Hailing from Middle Tennessee, the bedroom dream-pop artist and singer-songwriter Candace in Wonderland reflects on the relatable topic of social anxiety with her recent single, "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)."
Known for her soulful and ethereal sound, Candace in Wonderland's natural charm and charisma are bound to entice listeners into her dreamy sonic landscapes. Living in Middle Tennessee with West Coast roots, Candace in Wonderland is able to blend a unique style represented by her truths and authentic storytelling.
Expanding on her recent single, "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)," Candace in Wonderland elaborates on her inner thoughts when invited out to a social gathering, which is bound to relate to countless listeners. With help from rapper Small Words, he adds a bright and breathy verse to further emphasize the desire to stay warm and cozy at home.
As "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)" begins, we're met with spacey synths and mid-tempo dream-pop sonics through a bright array of synths, a plucky bassline, and crisp drum breaks. As Candace in Wonderland begins setting the song's fun-loving yet reflective tone with her introspective lyricism, the sonics continue to push a radiant and warm vibe that invites any listeners into its deep groove.
We adore the contrast between the self-examining lyricism and the vibrant sonics, as it makes for a refreshing listening experience. As Small Words meets our speakers with his breathy and warm vocal delivery, he begins spitting bars towards feeling indecisive and finding reasons to stay home while avoiding the anxiety brought on by social settings.
Allow Candace in Wonderland's latest single, "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)," to be your reason to stay in for the night. Find the single on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Candace in Wonderland. We love the relatable theme you've tied into your recent single, "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)." What inspired you to create a single that touches on social anxiety and feeling canceled?
I was inspired to write about social anxiety after going through quarantine. I’m fairly introverted so I honestly felt relieved to have a bit of a break from social settings for a few months. After getting burnt out on sitting at home, having hardly any social life, I started to try to be social again in safe settings (either virtual or socially distanced), and quickly realized that I was completely out of practice. I felt so awkward and nervous that I would find reasons to not be involved and just stay home. It’s a vicious cycle because the longer you avoid it, the more debilitating the anxiety gets. When I finally did work up the courage to get out, for reasons that were out of my control all of the events and commitments that I was working toward were being cancelled. That’s when my boyfriend and I wrote down the idea “cancelled”. We brought it to my good friend/producer Will McBeath and wrote the song, thinking it would be kind of chill and sad but then he added this dance beat, and it changed the tone of the song into something that was more approachable in my opinion.
Why did you choose to create the sonics for "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)" to be so bright and dreamy, contrasting your reflective lyrical theme?
To be honest, I really didn’t expect the song to sound as bright as it does. That is all thanks to my producer, Will McBeath. I expected it to be more of a lazy, depressed type of tone. I even was planning on using a lot of gray tones and a sort of drab color palette, but once I heard the first mix I was sold. After that, I immediately started changing my plans for the look of the visuals! To me, it's sort of a sad bop. If you read the lyrics, they’re kind of depressing haha, but when you add that beat and the bright tone, it makes it all seem less heavy and easier to wrap your mind around.
What was your collaborative experience like working with Small Words for "Cancelled (feat. Small Words)?" What initially attracted you to his stylings to feature on your single?
I had talked to a few different artists in Nashville about the collaboration for this song but everything was falling through. I guess that’s what I get for writing a song called “cancelled” haha Eventually my boyfriend / co-writer of this song Keyler Matthews suggested Small Words who are an alt-pop group based out of his hometown Indianapolis. It wasn’t something I had considered since I knew them as more of a rock band, but their most recent track “Spectrum” was definitely moving in a more ‘pop’ direction. After listening again, I was really able to envision the collaboration. We reached out and in a matter of minutes, Nick Long (lead singer) had sent us a voice memo of his idea for the verse. I instantly loved it and had nothing that I wanted him to change about it. Initially, I didn’t have this direction in mind but I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. sometimes a song chooses its own path, and this one, in particular, went through many hoops but honestly, it all fell into place pretty naturally.
Could you elaborate on your artistic brand and what sort of authentic stories you tell within your music? How does your lyricism reflect who you are?
As far as my artistic brand, I think the stories that I’m trying to tell are mostly tied to my slightly eccentric personality haha. I really value authenticity and I strive to always speak my mind. I think there’s a lot of people out there who need to know that they are not the only ones who are feeling “cancelled” or whatever it is that I’m writing about that day. I tend to think of things in extremes, so when I have something on my mind, I start to see that topic pop up everywhere until I get it out. It’s therapeutic for me and it's been cool to see my music start to resonate with some people other than myself lately. I plan to continue listening to my instinct when it comes to my artistry, knowing that sometimes it will land in a way that connects with others which is the magic of songwriting.
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