If you were listening to rock music in the mid ‘90s, you undoubtedly have some familiarity with Candlebox, the group that became a household name with such hits as "Far Behind" and "You," Candlebox sold well over five million copies of its self-titled debut, on the strength of extensive radio airplay and through high-profile tours opening for Living Colour, Rush, Metallica, and Aerosmith. Headlining arena tours followed, along with two more critically lauded albums, 1995’s Lucy and 1998’s Happy Pills.
1999 brought the demise of Candlebox and the members went their separate ways.
Peter Klett, a founding member of Candlebox and lead guitarist, is back. If you’re looking for the hard rock bombast that was Candlebox, you’ll find it. What you’ll also find is the more melodic and ethereal, but equally as volatile side of rock ‘n’ roll. The result is redlightmusic, a Seattle band with a sound clearly its own.
The band’s self-titled debut on Digital Musicworks International (DMI) was produced by Klett along with Kelly Gray and Steve Thompson. redlightmusic finds Klett singing in addition to the expected role of guitarist, with many of the songs borne out of his battles with substance abuse. However, rather than dwell on the pain of addiction, the songs instead focus on the life perspective gained by overcoming such an obstacle. What has resulted is a triumphant collection of spiritually intense and life-affirming songs that are uplifting without being preachy. He bears his soul on these songs, and the result is candid, open and honest.
The song, "A Cigarette" puts you right in Klett’s shoes and takes you along for the ride, as few songs do these days. The first verse sets the tone for the entire song:
“A cigarette between my lips A dark and smoke-filled room I sit down and think of my life And I wonder if I’m living it right?”
redlightmusic is also full of potential rock anthems, such as the opening track, "Say It Again," as well as "Face the Day" and "Beautiful," among others. The experience of the last few years has afforded Klett the opportunity for musical growth he couldn’t possibly have imagined. “The perspective I have on life these days has really allowed me to see further into the songwriting than before,” says Peter Klett.
These new songs, however, would not exist without the chemistry within the band. The pieces all fell into place and redlightmusic was born when Klett began jamming with Tommy Woo (guitar and backing vocals), Jason T. Phraner (bass) and Keith Ryland (drums) in the summer of 2002. Woo, Phraner and Ryland have a long history playing together and an incredible musical rapport. Prior to redlightmusic, they spent eight years together in the Seattle band Tongue Tied, then another called Zoo on the Moon. Tommy was introduced to Peter through a mutual friend. Shortly thereafter, he brought in his old friends Jason and Keith, and the rest is history in the making. “I have to say how amazing it is to have these guys in this band. I haven’t felt this kind of connection since the very early days in Candlebox,” enthuses Peter Klett.
