This week on MUSIC+ I got the oppertunity to have a chat with R&B singer Candice Sand to talk about her new single I Got This.
Candice Sand
Josh: What’s the Story behind I Got This?
Candice: I Got This was the first song I wrote with my producers (Kuya Productions Inc) when I went back into the studio in November of last year. It started off with the idea of living a life that is sort of “against the grain” and being completely happy/thrilled with that life.
It tells a little bit of my life story. I used to live a very normal 9-5 life back in Edmonton, AB and one day I just had to admit to myself that I was unhappy. I missed music and my life seemed dull without it So I packed my bags, moved to Toronto, and started my adventure of becoming a recording artist and songwriter.
Now that I’m out here and doing it, I really do feel like my life has a sense of adventure and I absolutely love it. I feel empowered and independent. This path just feels right for me.
J: Why did you call this song I Got This?
C: I called it I Got This because it was the main idea and feeling that resounded in my head when I was writing: I’ve made up my mind, I have my head and my heart in the right place, I’m ready to go after my perfect life, and I’m determined… I Got This.
J: Back in January at Super Wonderful New Year Kickoff (For Wonder Woman Fest) you gave the audience a preview a few of the new songs that you had been working on. Can you talk about some of these songs you’ve been working on?
C: Well I have been doing a ton of songwriting in the past 2 years. I’ve been writing with different songwriters from all across Canada, but I first started co-writing with my friend (and guitar player) Neil Whitford. We basically went through my tickle trunk of unfinished songs and slowly finished them all off. It was a great learning experience and really got my ‘creative’ brain fired up. The songs that I performed at that particular show were from those writing sessions. Each one is a true story from my life. Pretty much every song I write is full of real images and emotions from my experience. I always remind myself: write what you know.
J: Why did you choose to go with I Got This as your single?
C: I thought that I Got This was a great introduction single for me and I personally just love it. It’s an anthem song and when we were writing it, I was really stubborn with myself to say: I have to believe every word. I love it because it’s honest. It’s made up of my honest thoughts and feelings. I wanted to introduce myself that way… with honesty.
J: How long did this song take to complete (from conception to production)?
C: Well we do everything in the studio: brainstorm, songwrite, and record. So from the birth of the idea to the finished product, it took about a month. That’s with us meeting about 3 times total.
J: When you perform you music live acoustically, what goes into “stripping” the song down?
C: Neil and I meet up every Thursday to rehearse and we go through the material for our next gig. Here we look at each song, listen to the recorded track, run it a couple times, and then we talk it out. We each throw out ideas of how we can make it sound natural and interesting. Slow it down or speed it up, strumming patterns, break downs, dynamics, etc. Then we start playing it live and each time we play it we keep building on the arrangement and making adjustments, to highlight moments and get it to sit in a place that feels just right.
I Got This by Candice Sand
J: You recently performed at Miss Universe Canada, what was that experience like?
C: It was great! Such a wonderful and energetic crowd! I enjoyed how still and quiet the theatre was as we played, until the end of each song when the audience erupted with applause and cheering. We also performed the Across the Universe arrangement of the Beatles favorite “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and I invited everyone to sing along. And they did! It was great! I had a packed theatre singing out those beautiful, simple words with me. Definitely a moment to remember!
J: What can fans look forward to over the next few months?
C: I don’t like to give too much away haha but we may have more I Got This tricks up our sleeves! Also, we will be releasing another new single this summer! We’re working on a new album but we’re going to be releasing a few singles first… so stay tuned! There is a lot more to come :).
You can connect with Candice on Facebook and Twitter and hear her new single I Got This on INtune Radio in the morning between 9 am and noon.
comments