Comprising of brothers (vocalist/guitarist) Rob Latimer and lead guitarist Dan Latimer, bassist Sam Baines, drums Alex Bonsor and keyboards Max Fisher, Candid are an indie rock/pop outfit that originate from Coventry. Recently signed to Marquee Records, (part of the World famous London music venue) in February 2023, with worldwide song distribution by Right Track/Universal Music Operations the five piece continue to make a striking impression in both their recording evolution and impeccable live performances. With frequent sonic comparisons to bands such as Stereophonics, The Academic and The Amazons and sporting an ever growing fanbase, front man Rob Latimer delivers a fireball of energy, passion and emotion that comes translated in a myriad of different melodies and riffs that are intended to hit you hard.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Hey Candid, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
We all found music at a fairly young age and have been in and out of bands for years. Myself (Rob) and Dan are brothers so we’ve always played together and have a very similar taste in music. Both Dan and our bassist Sam were taught by the same guitar teacher. Our drummer Bons has been drumming since he could hold a stick, hence why he is by far the most musically proficient member when it comes to their instrument. Max (Synth) had a very similar situation, however he didn’t start on synth, it’s something he taught himself. Me and Max got chatting after bumping into each other on a night out and within 2 weeks he was in the band.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
For me (Rob) photography, graphic design and sleeping, not much else besides that and music does it for me. Max DJ’s around Birmingham, Dan’s into cars (not the disney film), Sam loves gardening and I couldn't tell you what Bons does in his spare time, probably best.
Your latest song is 'Tonight'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
It was the first song we’d written in a while that I felt truly excited about. We went down the synth road and had to follow up with something relevant. Tonight felt right and we pursued it, the lyrics were relevant to how I was feeling at the time, spiraling a little and it was more of a therapy session writing that song and I wanted it to have the same impact for everyone else.
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
Still very much trying to discover this one, if you find out, let us know.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
Exposing ourselves to as much music as possible, different genres, not just the ones your typical indie band may source inspiration from. Experimenting with arrangement, instrumentation and refining the songwriting craft. We’ve begun starting every practice just writing a new song off the cuff, some are naff, some are pretty good. You’ve just got to keep striving to the next thing, really.
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
You can take inspiration from everything, without sounding cliche. Situations, conversations and real life experiences usually inspire lyricism but a great song, usually something with a solid drum beat inspires us to write.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Keep streaming our latest single ‘Tonight’ and be kind to people and more importantly, yourself!
Do you have a mentor or coach?
Our manager Karl is full of wisdom, we’ve got a lot of people to thank during the time before now who have helped us keep us on our feet, but they know who are they are.
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
Very difficult, it’s pretty much a lottery nowadays, one of the hardest industries to be successful in, but success is defined by however you perceive it. The trouble is we compare, and rarely ever get chance to reflect on our accomplishments, as long as you’re still in love with your music, I think that will carry you to where you belong.
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
Hopefully building our profile through a series of great tunes, then the gigs and awareness will follow. The main goal is an album that is received well, and could hopefully even chart - who knows, but we have faith.