CANDLEBOX's KEVIN MARTIN Offers Advice To Young Musicians: 'Lose Yourself In The Moment'

In a new interview with Lucas Flood, CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin offered his advice to young musicians who are hoping to break into the music business. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a really fucking hard business. You're not protected, no one's out to protect you. They're there to make money off of you. That's why you're gonna work. Your manager's gonna take their 15 percent, your agent's gonna take their 10 percent, so your 25 percent off the top's gone. Play as many fucking shows as you can. Play all the fucking time. Tour with anyone. Open for anybody. Just any opportunity you have to play music for people to hear you. And trust one another. Respect one another. Give one another the space that they need. And if you feel overwhelmed, tell somebody: 'I feel overwhelmed. I'm not sure if I got the capacity for this.' Because you're up against 100,000 bands. I mean, fuck — how many records have been released this year? It's astonishing. So if you think you're gonna fucking stick out, you're probably not. You've gotta make yourself stick out.

"You have to lose yourself, man," he continued. "It's like fucking Eminem. Lose yourself in the moment. Don't fucking think about it. If the music's moving you… And don't try to dance like some other asshole in another fucking band.

"If you watch CLASH videos, you watch AEROSMITH early videos, you watch LED ZEPPELIN early videos, you watch any of those bands, it was all about the moment and being in it, not worrying about whether or not you had the right fucking jeans, the right shoes, the right shirt, any of that bullshit, because none of that matters," Kevin added. "At the end of the day, the music is the only thing that fucking matters. The song and what you're giving to that fucking audience is the most important thing in that fucking moment. And it should be the most important thing to you. And if you're thinking about how you look, what your fucking hair looks like or any of that bullshit, it's a waste of time. And that's just my opinion."

As previously reported, original CANDLEBOX members Kevin Martin (vocals),Peter Klett (guitar),Bardi Martin (bass) and Scott Mercado (drums) performed on October 10 during the San Francisco 49ers-versus-Seattle Seahawks halftime show at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The band's set included abbreviated versions of the songs "You", "Cover Me" and "Far Behind" from CANDLEBOX's multi-platinum self-titled debut album, which came out in 1993.

CANDLEBOX supported BUSH on the "Loaded: The Greatest Hits Tour" with special guest Jerry Cantrell. The trek kicked off on July 26 in Bend, Oregon at the Hayden Homes Amphitheater and wrapped up on September 15 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

CANDLEBOX recently released "A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)", the digital deluxe version of the album "The Long Goodbye", via Round Hill Records. The digital release features the 12 tracks on the original record plus two bonus live songs, "Elegante" and "Cellphone Jesus" (recorded at Club Amanda in Santiago, Chile on October 27, 2023),as well as the official launch of the single "Washed Up".

CANDLEBOX has been performing songs from "A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)" as well as the hits that defined their career, including "Far Behind", "You" and "Cover Me", which propelled their self-titled debut album to sell more than four million copies worldwide.

"A Little Longer Goodbye (Tour Edition)" follows CANDLEBOX's eighth studio album, which was quite a swan song for the veteran band. "The Long Goodbye" was praised by critics for its hard-hitting, groove-infested beats and mature, soul-searching themes of love, loss, redemption, and the journey in between.

CANDLEBOX has been on an extended farewell tour since May 2023. The tour coincides with the 30th anniversary of the band's self-titled debut album.

Regarding the decision to call it quits, Martin told SPIN: "I've always been kind of the reluctant lead singer of this band. All of the time I've spent with CANDLEBOX has been obviously rewarding and enjoyable and the experience has been amazing, but when COVID hit, being home with my son and my wife was just eye-opening. It was everything I had realized I really wanted and had missed so much of."