Page 23 - Black Velvet Rock Music Magazine Issue 92

BV92 pg20-23 Candlebox_BV92 pg23 12/03/2017 20:58 Page 4

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here’s a song on ‘Disappearing In really struggling. It’s not only difficult for come friends with some of the people that I
TAirports’ called ‘The Bridge’, in you but it’s difficult on the band,” and that’s feel connected to musically outside of the
which Kevin sings ‘save me save me’. We when he found out that he wasn’t de- band. We just have some sort of connec-
ask if he’s ever felt like he needed someone pressed or anxious, he just has bipolar dis- tion, I don’t know what it is… and eventu-
to save him. order, so he’s been on medication for about ally we figure out what it is. With Dave, I
“Oh yeah, all the time,” he answers. “I six/seven months now and he’s doing think we’ve just got a quirky sense of hu-
still feel like that. I’d say it’s on a daily basis much better and he’s feeling positive and mour and we have a laugh about a lot of
right now!” he laughs. “You get to a point focused and he’s able to get up every morn- things that most people would find ridicu-
in your life where sometimes you need a lit- ing. He wakes up every morning at 7 o’ lous.”
tle bit of help. I think that was really where clock, goes for a jog and gets his day Over the years, Kevin has got to know
I was at when I wrote that song.” started, so it’s doing well for him. some of the band’s loyal fans. He once ded-
He co-wrote the song with Mike Leslie, “He’s not playing over here with us now icated a rendition of ‘Far Behind’, one of the
Candlebox’s guitarist (the line-up also in- because I didn’t want to put him in an envi- band’s hits, to a fan who lost her life.
cludes Dave Krusen, Adam Kury and Brian ronment that would maybe trigger some of “Yeah. Jennifer and Jillian, twin sisters.
Quinn). Kevin tells us, “He struggles with that for him, some of the anxiety and what- Literally I’ve known them since the first
bi-polar disorder and depression. What we not. I said, “Look, keep on the path you’re time we played New York in 1993 and they
wanted was to get that point across in the on and then come back out with me when would just pop up at shows. “Oh my God,
song and that’s why we came up with what you’re ready.” He’s doing really well, I’m how are you!? Good to see you,” and we
we came up with.” happy for him, ‘cause he’s a really inspiring became friends over the years. Yeah, she
Mike actually missed the UK/European musician and an incredible guitar player. passed away. She’d just had a tumor that
tour due to his bipolar disorder. Kevin ex- But I’m happy that he’s getting the help that was removed from the back of her brain, it
plains, “He’d been on medication from a he needs to make sure he’s as stable as he was benign, and just something happened,
young child for anxiety and depression. It can be.” she went into a coma and died. It was rou-
made it difficult to tour because he just tine surgery. No-one really knows what hap-
doesn’t have that inate understanding of rior to the album’s release, the band pened. It was an unfortunate situation. But
waking up, doing your things, getting your Pset up a PledgeMusic campaign. yeah, I have become friends with a lot of the
gear set up, tuning your guitar, plugging Fans could pledge on a range of items and Candlebox fans over the years. I have 25
your pedal board in and playing a show. It’s activities – one being playing a game of golf years’ worth of friends and I love that and
like “Can I get out of bed? Maybe at 3 o’ with Kevin. A couple of male fans chose to love seeing them, but I will tell ya, it’s nice
clock I’ll climb out of my bunk,” that sort of pledge and one of them, Dave Kellen, has to come over to Europe and not see those
thing, and it made it very difficult, so I actu- since become a good friend of Kevin’s. “He faces sometimes!” he laughs.
ally sent him to a friend of mine who runs a actually just flew over here with his wife We think it’s nice for the band to come
division in the United States, it’s called Mu- and saw us play in Glasgow,” says Kevin. over to Europe and see different faces for
siCares where it actually helps to diag- “We’ve become pretty good friends and a change too. We hope they will disappear
nose… if you’re an alcoholic or a drug now, whenever I’m near St. Louis, we go into an airport again soon and head back
addict it’ll help with medical bills, you can out and we play golf. We were actually hop- this way. Don’t leave it another 20 years,
see a psychiatrist or a counselor about ing the sun was going to be out when he guys.
things that you’re feeling. I said to him, “I was in Scotland because we wanted to play. Visit www.candleboxrocks.com for
think you need to go and spend some time We had a day off, I was like “We should go more info.
with my friend Erica and talk to her about and play while you’re here,” but it rained
what’s going on with you because you’re the entire time so no luck there. I tend to be- Words By Shari Black Velvet

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