Candlebox return to familiar territory this week, The Billboard Top 200. Their new album, Into The Sun, debuts at #32 today on the Billboard Top 200, scanning 14,378 copies. Into The Sun is out on Silent Majority Group through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group. Candlebox’s 2008 lineup features 3 of the founding 4 members…founding members that have led Candlebox to sell over 6 million albums together. The original Candlebox songwriting team of singer Kevin Martin and guitarist Peter Klett along with original drummer Scott Mercado have been reunited and Into The Sun marks the band’s first new record in ten years.

“Stand,” the first single off Into The Sun, is off to a great start at radio. It’s in rotation at over 100 Active/Alternative/Mainstream Rock stations across the country. “Stand” is currently climbing the BDS Active Rock chart thanks to big support from KISW/Seattle, KOMP/Las Vegas, WRIF/Detroit, WIIL/Chicago, WMMS/Cleveland, WRFF/Philadelphia, WXDX/Pittsburgh, Octane/Sirius, Squizz/XM and Music Choice.

Upcoming Candlebox Headlining Dates:
07/31/08 Abilene, TX Midnite Rodeo 3
08/01/08 Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
08/02/08 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
08/04/08 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar
08/05/08 Waco, TX Whiskey River (Formerly Grahams Central)
08/06/08 Odessa, TX Dos Amigos (Outdoors)
08/08/08 Corpus Christi, TX The Pavilion @ Concrete Street
08/09/08 San Angelo, TX Grahams
08/11/08 Little Rock, AR Revolution Music Room (The Rev Room)
08/12/08 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
08/13/08 Ft. Walton Beach, FL The Swamp
08/15/08 Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
08/16/08 Ft. Myers, FL Ricochet’s
08/17/08 Sebastian, FL Captain Hirams Resort
08/19/08 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
08/20/08 Port St. Lucie, FL Mojo Room
08/22/08 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
08/23/08 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
08/24/07 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
08/27/08 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino
08/28/08 Buffalo, NY Thursday at the Square
08/29/08 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
09/02/08 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
09/03/08 Johnson City, NY Magic City Music Hall
09/05/08 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
09/06/08 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
09/07/08 Towson, MD The Recher Theatre
09/09/08 Norfolk, VA The Norva
09/10/08 Charlotte, NC Amo’s Southend
09/12/08 Cookeville, TN The Depot
10/04/08 Fountain Hills, AZ Ft. McDowell Resort and Casino

It’s a miraculous yet familiar tale. Group of friends form a band, works their asses off gigging around town, cuts some demos, secures a recording contract, writes a hit or two, emerges from local obscurity to global touring and sales success, hits a creative and interpersonal wall, disbands, wanders in individual obscurity for a few years, gets back together, older, wiser, produces the best effort of their career and does it all over again.

Okay, granted, it’s a grand simplification but a fairly accurate depiction of Candlebox, whose 1993 self-titled debut – released in the midst of the northwest existential musical, cultural maelstrom known as ‘grunge’ – rose above the grey Seattle mist to global notoriety. They grew up with the flannel-clad locals but Candlebox was not a grunge band, riding the coattails of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and a ‘scene’ whose explosion took on mythical proportions. They rocked without being labeled or attached to a movement, pure and true to their melodic instincts, and sold six million records in the process.

Singer Kevin Martin and guitarist Peter Klett — the songwriting team that birthed Candlebox –were reunited with original drummer Scott Mercado by the 2006 Rhino/Warner Brothers retrospective, Best of Candlebox. After being away from the music kingdom for nearly seven years, the band was welcomed back with open arms, invited to play radio shows across the country with Top 10 multi-platinum artists. More importantly, these longtime compositional compatriots discovered that the time and tide apart had nurtured enhanced chemistry and mutual personal evolution that has now manifested in a cache of new songs that leave their past works, for lack of a better phrase, far behind.

“I left the band after the Happy Pills Tour in 1999,” says Klett. “Got really drunk, did a bunch of drugs, played golf, moved to California, moved back to Seattle, fell down the stairs and got sober. Kevin called me while I was fronting a band called Red Light and told me about the Rhino project. Said it’d be a shame if we didn’t go out and do some dates, which we did in the summer of ’06. And the fans came out and it was very validating. We started writing together again in early ’07 and it was beautiful.”

When you’ve been writing about rock n’ roll for more than 20 years like I have, it’s easy to be sucked into hyperbole, especially when you’re on assignment but with my pedigree and professional cred on my sleeve, I report with all candor that the new Candlebox long play is one of the most musically accomplished, lyrically insightful and downright magical records I’ve heard in years. Under the studio aegis of producer Ron Aniello (Barenaked Ladies/Lifehouse) and engineer Cliff Norrell, (Henry Rollins, REM), Martin’s punk and Klett’s classic rock roots have woven to form a breathtaking collection of eclectic tunes worthy of deeper assessment.

Into The Sun is set for release on 7/22/08 and Candlebox will take these songs to the people with a worldwide tour and live presentation commensurate to the power of the record. The LP is a bold, eclectic mix of rhythms and textures highlighted by the ambitious, eight-minute plus Pink Floyd-ian opus called “Breathe Me,” a balls to the walls ballad inspired by Martin’s Australian wife. “You’re a deep-rooted tree, an artist’s muse/I watch you listen, I watch you share/You make me want more, and you make me scared/You’re so much more than I ever hoped.” Maturation of emotion cometh from the creative road less traveled. “That song is about how much I love my wife,” says Martin. “Peter and I have evolved as songwriters, musicians and friends. We paint with much broader strokes now.”

