Theo Kandel Talks About His Substack And Debut Album ‘Eating & Drinking & Being in Love’

He just released an entire project of hits!

Theo Kandel is a music artist that you can’t help but love. If you listen to one song of his, you’re going to go down his discography rabbit hole until you ultimately become a full-time fan. And to all of the full-time fans out there: Theo just released an album!

We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Theo about performing live, a potential name for his fanbase, and more!

What inspired you to pursue a career in music?

T: “Well I’m certainly not in it for the money, I’ll tell you that. Maybe one day the money will come, but for now, it’s all about the experiences I get to have because I make music. Very few careers afford the opportunity to travel around the country (and hopefully the world), and even fewer allow you to actually create new things. I’ve nearly died on an overnight drive through the Northwest, taken shots with complete strangers in dive bars anywhere from San Diego to Cleveland, and eaten enough road trip Slim Jims to feed an army, but it’s the quiet, intimate moments that I’ll remember the most. Writing with people, singing with people, sharing my life with people that care about music – my music – is a joy. I could look back at my short career so far and see all the mistakes I’ve made, the endless struggle and grind that often seems so futile, but it’s way cooler to keep one eye on the horizon and the other on the gifts I have in tow. That’s what it’s all about.”

Tell us more about your debut album ‘Eating & Drinking & Being in Love’.

T: “There’s a lot of music that deals in generalities, and that is precisely what this album sets itself in opposition to. It’s a record about the small moments – a little life, a quieter, more subtle way to be. So much gets lost in grandiose metaphor, and people need something tangible to grab on to. I need something visceral to sink my teeth into when I’m writing songs. Eating & Drinking & Being in Love is about time spent with important people in my life and knowing that even a slice of that can be significant, even if it goes explicitly unsaid.

I like to view this album as a potluck dinner party where I’m the host. All the people I care about come over and bring their best dish and I’ve provided enough alcohol to kill an elephant and we play board games and talk and laugh and cry and someone begs me to get out my guitar and I say “No way! That’s cringey!” And they say “Pleaaaaase” and eventually I acquiesce. Maybe they even sing along once they know the words.

We recorded the entire album in essentially four days – two at Grand Street Recording in Williamsburg and two at the former location of the history Hit Factory on 54th Street. Jack Kleinick (my good friend and producer) and I spent a lot of time in preproduction making sure the songs were structured in the way that we wanted, so by the time we got into the actual studio, it was simply a matter of putting the pieces of the puzzle back together again. In the end, it was a different puzzle than what we started with, but all the more beautiful as the sum of its parts.“

This may be challenging, but if you had to choose, what is your favorite song from the album and why?

T: “On My Mind” is currently my favorite, and I think it’s the best song I’ve ever written. It’s loosely inspired by “A Little Bit of Everything” by Dawes, “A Long December” by Counting Crows, and “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell… a sort of cosmic gumbo. I love a good life song – the kind of song that looks at this world and takes the good with the bad, that welcomes the vast, soaring joys while accepting the hollow, gut-wrenching lows. When we recorded it, we aimed for the feeling you get when everyone in the band picks up their instruments and knows just what to do without being told. I think we did a pretty good job of that.”

In your professional opinion, what is the song of the summer for this year?

T: “It’s gotta be “My Fun” by Suki Waterhouse for me. Or maybe “Lonesome LA Cowboy” by New Riders of the Purple Sage. Both easy breezy summer songs.”

You have quite a performance lineup to wrap up this year! What do you love the most about performing live?

T: “When you release music, there’s inevitably a disconnect between you and your fans – you toss it out into the world and hope that people will enjoy it, much less listen to it. When I play live, it’s immediate and visceral. It’s that tangible connection with people that gets me going more than anything else. That’s what music is all about, for me. I’ve done a number of headline shows where people come out of the woodwork to support the music, and seeing them in the crowd, there to hear the music I’ve made, well that’s something I’ll never take for granted. I’ve also been fortunate enough to open for a bunch of incredible artists on tour in the last few years (ROSIE, Evan Honer, Tommy Prine, and Jordy Searcy this fall), and each time, I’m blown away by the audience’s reception. Most of the time, I’m just up there alone with my guitar, and the goal is always to make people feel like they’re there to support a friend. It helps that my banter has gotten pretty damn good – it’s really fun to just chat during the set and let people know the stories behind the songs.”

Theo, we think that you are due to come up for a name for your fanbase. Any ideas off the top of your head?

T: “Someone once came up with “Kandel’s Candles.” Of course, that may confuse the pronunciation of my name – it’s can-DELL – but it also means that I’ll have to start making some candles as merch.” 

We love your Substack! What motivated you to create a more exclusive place to share with your fanbase?

T: “Oh man, I love having a Substack. I was an English major in college with a concentration on Creative Writing, and I’ve always had to restrain my verbosity in my social media captions, so my Substack has been a perfect way to give my biggest fans a deeper insight into my music and life without boring those that are less interested. It’s called The 7–10 Split, which is a nod to my prowess as an amateur (but extremely enthusiastic) bowler. I’ll often post full recordings of my bowling games. 

Otherwise, The 7–10 Split is filled with deep dives into my music, short creative writing pieces, and exclusive covers of some of my favorite songs. I spend a lot of time on the deep dives, so if you’ve ever been interested in my writing and recording process, feel free to check em out.”

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

T: “You can stay posted on my socials (@theokandel), my website (theokandel.com) or my Substack (theokandel.substack.com).”

Make sure to stream ‘Eating & Drinking & Being in Love’, available now on all music platforms!

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.