JACK Candela took to the decks for the launch night of the record label Playing With Sound, which he has recently been signed to. Quays News entertainment reporter Phoebe Jobling caught up with him at Night and Day Café, Manchester ahead of his set…
The 20-year-old musician, producer and performer from Warrington, began his music career at a young age playing in bands. Candela has previously gigged at venues such as Manchester Academy, O2 Academy in Liverpool, bars in the Northern Quarter and smaller, more intimate places in his hometown.
His love for electronic music came when he was 16-years-old, which was what drove him to start DJing.
“The way to perform electronic music comes from DJing. When I met more electronic music producers, we started DJing for fun and then I found my own way of doing it,” explained Candela.
In the world of DJing, Candela says his preference is to mash up songs live and improvise rather than just play straight back-to-back tracks.
For the Playing With Sound label launch, Jack describes his set as “euphoric” with the aim to create an energy.
Also a songwriter, Candela’s influences have come from listening to a wide range of music genres.
Every style of music has its own sound so I like to listen to as many different sounds as possible which could be jazz, rock or electronic.”
Candela also has a variety of musical inspirations such as David Bowie, Miles Davis, Hudson Mohawke and Kanye West. He believes that the best thing to take from an inspiration is their mind set and their process of creating or playing music.
“I aspire to be myself but I think it’s important to have inspirations and be inspired by their attitudes rather than trying to copy them.”
Candela’s latest project is a remix he did for the late indie rock band, Viola Beach, who were close friends of his.
I had so much love for you @Viola_Beach I loved you like you were my brothers. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/83Iz1ttaX5
— JackCandela™? (@jack_candela) February 14, 2016
From the age of 15, Jack grew up with band member, Kris Leonard, as they collaborated writing songs and playing in bands, gigging around the North West.
Jack said: “Kris was the first person I started playing in bands with, seriously playing music with.”
As Candela got more into electronic music production, he and his friend Kris decided to split ways musically which is when Kris became a part of Viola Beach. Jack was familiar with the other band members from around town and band member, Tom Lowe, booked him to DJ at The Lounge a couple of times.
In December 2015, Jack and Kris met up for drinks where they played each other’s music that they’d been working on. Their meeting was just after Viola Beach joined with their manager, the late Craig Tarry, who listened to Candela’s music and suggested a remix of the two artist’s tracks.
“That’s how me and Kris got musically in touch again before he died, unfortunately,” Jack told me.
The Jack Candela & Viola Beach remix, which has a lot of 80’s rock influence, is described by Jack as being very special to him and his favourite thing that he has done so far.
It will eventually come out, when the time is right.”
When asked about his aspirations for the future, Jack said he wants to put out an EP by June and then gig as much as possible with that material.
There is a keen effort for the gig which Viola Beach where scheduled to play in March at Pyramid, Warrington to carry on and Candela is hoping to play here in memory of the band.
You can follow Jack Candela on Twitter @jack_candela and like his Facebook page to keep updated with dates for future gigs.
By Phoebe Jobling
@pvjblog
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