Disappearing In Airports

DisappearingInAirports
Releasedate:April22
PavementEntertainment,
distributedbyMRI/Sony-RED
KevinMar*n-vocals
DaveKrusen–drums
MikeLeslie–lead/rhythmguitar
BrianQuinn–lead/rhythmguitar
AdamKury–bass
Inastoriedrock‘n’rollcareerofmul4-pla4numalbumsand
4meless,ubiquitousradiosmashes,Candlebox’ssixthstudio
album,DisappearingInAirports,findstherenownedlineup
infusedwithanewenergyandopenness.“Iwanttotake
Candleboxintoanewworld,andthisrecordisvery
different,verydiverseforus,”saysbandfounderand
frontmanKevinMar4n.“It’saboutgrowthandpushingthe
bandinthedirec4onforanewaudience.”Withsongs
rangingfromthepissedandurgent“God’sGiJ”totheedgy
uneaseof“I’veGotaGun”totheamorousrompof
“Supernova,”DisappearingInAirportsisaboldmusical
statementfromarevitalizedband.
TheamicabledepartureoforiginalmembersScoNMercado
andPeterKleNallowedCandleboxtheopportunitytoshake
thingsup,andthatnewfoundenergyandimpetusisevident
inthedozentracksonDisappearingInAirports.Guitarists
MikeLeslieandBrianQuinnbringfreshnesstotheband’s
megahitslike“FarBehind”and“You,”aswellasdifferent
anglestothenewmaterial.“Theyhavea‘Wow,I’mplaying
thissongthatIgrewuponandIlovethistune!’kindof
puppydoglovetoit,”laughsMar4n.“Mike’sgotsomuch
B.B.Kinginhisstyle,ofbluesit’sinsane,andspontaneityto
hisplayingandsongwri4ngthat’senrichingtome.”While
Brianhasametalandclassicrockside,healsoboastsabig
bluesinfluence“andisanincredibleslideplayer.Mikeand
Brianplayen4relydifferentlybutitfitssowell.”
Thebandformedin1991,wentquadruplepla4numwiththeir1993self-4tleddebutonMadonna’sMaverick
Records,andreleasedtwomoreacclaimedandtop-sellingalbums(1995’sLucyand1998’sHappyPills)before
goingonahiatusin2000.Candleboxregroupedwitha2006tour,thenputoutIntotheSunin2008,followedby
2012’sLoveStories&OtherMusings.ForDisappearinginAirports,thebandworkedwithproducersCarsonSlovak
andGrantMcFarland(AugustBurnsRed,Everclear,RiversofNihl),cufngtherecordatThinkLoudStudiosinYork,
Pennsylvania.
Post-LoveStories,Mar4nworkedupaboutsevensongs,butasplitwiththeirrecordlabelpostponedrecording.So
withanewdealwithPavementEntertainmentinplaceandrenewedcrea4vity,Candleboxcompletedandfinished
foursongsinaday,wroteacouplemoreinthestudio,thenrevisitedandreworkedpreviouslyunfinishedsongs
thatfitintothedirec4onDisappearinginAirportswasheading.“Thegreatthingisthattheyallreallybecame
songswhenwewereabandinthestudio,becauseit’saverycollabora4verecord,whichI’mveryhappyabout,”
Mar4nsays.“Itwasverytogetherandcrea4ve,andagainthat’swhatMikeandBrianwereabletobringtothe
record--thatspontaneityandthatyoung,excitedenergy.”
ForMar4n,thesongsflowedeasily:“Idon’tlaboratall,it’snotinme;notthattherearen’tgreatbandsthatwork
intensivelyoverbrilliantsongs,butIfindformethatini4allywhatpopsoutiswhatI’mlookingfor.Ifit’snot
openingitselfuptomeandallowingittobeseenbyme,Ijustwon’tbothertobeatitup.”
