Music from the Other Side of the Pond

“A guilty pleasure for deep thinkers” is what the Candle Thieves say they are all about. The band consists of English multi-instrumentalists Scott McEwan and The Glock, both from former UK rock bands, McEwan particularly from Caffeine. Inspired by the Eels and Sufjan Stevens and visually recalling duos such as Peter & Gordon and Chad & Jeremy, the two create a brand of winsome, intimate pop-rock that may seem simple and lightweight but in truth has a deeper message below the surface. Their recent album effort, Sunshine and Other Misfortunes, fully captures their sound, and it has garnered praise from critics. McEwan and The Glock, after recently performing at Austin’s 2010 SXSW, share their favorite musical memories, records and the future of their music.

Jeff Boyce: List your best memories in music.
Scott: I think a lot of our favourite memories are recent ones! Getting our debut album in our hands was a very nice feeling, heading over to the States for the first time last December felt really special too. Saying that I also really fondly remember the early days when we were adding strange instruments to the set one by one and getting excited about anything from a gig to a new song idea.

Glock: I remember getting a little keyboard for Christmas aged around 10. I remember figuring out better late than never that writing & playing music is supposed to be enjoyed.

If stuck on a desert island, which ten CDs would you most want with you and why?
Scott: Wow that's tough! I guess we should take 5 each. A bit of a loose list, but currently I would go for:
1) Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy
2) Descendents - Everything Sucks
3) Sigur Ros - Takk
4) Counting Crows: August & Everything After
5) Bruce Springsteen - No way I could pick one album!

Glock: I'd take...
1) Randy Newman - Little Island
2) Elvis Presley- Island Of Love
3) Simon & Garfunkel - I Am A Rock
4) Dave Gilmour - On An Island
5) Hanson - Back To The Island

Top ten music concerts you've most enjoyed? (And what made each one special.)
Scott: Ok my 5 would be, in no particular order:

1) Sigur Ros, London - Just a beautiful set with string section and brass band.
2) Eels, London - Me and Glock went to this and I think it really helped us in a vague direction that we wanted to go with playing live.
3) Kiss, Australia - For me the best rock ‘n' roll show you will ever see. Fire breathing, flying into the crowd, pyrotechnics, confetti - what's not to love?!
4) Counting Crows, London - A band I'd loved ever since their first record but didn't get to see them till their 3rd came out. Adam Duritz is an amazing singer.
5) The Candle Thieves, Texas - I realize it is ridiculous to put your own band in! This gig was only the other night but we got to play in an amazing church for our first ever proper set in America and it just felt special. I'll remember it for a very long time and am really grateful for it.

Glock: I’ve had a few moments of awe when seeing Bob Dylan, Neil Young & Willy Nelson on separate occasions. I get a little mildly frightened at the thought of the remaining significant artists in pop history passing away in my lifetime and wondering what we'll be left with when they do.

Who would you choose for your top ten list of up-and-coming artists?
Scott: There is so many up and coming bands coming through and it's a really exciting time, I just wish we got a chance to see them! I'm actually friends with a couple of singer songwriters from the UK who are pretty great called Lost On Campus and Sam Little.

Glock: I've recently been listening to a band called The Beatles. I think with a good PR angle and the right image, they could really go places.

What would you like people to know about you and your music?
Scott: I think mostly we'd just love people to check it out. The best place would be at www.thecandlethieves.com or we regularly talk on Twitter too. (www.twitter.com/candlethieves)

Our debut album is [already] out via Itunes and is titled "Sunshine And Other Misfortunes". Thank you for the interview!

Glock: Also I'm a reasonably good cook.

by Jeff Boyce

Editor’s note This interview was answered and returned by the artists via e-mail.