Candy Bars
Interview with Daniel Martinez and Ryan Hastings
Words: Marshall Dickson
Photos: Michael Spadoni

On a balmy February evening in downtown Tampa, a special event happened in a little known, inconspicuous space above The Hub.  Yes, that Hub.  An impromptu theater and concert space was assembled in the vacant second floor where a fortunate group of folks were treated to a screening of short films by pioneering industrial designers Charles & Ray Eames, a DJ set from St. Pete’s Positive Response, and an electrifying live performance by a fully reunited Candy Bars.  I was able to take some time after the happening to catch up with Daniel Martinez and Ryan Hastings, to decipher the mystery behind one of the Bay Area’s most promising bands.

REAX: You’ve just won “Favorite Regional Folk Act” in REAX’s State of the Scene Reader’s Poll.  How does that feel, and are you folk or just folks?
Daniel Martinez:  I think that folk thing came around because Ryan was gone for a year, and we played a lot of shows with just Melissa and I.  The acoustic guitar just seemed to work.  Other than that, I have no fucking idea where that folk thing came from at all.

REAX:  2006 was said to have been “The Year of the Candy Bars.”  Your album, “On Cutting Ti-Gers in Half and Understanding Narravation” was graced with a shining review from the oft-malicious Pitchfork, and received critical attention nationwide.  What happened?
DM:  I think for the most part, because of circumstance we were in, we weren’t able to be behind it on the road.  We couldn’t be on the road.  I think that restricted us from supporting the record in the way that traditionally it’s done.  Usually you put out a record, hit the road, and tour the southern states, if you’re from Florida.  You’ve got to burst that state line up north and get to Georgia, tour the Carolinas, and we didn’t have the chance to do that at all.

REAX:  January brought the triumphant return of Ryan to the band.  Welcome back!  What was your reason for leaving, and Daniel, what was the band like continuing on without him?
Ryan Hastings:  I moved away to New Hampshire for work, and it was a huge mistake.  Flat out.  All in all it was a huge mistake.  When we recorded the record, I was already living in Jacksonville.  A month after I left Tampa was when Keith and New Granada approached us and offered to put out a full-length record, so we decided to do it.  Six months later, when it was time for the release, I was already in New England.  I flew down to play the release party, and was able to come down four or five times last year to play some select shows when I could, but it wasn’t enough.


REAX:  At a recent New World Brewery show, you expanded your line up with a violist, who was absent tonight.  Is she a new member, and are there any more additions to come?
DM:  That was Melissa’s sister Gina, and that actually worked out really well.  We’ve given her an open door to come and play with us anytime.  But now we are back as the three of us, so we’re writing new material that’s meant for the three of us.  Over the last year, we’ve tried to keep it together as best we could, without a drummer, or being able to tour.  We played with The Walkman, and we tried bringing in two drummers to compensate for one (laughs).  I’m glad we were able to actually show face in more than one way while he was gone to try and keep things relatively interesting without completely leaving (the scene).  We couldn’t do the traditional tour thing, so why not play some shows with a cello and viola, a show with our friends on drums, whatever!

REAX:  Candy Bars 2007 – Are you recording a new album, and what can fans expect this time around?
RH:  There is a plan to record, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen.  Previously, we wrote and recorded songs, then picked and chose which ones belonged on the records.  The last album was pieced together from three eps that we released on our own over a year and a half span.  Those eps are what New Granada heard.  We took songs that we’d already recorded, polished it up, added Melissa’s parts to it and put it out.  That worked out really well, but the next album will be completely new ground with material that is written specifically for the three of us.
DM:  I hope we completely wipe our ass with what it was that we put out before and put something else out that’s wholly new, but sounds kind of familiar.  Now that we are back to where we left off a year and a half ago, we can put a new album together, and go through the same sort of process as we did last year.

Unknown Woman:  Do you know where the Shark Bar is?
DM:  The Shark Bar is in the ocean – with the rest of the sharks.

Check out Candy Bars at: www.myspace.com/candybars.