This growth is evident on the metallic rocker, “Underneath It All,” a heavy, crunchy, very electric and existential examination of the gypsy in all of us, highlighted by Klett’s swirling, echoing Robin Trower-like guitar riffs. “People think life on the road is a dream,” observes Martin. “It isn’t. It’s lonely and oft times, troublesome. If it weren’t for the fans and their energy, I’d just as soon stay home. But that’s what feeds the gypsy soul. That connection.”

On the further topic of connection is the song, “Surrendering,” a poetic call to action for wounded warriors of aching heart and good intent, it’s theme is archetypal but no less resonant now than during the classic Crooner days of another Martin (Dean) and his compatriot, old Blue Eyes Sinatra. Elsewhere, Martin delves deeper into his well of human experience with the song, “Miss You,” inspired by his late father. “My dad was a World War II vet who died four years ago at age 81,” he says. “He would call me every June 6th and tell me another story about how he survived Omaha Beach. That song is about how I got to know my dad through the war stories he told me.”

“Consider Us” is a powerful track about death also inspired by Martin’s father but pointing to his own new responsibility of parenthood. “I’m not sure I’ve gotten more mystical as I approach mid life,” he observes, “but my dad has visited me in my dreams several times since his passing. Now that I have a child, life has definitely gotten more profound.”

In this brave new fiercely competitive world of evaporating record companies, digital downloads and My Space created rock stars, when artists are given a rare second chance, they know they must rise to the occasion. Candlebox disappeared but they have most definitely returned and this time, it’s not the scene or the culture or the media doing the talking. It’s the music. And that is miraculous.

Candlebox have announced preliminary dates for a full US tour this summer; full list of confirmed shows are below with more to follow in the coming weeks. Candlebox’s new record, Into The Sun is out July 22nd on Silent Majority Group/ILG. If you need music, please let me know and I’ll make sure to get that out ASAP.

“Stand,” the first single off Into The Sun, is off to a great start at radio. It’s in rotation at over 75 Active/Alternative/Mainstream Rock stations across the country and was the track was the 4th biggest spin gainer this week at Active Rock! The single just hit the charts and is already sitting at #22 at Active Rock and #20 at Mainstream Rock thanks to big support from KISW/Seattle, KOMP/Las Vegas, WRIF/Detroit, WIIL/Chicago, WMMS/Cleveland, WRFF/Philadelphia, WXDX/Pittsburgh, Octane/Sirius, Squizz/XM and Music Choice. “Stand” along with two other new tracks, “Surrendering” and “Into The Sun” are all currently available for purchase on iTunes.

Candlebox’s 2008 lineup features 3 of the founding 4 members…founding members that have led Candlebox to sell over 6 Million albums together. The original Candlebox songwriting team of singer Kevin Martin and guitarist Peter Klett along with original drummer Scott Mercado have been reunited and Into The Sun marks the band’s first new record in ten years.

Confirmed Candlebox Tour Dates:
06/13/08 Omaha, NE Rosenblatt Stadium
06/27/08 Maplewood, MN The Rock
06/28/08 Rock Island, IL Rock Island Plaza – Daquiri Festival
06/29/08 Mt. Clemens, MI Stars and Stripes Festival
06/30/08 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest – WJJO Zippo Rock Stage
07/02/08 North Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge
07/04/08 O’Fallon, MO Ozzie Smith Sports Complex
07/05/08 Clear Lake, IA The Surf Ballroom
07/06/08 Libertyville, IL Austin’s Saloon
07/08/08 Toledo, OH Headliners
07/10/08 Lake Charles, LA L’Auberge du Lac
07/11/08 Salem, OH Quaker City Raceway – Ribs & Rock Festival
07/12/08 Ft. Wayne, IN Headwaters Park – Three River Festival
07/15/08 Cincinnati, OH Bogart’s
07/16/08 Clarkesville, TN Kickers
07/17/08 Atlanta, GA Center Stage
07/19/08 Modesto, CA Xclamation Festival – Rock N Roll Stage
07/25/08 Spokane, WA The Knitting Factory
07/26/08 Clarkstown, WA Gateway Golf Center – Rockin on the River
07/27/08 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
07/29/08 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
07/31/08 Abilene, TX Midnite Rodeo 3
08/01/08 Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
08/02/08 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
08/04/08 San Antonio, TX Scout Bar
08/05/08 Waco, TX Whiskey River (Formerly Grahams Central)
08/06/08 Odessa, TX Dos Amigos (Outdoors)
08/08/08 Corpus Christi, TX The Pavilion @ Concrete Street
08/09/08 San Angelo, TX Grahams
08/11/08 Little Rock, AR Revolution Music Room (The Rev Room)
08/12/08 Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
08/13/08 Ft. Walton Beach, FL The Swamp
08/15/08 Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
08/16/08 Ft. Myers, FL Ricochet’s
08/17/08 Sebastian, FL Captain Hirams Resort
08/19/08 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
08/20/08 Port St. Lucie, FL Mojo Room
08/22/08 Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
08/23/08 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
08/24/07 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
08/27/08 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino
08/28/08 Buffalo, NY Thursday at the Square
08/29/08 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
09/02/08 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
09/03/08 Johnson City, NY Magic City Music Hall
09/05/08 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
09/06/08 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
09/07/08 Towson, MD The Recher Theatre
09/09/08 Norfolk, VA The Norva
09/10/08 Charlotte, NC Amo’s Southend