New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On May 28, Kandle Osborne released her critically-acclaimed debut independent record, Set The Fire. With stark, striking honesty over a captivating array of sonic influences, the album is a journey through toxicity, manipulation and heartbreak, and finding one's way to empowerment and strength; begging the listener to follow along and get lost in the world of Set The Fire.
On Monday, November 29, at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST Kandle will bring that world to life with Inferno - a companion short film and visual album, previewed today with the video for "Cathedral."
"Images have always been equally as powerful to me as music," reflects Kandle. "Since I began my career a decade ago, I have had the dream of creating a visual album. Ironically, it finally happened at a time when I no longer had the support of a label, management and production team; just the right collaborator and a stubborn dream. 'Set The Fire' is an album representing a journey - weaving in and out of states of hope and hopelessness, self-deprecation and empowerment, love and betrayal. I believe this is a journey most of us can relate to as we try and find our way through a complicated and messy existence with great highs of clarity and euphoria and rock bottom lows of trauma and grief."
With a passion for visual storytelling (Kandle studied photography and has been working on a comic series), Inferno was a natural step in bringing the stories of Set The Fire to life - after earning a nomination for a 2021 Prism Prize for Set The Fire's lead single, "Lock and Load," (her second nomination for the award following "Not Up To Me"), as well as an earlier nod for a Canadian Independent Video Award in 2020.
Inferno stars Keenan Tracey and
James Neate alongside some of Canada's top musical talent, Louis Burns, Kendel Carson, and Debra-Jean Creelman. Directed by long-time collaborator,
Brandon William Fletcher, the film features a stunning interwoven series of music videos - some audiences have seen before, some they have not - as well as a little new footage that landed on the cutting room floor, and some live videos for various versions of the reimagined songs.
"Presented as a long dream, 'Inferno' is the burning in our subconscious, the way our brains try to process grief, frustration, anger, powerlessness, and the reclamation of that power," comments Brandon. "While we're incredibly pleased to be able to present this nearly 43-minute long film, we're equally impressed that we filmed about half of it within a seven day period."
"As usual, my partner in crime,
Brandon William Fletcher, and I refused to see limitations," adds Kandle. "Producing, styling, improvising, pulling favours, borrowing our talented friends and crossing our fingers, we created the new pieces of this film within seven days. We surrendered to the chaos, found our flow states, worked with our flaws and dove in. I am over the moon to share with you this film."
Along with the visual album, Kandle has teamed up with Plan International Canada - a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children's rights and equality for girls - for the "Power Within" project. In support of the project, Kandle has designed a special t-shirt, featuring an illustration from a drawing series that Kandle began last year, showing common experiences she and many women in the music industry face. The t-shirt will be available online and at her upcoming concerts, with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the organization. Donations can also be made during the premiere of Inferno.
"I am an artist that finds creativity cathartic," says Kandle. "I am no stranger to mental illness and the endless work and strength it takes to try and achieve a state of calm, happiness and safety. I can think of no better way to present this film to the world than to use it as a platform to raise funds for others in need and to provide some hope and optimism in a world that can be frightening and restrictive. Now I know that when I can't find my spark, I can always set the fire and inspire others to do the same."
Once again, Kandle stands out from the pack and shows us that nobody sounds quite like her. On Set The Fire, she seamlessly marries her adoration for 60s girl group soul and the 90s rock she grew up on. The tracks buzz with a retro feel but the dark, no holds barred songwriting is what we've come to love from Kandle. Tales of toxicity, manipulation and heartbreak are delivered with stark, striking honesty over a captivating array of sonic influences. Sparkling piano, distorted guitars, dynamic horns and doo-wop backups make you (almost) forget you're deep diving into her darkest secrets.
Kandle's mastery of music comes as no surprise, having collaborated with some of Canada's finest songwriters, including Sam Roberts, Coeur de pirate,
Peter Dremanis (July Talk) and Devon Portielje (Half Moon Run), in her impressive career to date - which also includes a Video of the Year JUNO nomination. Kandle also starred in Jack White's 2018 video for "Corporation," and her music was recently featured in Netflix's Tiny Pretty Things. Growing up in the music industry as the daughter of Canadian rock royalty Neil Osborne of 54-40 has provided Kandle's artistry with a unique insight. She brings a seasoned performance to every line and every word, channeling over a decade of touring the globe into music that's familiar yet undeniably her own.
With strong influences from the fierce female greats of a bygone era (Nancy Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Shirley Bassey, to name a few), Kandle writes and sings exclusively with her heart; something so often void in the modern era of overproduced perfection. She sings honest and raw, vulnerable yet empowered, never afraid to pen even life's heaviest moments. This is an artist at her most empowered and authentic - an artist who by sharing her own story of healing, can help us all do the same.
