Candy Says

Candy Says

Candy Says is an Oxford-based group formed in 2012. The line-up centres on Julia-Sophie, known as Juju, who previously performed with Little Fish and had been signed with Universal in the US and Island in the UK during that period. She forms the project with Ben Walker, Eliza Zoot, and Mike Monaghan. Walker has links to Man Without Country and Fionn Regan, while Zoot performs with Black Casino and The Ghost.

Sound and recording

The group records in a lo-fi pop style with electronic elements, and its sound is shaped in part by Juju’s French roots. The band describes its music through a combination of pop songwriting, intricate arrangements and rougher garage-band textures. Their recordings are made with minimal equipment and an emphasis on layered vocals, changing rhythms and dense melodic detail.

Early releases and presentation

The first single, Melt Into The Sun, reflects themes of looking back, change and new beginnings. Its video is directed by Albanian artist Bekim Mala and is filmed in a stone barn using theatrical imagery including a boxing ring and hay bales. The project also appears on Beanie Tapes and is associated with creative commons releases.

Background

Candy Says begins when Juju assembles the band in the summer of 2012 and starts recording an album in the garage of her and Ben Walker’s bungalow. The project develops as a deliberately self-directed response to Juju’s earlier industry experience, aiming for a sound and working method that feel closer to home and more personally driven.