years straight…and here I am now.
Where do you draw inspiration for your sounds?
That’s hard to say. It can really vary, from something I’ve heard at a live show, to a movie I watched, how I’m feeling that day or even a video game I played the day before. Every time I sit down in the studio I try to come up with something different from the day before. I think it’s extremely important these days to be well rounded and able to adapt.
How would you describe your approach to production?
I really don’t have a set approach with production. Sometimes i’ll sit down with an idea to take a track it in one direction, and the end result will be something completely different. That’s what I love about producing music, you never know what the outcome is going to be!
How did the Example connection happen? What was that process like?
I was working really close with a producer friend from the UK called Funky Craig, we were bouncing ideas back and fourth for a collaboration. Once we had a sick track laid down, I knew it needed big vocals to bring it to life. My Managers (After Dark Management) hit me up and said Example had heard my music and was interested in working with me. When I sent him our track he immediately got in the studio and sent the crazy vocals for ‘Weapons’ back! It was such a smooth collaboration between the three of us. There will be many more to come!
What does your summer touring schedule look like?
Right now it’s getting pretty exciting. We are going to announce everything officially very soon, but for the next two months I’m in the studio. I have some crazy collabs coming up that my team and I have been working on, and those are top priority for me right now!
What do you have coming up in the future?
I honestly don’t want to give too much away, but some of the records I’m working on right now are with people I used to, and still do, look up to as producers. It’s pretty crazy! Some of them are artists I used to listen to, and vibe to, in high school!
Is Zedd a sell out?
Hahaha I don’t think Zedd is a sell out! I think when an opportunity arises it would be dumb to let them pass by. I’m a stickler for taking the opportunities that are given to you, no matter what, because you’ll never know if you’ll have that chance again.
What is the meaning of life?
I can’t speak for everyone on this, but my meaning of life is to ‘do what you love, and don’t let anyone else’s opinions affect that’. Always pursue what you’re passionate about.
If you were on a train running at 100km per hour and at the same time you ran forward through the carriages would you be moving faster than the train? What would your speed be if you then chose to run backwards on the train?
This is why I didn’t go to college…
Categories: Music