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Live In the Clubs: Playing guitar gives Candlen chance to perform solo gigs

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Steve Candlen has been writing songs and performing in the Capital Region since he was 12.

So it may come as a surprise that Candlen, 45, only picked up the guitar five years ago. A professional drummer, Candlen has played with national rockers the Young Rascals, Albany jazz vocalist Franklin Micare and The McKrells, and has also been writing songs and lyrics since his first stint in a band.

As a teenager [doing] garage band type stuff, I would be the guy writing the words and stuff, and I would get together with the guitar guys and kind of sing chord changes and come up with lyrics, Candlen said during a recent interview at a coffee shop in Albany. So basically I was writing the songs in those early groups, rock bands I played in. So Ive always had a kind of a desire to do that; I enjoy doing it. I dont know if there were any very good songs, but I wrote a bunch of them.

His desire to play original material on his own led Candlen to give the six-string a try. As far as being able to go out as one, self-sufficient musician, stand there and sing your song, you need some kind of musical medium. So I chose the guitar, Candlen said.

Since picking up the guitar, Candlen has performed in clubs and bars in the region, including a gig tonight at 8:30 at Gaffneys in Saratoga Springs. So far, Candlens solo performances, which he considers more of a side project, have allowed him to see a different side of the music scene hes been a part of in the region for decades, and meet new people as well.

Thats the fun part, because I meet a lot of people just because Im playing in a place, and all of a sudden youve got couples its usually couples for whatever reason; I generate toward couples, Candlen said. So some couple is eating dinner or having a drink or something, and they enjoy the music. So theyll say so and Ill say hello to them, and you start relationships with people and its great. But I think I tend to meet people because this is a new thing; its not something that Im known for.

According to Candlen, the transition from drumming, which he has been doing since he was 4 years old, to guitar playing wasnt that difficult, although he approaches the two instruments differently. His solo songs are of a mellow nature, making use of atmospheric acoustic playing and introspective lyrics while maintaining simpler arrangements.

Youd think a drummer would pick [a guitar] up and be like, da-da-da, very heavy with the rhythm thing, Candlen said. But I tend to go pretty mellow, because I think when I like listening to someone play the guitar and sing, it kind of feels to me like it should be kind of mellow, or softer, or evocative, or mysterious not so much heavy on the rhythm when its just a solo guy.

Songs such as Living at the End of the World tend to find Candlen on serious ground lyrically; that particular song came about after Candlen was watching the news one night, and features an almost doo-wop shuffle juxtaposed against Candlens gritty vocals. However, the song is mostly a sarcastic take on world issues, according to Candlen. For Candlen, the emotions behind the songs are key.

Songs come from a place [thats] emotionally connected to me, Candlen said. Its not something that I just write a song because I think its going to be catchy.

Candlen currently has a seven-song CD that he distributes at his shows, which provides a close representation of his live sound. He recorded it at home, with one microphone, live with just his guitar for accompaniment. Hes hoping to delve into the world of music videos next, and cites YouTube as a major resource for learning and discovering new music.

Of course, Candlen still has his day jobs playing drums he regularly backs Micare in a duo or trio setup. His 12-year-old son also plays drums, and the two will jam from time to time on harder-edged rock material. He remains open to taking his solo material as far as he can.

[I have] no actual game plan or anything, but everything is kind of ever-expanding at all times, Candlen said. Thats kind of why I like playing music, because its kind of an experience for me. So Im always open to a new experience when it comes to being creative.