To this day I don’t understand why people are sleeping on Candiria. They possess all of the elements that make a great band…Intensity…Dynamic…Musicianship…Creativity. I had a chance to hook up with Carley before their Sold Out CBGB’s comeback gig. It’s a comeback because of a certain unfortunate event that stifled their efforts for just a minute. But, Oh Shit they are back indeed. Read on and get with it already.

Dominicanedge: Candiria seems to take a non-traditional approach to songwriting. Will the band continue to go this route or are you looking to maybe change it up a bit and write a traditional song?

Carley: I doubt that we’re going to do that but what keeps us happy and keeps us going is discovering new ways of doing things, new ways of writing music. To say that we’re going to start writing in traditional sense, I would have to say no but we just plan on doing what we’ve done all along, just evolving. What it turns into is what it turns into.

Dominicanedge: When I think of Candiria the first thing that comes to mind is you guys are a metal band. But, you seem to have that hardcore sensibility. Why do you think the band have crossed borders and been embraced by several scenes, who in the past have been merciless to bands that do anything different?

Carley: I think a little bit of everything helps. Someone just likes Metal but doesn’t like Hardcore they’re going to hear some of that in us. If someone just likes Hardcore but doesn’t like Metal they’re going to hear some Hardcore in us. Same thing with Hip-Hop and Jazz. I think the groove is the most important part is. The fact that you can get people to move. If it sounds good, it sounds good and your body is gonna say “It sounds good.” You can try and front and act like you don’t wanna move but eventually the music is going to get to you.

Dominicanedge: How has the accident affected the band and its goals?

Carley: The accident has made us a lot stronger in all aspects. The band’s a lot closer. Before the accident, some of us were contemplating why we’re doing this, should we keep going on with this. After the accident, the fact that we survived something we should have died in, it kind of proved to us that we we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. It gave us the fuel that we needed to keep going. The fire inside of us is a lot stronger. In terms of goals, we’re working harder toward them because of that.

Dominicanedge: What’s going on with the imprint and what new joints should we expect from it?

Carley: Right now the main focus is Candiria. We need to get that on the track in order for anything else that we do to do well. We have to make sure that the foundation is built and is nice and sturdy. Once we take care of that then hopefully anything else we branch into we will succeed.

Dominicanedge: Any straight up hip-hop projects in the near future?

Carley: Kenny and I started working on some Hip-Hop tracks for my cousin Capital S. He was with my brother Krim. We’re on a solo project for him. Hopefully we’ll be finished with that real soon. We feel he should be up there with all the big MC’s. Me personally, that’s the only thing I’m doing on the side. I make beats from morning to noon to night. That’s something that I constantly do. Besides Candiria, that’s the only thing that I really have my heart into right now.

Dominicanedge: The design of your albums definitely paints a picture of what the music sounds like even if you’ve never heard Candiria. Who designs the art and will you guys continue to take this surrealistic approach?

Carley: Kenny, for the most part designs the art work. Lately, John has been getting a little more involved that. I think it’s a good thing because for so many years we had Ken do it and nice to see a different twist put on things.

Dominicanedge: By the look and the sounds of the record it can lead one to believe that you guys are down with the substances. Do you care to shed some light on the subject?

Carley: You mean substances, regarding what (Laughs)? I haven’t smoked weed in about 3 years. I drink. That’s about all I do.

Dominicanedge: I think I was with you one of the last times you smoked.

Carley: The only ones that really smoke are Ken and Mike. Eric drinks every now and then.

Dominicanedge: Once and for all, what does Candiria mean?

Carley: As of now it means absolutely nothing still. Think of it as five guys from Brooklyn making great music.

Dominicanedge: The new interpretation?

Carley: Exactly.

Dominicanedge: You have one of the most ferocious voices I have ever heard. What do you do to keep it in shape?

Carley: For the last eight months I haven’t been doing jack shit (Laughs). When we actually start rehearsing again I lose my voice very quickly so now it’s like exercising. I gotta build everything back up again. I hope I do well tonight (Laughs). I know if I don’t, a couple of shows down the road I’ll be doing very well. I actually started taking vocal lessons. That helped me out a bit. At first I was a little ignorant toward the whole thing like, “Who needs stinking vocal lessons? (Said in his best Tony Montana accent).

Domincanedge: Vocal lessons make a lot of difference in the quality of your voice.

Carley: Exactly. So I was like I’m going to be open-minded about the whole situation…I’m going to learn new breathing techniques. My eyes were opened. I definitely learned a lot of stuff.

Dominicanedge: How the fuck do you guys stay in time with all of those damn parts?

Carley: It’s just one of the things (thinks for a sec)…a lot of counting. It’s very mathematical. It just happens. You just push yourself. Imagine there’s an algebra test and you don’t know a thing about algebra. Then you take classes for algebra and you really study and it becomes easy for you. It becomes second nature. It’s the same thing. This is easy for us. Don’t get my wrong once and a while we’ll find something the really challenges us but then it becomes easy. But we’re constantly challenging ourselves. So don’t be surprise if you hear some shit that’s like “ How the Hell?” (Laughs)

Dominicanedge: Trust me, I’ve been there. What was the first band or record that changed everything for you?

Carley: Thriller by Michael Jackson.

Dominicanedge: NICE!!! Why?

Carley: Just because no one was out like that. The fact that the album is so unique and every song is like a banger. You’re like damn, “How could you not like it?” He was a performer, though you’re not gonna catch cats doing the moonwalk. I’m just saying it moved me as a performer. At a young age it made me realize that this is what I wanted to do. Even Duran Duran too. I ain’t gonna front. I mean I was young.

Dominicanedge: There’s no shame in the game B. (Laughs)

Carley: I listened to pop music. I like that shit too. But, Thriller did it for me. What made me get into Metal or Rock. I was maybe 4 years old and I was in East NY and I was watching TV and that Kiss movie came on. That’s when I started get into Rock and Metal. The make-up drew me in and the next thing I know I was in.

Dominicanedge: The funny thing is that the most people of color that I know, that got into rock, always points back to that movie. It did the same thing for me. What was the first show you went to and the first show that blew you away?

Carley: The first show I went to I was sixteen years old and it was Nuclear Assault and a band called First Order.

Dominicanedge: I had the First Order demo with the sticker.

Carley : Yeah. I was sixteen and my boy goes, “You better get out the pit before you get hurt.” I was like, “What the fuck is the pit?” I thought the floor was going to open up. Then this guy comes dancing and kicks me in the stomach. I’m like “Mommy.” (Laughs) But right after that every show I went to I would just flip off the bleachers and land on people’s heads. I just fell in love with it. With regards to the first show that blew me away…thinks for a bit…Hmmm…Probably a Biohazard show. Definitely Biohazard. I think it was my second show. I went to see Biohazard and the whole place was erupting. I had never seen anything like that. I got in and that shit was off the hook. Biohazard back in the days at L’amour was off the hook.

Dominicanedge: You guys have been threw a number of labels. Do you think you’ve found a home where you’re at with Lakeshore?

Carley: We have some things that we’re working out that we’re not at liberty to discuss right now.

Domincanedge: Hmmm, we’re in litigation. (Laughs) Thanks for the time man.

Carley: No problem.

Now go to Candiria and do whatever it is that you computer geeks do. Oh wait; I’m one of those. My Bad.