Nashville based artist, Candace in Wonderland, has nailed dreamy alt/indie pop, owning her “spacy” mindset and learning to let go in order to make music that celebrates creativity. This newest artist project began about three years ago, but Candace has been honing her sound and artistic vision over the last 10 years.
Working on a few solo projects prior, she’s come a long way since those early days. She’s built a foundation for herself that has ultimately landed her on the shimmery pop she creates today.
“I feel like this more recent project, it’s definitely me being a little bit more fearless and edgier. I think I was playing it safe for awhile. I really didn’t know where I wanted to land yet. I still feel like I struggle because I just want to do everything. I feel like with the whole Candace in Wonderland as a personality, I’m able to kind of separate it and be a little bit more extra.”
Candace’s artist name stems from her interest in Alice in Wonderland, highlighting more of her dreamy and amusing side.
“I’ve always been an Alice in Wonderland fan, I’m really into anything that’s kind of dreamy and trippy. A little bit nonsensical in certain ways but then really deep in other ways. That’s kind of the way that my mind works and so I’ve always kind of felt like I really relate to Alice. When I came up with that for my Instagram name, I was proud of myself for how witty it sounded. It kind of stuck and people just gravitated toward that, so I started putting out content that was a little bit more along the lines of that brand. It kind of just became its own thing.”
The greatest kind of artists are the ones who are able to reinvent themselves time and time again. The evolution and eras of each artist project allows for personal and musical growth because as humans we are always changing and those stories need to be told. Stepping out of her comfort zone and creating a world for her music to live in, has inspired Candace more than ever to be unapologetically herself.
Growing up, Candace described herself as a “choir nerd,” participating in several groups at the same time while also being surrounded by church music. It wasn’t until her later teenage years, when she found a way to branch out and discover other genres.
In high school, Candace became a huge fan of Paramore (and still is to this day, of course). She describes, “That’s probably the band that made me realize that Nashville had more to offer than just country. One thing after another and that was the first step that made me want to move to Nashville.”
There was this female fronted band, based out of the area, that was creating a buzz. Because of Paramore’s story and early success, she wanted to be a part of the scene someday, and that’s stuck with her ever since. Now having lived in Nashville for about two years, Candace has made music city her home and has embraced the indie pop scene.
“Yeah, I think it’s [indie pop scene] definitely blossoming right now. I mean, I know that I’ve definitely met a lot of really really talented pop musicians here.There’s more and more pop nights devoted to just pop artists. Also, the hip hop scene I think has been blossoming as well. There’s several really talented rappers that have kind of blown up recently, based in Nashville, which is really dope.”
Rewinding to about a year ago, Candace was just beginning to play local shows, then COVID hit. Her single “Hot Mess” was released in January 2020, and she played a few shows for the release, but then everything ceased. Despite the challenges that many artists face because of our current state, Candace has been working on new music. Her most recent single, “Pipe Dreamzzz” was released in February, and has garnered 23,000+ streams, making it her most popular single to date. Rightfully so, the track has an intruging origin story and the song itself is irresistibly catchy.
“My boyfriend and I were watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and there was some insane episode where they were literally hooked on cocaine or something. A character mentioned something about being caught up in a pipe dream and we both turned to each other and knew we needed to write a song called pipe dreams.
“We kind of had the idea of doing it as a play on a weed reference…we just kind of started with that and then slowly broadened it a bit. The idea that being in a pipe dream or having your head in the clouds and being sort of a space cadet is not something bad. It’s something that we can lean into. For me, it’s the celebration of being a little bit spacey.”
Being able to dream can help creativity flow more smoothly, striving for a goal that may seem out of reach. However, in reality the only dreams that are out of reach of those that have not been given a chance. In Candace’s perspective, she’s been more productive leaning into her “spaciness” and has hit a turning point in her career where she’s been able to unleash her creative potential.
On the other hand, sometimes being too invested in a dream version of reality can make it hard for true vulnerability to be shown, especially on social media.
“I feel like that’s been something I’ve been definitely struggling with, is trying to find a balance between creating this brand and world that you love and believe in but also still being a human…. As artists, we have a responsibility to be authentic, vulnerable, and brave enough to every once in a while, be super real. To tell people that you aren’t doing so hot and you need a break from social media. It’s important to take that opportunity to kind of plug mental health and therapy.”
Being sucked into a comparison game is all too familiar with the modern day artist. With every bit of content being instantly available on the internet, it can feel daunting to be honest about what’s really going on. As a content creator, there’s almost an unspoken pressure of “being on” all the time. Not to mention the decreased attention span from an average consumer who stumbles upon you work. There’s the harsh reality of either capturing someone’s attention in the first few seconds or they will continue to scroll on.
“I’m trying to create a world that is pleasing to me, but where I also feel safe and comfortable enough to let down the veil every now and then”
Candace admits that she recently had an unveiling, in which she talked about the feeling of tension between what content she was showing and how she actually felt. She describes a photoshoot she had done which was very glamorous, retro, and vibey. When it was the day for that content to go live, she was in a completely different headspace than where she was on the day they were captured.
“It’s hard because when you’re planning content you’re planning ahead.You don’t necessarily always know what you’re gonna feel that day. Every once in a while you gotta say, “screw whatever my feed is gonna look like right now.” I have something that I need to say and I have the feeling that some people need to hear it….it’s always a little nerve racking but one way or another I’m gonna have to say it to somebody. Why not be real with everybody at the same time?”
It all comes back to being relatable and connecting with the people who feel the same. More than ever, artists are beginning to let their guard down and talk about important subjects like mental health. Authenticity is vital in a fan’s mind. At the end of the day, everyone’s gotta take a step back and help themselves and maybe through that process they can help someone else along the way.
With the success of her recent release, Candace in Wonderland has a lot of material up her sleeve and will be releasing a few more singles this year. As she continues to grow her following, she’s eager to get back out there when everything opens up and perform again.
To wrap it all up, here’s what Candace would say to her younger self:
“Every struggle that I’ve been through as a musician has elevated me in the end It’s all been helpful and I’ve learned from it. I’ve come out with a lot more knowledge, and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities from just sticking that out. Maybe it’s a little bit naive, but I feel like at the end of the day I like music so I’m going to continue making it and hopefully other people will like it too.”