Songslikethefirsttracktoradio,theleJ-of-center“Vexa4ous”(aMar4n-createdword)hooksyouinimmediate
withthedrumsandirresis4blechorus.ItisMar4nathiseditorialbest–poignant,lyricaldrivingthemessageof
theperilsofadigitally-connectedyetemo4onallydisconnectedworldinapowerfulrocksong.
“Vexa4ous”isaboutthisemo4onallydes4tute,socialnetworking-obsessedsocietywelivein.Peoplecomeoffas
insecure,yets4llsoen4tledwithunlimitedbraggingrights,”saysMar4n.“Whetherit’sapopstarfeuding
senselesslywithanotherpopstar,orthegirlsandboyswhocan’thelpbuttotake50differentselfiesinundera
minuteandmisseverythingthat’shappeningaroundthem,wecan’tescapeit.It’severywhereandit’sdestroying
us.Da4ngapps,bitchingapps,secretsharingapps,appsappsapps—theyalloperateoutsideofanyrealor
authen4chumanconnec4on.Noonecareswhatanyoneelsethinksorfeels.It’sallme,me,meand,ifyouaskme,
it’sfuckingsad.”
Speakingcelebrityfeuding,thereisonesongwhereMar4ntakesapublicfiguretotask.“God’sGiJ”was
inspiredbyKanyeWest.“It’satotalslapathim.Whendoessomeonesay‘Youactuallyaren’tthatgood?’
Somehowtheworldjustseemstokeepblowingsmokeuphisass.”Anothercontroversialsubjectis“I’veGotA
Gun,”“inspiredbytheconstantsmallmindednessofpeoplewhothinkyou’retryingtotaketheirgunsaway
fromthem.Ifyouknowanythingaboutmeasaperson,youknowthatI’mhighlypoli4cal;youknowthatI’ma
firmbelieverinpeople’srights100%andIdon’tbelievethatanyoneshouldtakeyourgunsfromyou.I’msaying
isguncontrolisanissueandthesemassshoo4ngsneedtostopandthat’stheapproachofthesong.”
Musically,DisappearinginAirportsisasheadyasitislyrically.Andvisually:thealbumcoverisbyanar4st-friend
ofMar4n’s,ScoNFisher,whopassedawayduringthealbumprocess.“Ihadaskedhimpainttheartworkforthe
album,andthepain4nghedidforusis4tled“DisappearingInAirports,”hencethealbum4tle.Thepain4ng
representedthesongsthathe’dhearfromouralbum,soit’sreallyaboutwhathisemo4onswerehowthe
songshadaffectedhim,sothat’showitrepresentstherecord.”
“Supernova”isalove(sex!)songforMar4n’swifeandit’scontrastedwith“AliveatLast,”which“isaboutthat
lastbreath,aboutthepeoplewhoarestruggling,whetherit’swithterminalcancerorsomethingthat’s
destroyingthem.It’saliNlebitexisten4al.”
Mar4nfoundthecrea4veprocessverytherapeu4cthisgo-round;withouttwooriginalmembers,hesays,
“therewasmorefreedomformetoexpressmyself.”Thatsaid,itwasn’talwayseasy,butthat’swhatgives
DisappearinginAirportssomuchofitspower.“I’msayingalotofthingsthatI’veneversaidbefore,andthat’s
liNlebitofachallengeforme.IremembertellingCarsonthatIwasn’tcomfortablesingingsomethings,buthe
said,‘That’sgood,beuncomfortable.’”
Ul4mately,whileDisappearingInAirportsisclearlyCandlebox,Mar4nobservesthattherecord,comparedtoits
predecessoris“bankedrightturn;Idon’tthinkit’s90degreesbutwearetakingchances.You’vegottopush
yourselfoutsideofthatcomfortzone.Youhavetodothatasamusician,orinanycrea4veelementofyourlife,”
Mar4nbelieves.“That’swhatwedidwiththisrecord,andIknewtheseguyswouldgowithmeandwouldtake
mewhereIwantedtogomusically.Wecanreachasfaraswewant.”
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