Unpack the Track: Rita Mae’s ‘Candy’s House’

STAR ON THE RISE RITA MAE TELLS US ABOUT HER INTOXICATING ALT-POP SINGLE 'CANDY'S HOUSE'

We absolutely love your sophomore alt-pop track 'Candy's House'! Can you tell us about the concept of this song?

For me the song feels like total escapism. When you wake up and walk through your day and don’t like reality, 'Candy’s House' feels like it’s this fantasy dreamland where you would hide, instead of actually changing your life.

What were your main artistic influences going into this song?

I love songwriting from a lyrical standpoint - my songs are always about building a world around the lyrics and seeing what song forms, rather than inserting words and melody into a song (if that makes sense). So artists like Lucinda Williams, Thom Yorke, Leonard Cohen and Taylor Swift have always inspired me in that sense.

But then I kind of combined that lyrical interest with my love of alt pop music - I was really obsessed with a song called 'High' by Slow Pulp, and 'Where Did You Fall' by Underscores at the time. Super different songs, which I think led to 'Candy’s House' having such a dynamic range, so many feelings blended into one song.

What was the writing & production process like?

The song is so old! I wrote it in 2018, and have been playing it acoustically for the past few years. It took me a really long time to get the production right - I made so many demos and it never quite hit (the song has been through many genres), but then I collaborated with my friend Tom (rede) and we finally cracked it.

What was your main highlight working on 'Candy's House'?

I have two! The first time I played it at an open mic and people were vibing in the crowd, dancing even though they didn’t know the song. The second was the day Tom (rede) and I worked on it and basically started and finished the production in a day. It was a particularly magic day in the studio which only comes around every so often.

Plus, you'll be playing at The Others Way Festival this month! What are you most excited for around that live performance?

It’s my first festival so I am HYPED to be playing The Others Way - especially because it’s a Karangahape Rd thing so it feels exciting but also friendly because it’s home, you know? I’m really excited to play 'Candy’s House', but also all my songs that haven’t been released yet - I love to see what connects with an audience when they haven’t heard it before.

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