THUNDER BAY – Entertainment – Thunder Bay born indigenous blues rocker Kandy Roar releases autobiographical debut single, “Blue Collar Classification”, dedicated to the working class. Mental hygiene and upper-class society’s casting out of the blue-collar family go hand in hand in this catchy blues anthem.
“Blue Collar Classification” is from their upcoming album ‘Demon Blues’, out this October, which is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
The track features Kandy Roar’s signature raw, gritty vocals that aren’t over produced. In place of perfectionism, you hear the truth and emotion tied to every word. Kandy Roar taps into a sharp, cutting, guttural sound that informs you their music is cathartic and personal. Featuring rich and full lead guitar by award winning finger-style player Alex Flock, who electrifies each lick and rounds every corner with a sound you know like a long-lost friend. Vancouver’s Harvey Paris adds an element of effervescence on keys and organ, dropping notes at the perfect moments to make you want to get up, dance, and hit repeat. Overall, “Blue Collar Classification” delivers nostalgic blues energy with a glam rock mood, the key ingredients of a Kandy Roar original.
Kandy Roar on writing “Blue Collar Classification”: “I wrote Blue Collar Classification as a means to cope with my ever-racing mind, giving me a chance to express the fact that I feel uncertain with the foundation I was built on. I don’t know how I came up with the chorus, it all just came together one dark cold November evening, I think my dad was helping from the other side. It all ties together with the trauma I face, my fear of rejection from a fickle society, and how the cycle repeats itself depending on where you are from, how you were raised, and the level of income you make. If you are working class, lower class, or just scraping to get by, this song is for you.”
“Blue Collar Classification” was produced by Eduardo Cristo and recorded at the legendary HippoSonic Studios in Vancouver, BC. Featuring outstanding local musicians Alex Flock (Guitar), Nick James (Drums), JeanSe le Doujet (Bass), and Harvey Paris (Keys/Organ). This track was recorded using analog methods, with the whole band in one room, to produce a raw and nostalgic sound that hearkens back to the blues and rock hits of the 60s and 70s.
ABOUT KANDY ROAR
Kandy Roar, also known as Karly Palmer, moved to Vancouver from Thunder Bay Ontario, and is small town at heart. Never fitting into the big city scene, they were constantly running from where they came from, in hopes of belonging. Done running, they stand proud and own their experiences. They hold true to their identity as they write and record their upcoming album ‘Demon Blues’. Kandy Roar came from a separated household and spent their childhood going back and forth from one parent to the other, as so many children of separation do. Their dad was a blue-collar contractor with his own demons, though he never let them show. He did everything he could to raise his family from the ground up.
Kandy Roar on why they make music: “I think even more of us are struggling with depression and other conditions on the mental health spectrum than ever before. We can all relate to managing our own mental hygiene, especially coming out on the other side to a “normal” life during a still raging pandemic. It’s so important to rally together and bring awareness to our health, own it, and give others a chance to join the conversation.”
Kandy looks for a way to take music that inspires them, from artists such as blues master Robert Johnson, to T. Rex glam rocker Marc Bolan, and internalize it to create a hybrid of new music that has a familiarity of songs made over 60 decades ago.
Their upcoming album ‘Demon Blues’, scheduled to be released in fall 2022, focuses heavily on their personal struggles with mental health, as well as exploring the idea of a higher power, and the malevolent forces in contrast. With straightforward influence in blues, a need for glam rock and an unhealthy obsession with cults – their music sets them apart from the norm.
