Kandel will head out on tour beginning May 17.
Astrological signs seem to always prevail and Los Angeles-based alternative singer-songwriter Theo Kandel plays into the cliché - attributing his zodiac sign for being the way he is - on his pop-punk single "STARSIGN" (released March 17).
Now, he's leaned into those "Scorpio skies" Phoebe Bridgers was talking about, and channeled his energy into bringing "STARSIGN" to life in this circa 2000s pop-punk music video, out today.
The original "STARSIGN" demo went viral on TikTok attracting over 230k+ views, with the final track being produced by Ben "Beep" Pleasant, Theo Kandel, and Justin Johnson (Priscilla Block).
"Listen - I'm such a Scorpio. I'm determined, brave, loyal, honest, and ambitious, but I'm also jealous, secretive, resentful, controlling, and stubborn. I can't help it," explains Theo. "It seems like the stars aligned to craft me into exactly the person I am today, no matter what I do. I'm sorry! Sometimes I just wanna party, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me. If you really wanna get to know me, just take a look at the daily horoscope - that's probably what I'm feeling on any given day."
Keeping his momentum going, Theo will be releasing additional singles leading up to his indie rock EP What if it all works out in the end?
What if it all works out in the end? has served as an encouragement to keep going for Theo, with "Existential Crisis" being the kick starter of it all. "I realized I was writing a lot of sad songs and was in a sadder place than I'm in now," admits Theo. "Moving to LA, having the sun all the time, wanting things to be better and to be happier you can kind of will yourself into that."
Theo has several tour dates lined up across the U.S. including "The Growing Season Tour" with Wyatt Pike (American Idol, Season 18) and a headlining show at New York City's iconic Bowery Ballroom on July 7.
Last year, alternative singer-songwriter Theo Kandel set his sights on the West Coast in what he calls the "final frontier" on a journey of music influence and inspiration that settled in Los Angeles. The journey began in New York City where he grew up learning classical and jazz violin before picking up the guitar. "Growing up in New York, I got super into folk music - that was what drove me to write initially - but I always found that my music was too pop to be completely folk, and too folk to be completely pop," Kandel says.
It wasn't until he moved to Nashville, TN that he began honing his craft into something a bit more mainstream, despite an initial aversion to the word. "It definitely sounds cheesy, but in Nashville, the song itself is king. Writing better songs is literally the goal there. For a while I hated the idea of my music being labeled as 'pop,' but 'pop' actually just means accessible - relatable - whatever. So hopefully, the better my songs are, the more people can find a little bit of their own stories in there."
His 2021 EP, Spin Cycle, found the exceptional artist arriving at the peak of those New York and Nashville influences that molded his creativity. "It's funny - my last EP, Spin Cycle, ends up in the same place that it started, with the idea that the cycle of emotions after a breakup is inescapable, as long as you situate yourself within it," explains Theo.
"This EP ['What if it all works out in the end?'] is different, decidedly more positive in its progression. I think that'll become more clear as I release more songs off the project, but it definitely doesn't finish where it started, and through the process of making it, neither did it."
Watch the new music video here:
Tuesday, May 17 - San Diego, CA - Seven Grand Whiskey Bar^
Thursday, May 19 - Prescott, AZ - Founding Fathers Kitchen^
Friday, May 20 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court^
Saturday, May 21 - Idaho Falls, ID - The Celt Pub & Grill^
Sunday, May 22 - Garden City, ID - Sandbar Patio Bar & Grill^
Tuesday, May 24 - Portland, OR - White Eagle Saloon & Hotel^
Wednesday, May 25 - Seattle, WA - Conor Byrne Pub^
Thursday, May 26 - Salem, OR - Ankeny Vineyard^
Saturday, May 28 - Reno, NV - Pignic Pub & Patio^
Sunday, May 29 - San Francisco, CA - Amando's^
Tuesday, May 31 - Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Cafe^
Thursday, July 7 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
Sunday, July 10 - Washington D.C. - Pearl Street Warehouse%
Wednesday, July 13 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fire%
Thursday, July 14 - Boston, MA - Sonia%
^ = with Wyatt Pike
* = Headlining Ice Cream For Dinner's "Class of 2022" show w/ Dylan Rockoff, Charlie Brennan, Penelope Q, and Cannon
% = with Chris Ruediger, David J, Charlie Brennan, Wyatt Pike
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