Photo by Rei Bingham
Within the hotbed of stellar music coming out of Melbourne lies Calum Newton. Going by the name of ‘Candy’, Newton has churned out consistently mesmerising slices of lo-fi pop, a sound that has truly come to fruition on his debut album, ‘Under The Weather’. We had the pleasure of chatting to Calum upon the release of the record.
Hey Calum, thanks heaps for chatting. First of all, where are you based and how long has the ‘Candy’ project existed for?
Hey, cheers for having me ! I live in Melbourne in a nice little suburb called Thornbury. Candy’s just my solo stuff which be been doing since 2012 but to be honest it only really feel like it’s been going since this year. I never played shows or put any effort into it so after starting to do that it’s been way more ‘real’ feeling haha
You’ve released a string of mixtapes since the inception of ‘Candy’, how did you know you felt ready for an album?
Well the only reason those are mixtapes are cause this album just felt like a step above and made me realise I wanted to push it properly. You know, just playing shows and stuff. I originally thought maybe I should pull those works off the web so I could start fresh but I decided that was lame and the more music the merrier amirite?
What influenced this record, musically or otherwise?
I was pretty upset after finishing uni cause I had no money, I could find a house, I didn’t have a job and I ended staying with my girlfriend in her apartment for about a month and a half. After eventually finding a house and a job I thought I’d be elated but I felt as thought this was it? Being a trolley pusher isn’t the most glamourise career haha. So pretty much this whole album is just me delving into that. Musically I was listening to a lot of DIIV and Black Marble.
Photo by Rei Bingham
What do you think is required for an artist to succeed in 2018?
A lot of luck and a bit of patience. I honestly have no idea. Smoke a mirrors? A good sense of self? Maybe resilience? If some who’d succeeded can let me know that’d be great, thank you.
What is your general creative process like? Is writing and recording a regimented part of your day or is it more spontaneous?
I go through phases were I’ll be writing, recording and mixing a lot. Like every day for a couple weeks or something like that. If I’m not in a super creative space it ends up being more like once or twice a week spending most of the day in my shed just messing with instruments and stuff. I was pretty scared of making noise in my last house so that’s partly a reason Under The Weather is all DI’d guitars and sampled drums but also I just really like the sounds I can get out of them.
Explain some of the subject matter you’ve touched upon on the record? I can definitely hear some sombre themes, although I can’t help but feel that it’s equally as uplifting alongside the shimmering instrumentation.
Yea there’s a little bit of hope - not much though haha. Yea it’s just about feeling in a rut. Trying to pin why you feel like that to something tangible but sometimes you just feel bad. I like to think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel though, the last track is kind of a forced positivity mantra
What do you make of the Australian alternative scene right now?
It’s good. There’s a lot of it. It’s hard to keep up with it to be honest. Lots of amazing bands in Melbourne that make me feel insecure that’s for sure.
Photo by Rei Bingham
In a nightmarish sequence of events, you can only listen to five songs for the rest of your life. What would they be?
Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians
If I’m gonna be trapped listening to 5 songs for ever picking long songs will take up more time and listen after listen I’ll be able to dissect it further and find different parts to enjoy. This song is around an hour long and is amazing. So many cool tones and super interesting.
Sonic Youth - The Diamond Sea
Oh buddy this song hits hard and I just love a bit of sonic youth so listening to this for my whole life is a okay with me.
Kurt Vile - Walkin on a Pretty Daze
This song is just so breezy and floats by. Maybe my favourite Kurt vile song?
Jen Cloher - Sensory Memory
It’s so sweet but also so melancholy. Can listen to it when I’m happy or sad so that’s a big win.
Egg Hunt - We All Fall Down
This song is very cool. For when I’d need to psyche myself up.
What does the near future hold for you?
Hopefully a lot of smiles!
Cheers Calum! Be sure to follow Candy on Facebook and Instagram and listen to ‘Under the Weather’ on all streaming services here.