*The Sunday times - 'Payne is a natural singer with a subtle vibrato and the ability to change her tone on a sixpence. Payne's voice - a wonderous thing, whose melancholic airiness adds to the sting in the lyrics - will make her a star'.
*The Guardian - 'A new talent with a fantastic voice'.
*The Daily Mirror - 'People that matter have recognised Candie as one of the most charismatic and capable young singers in the country. Magnetic and marvelous'.
*The Sun - 'Her darkly seductive voice evokes rain splashed streets, neon lights and tear stained lovers'.
*OMM - Wonderfully smoky laid back vocals, the sexiest record of the year.'
*Uncut - Payne possesses instinctive feel for souls inherent drama, and a voice both strong and vulnerable'.
*Time Out - Both simplistic and sassy, Payne has enough smoke hazed mystery and class to inspire further listening'.
*NME - Half french chanteuse, half bond girl elegantly melancholic vocals'.
*Vogue - Shot from the heart lyrics and a rich vocal pallette make for music that is both innocent and alluring in equal measure'.
In the spring of 2007, Candie Payne released her debut album 'I Wish I Could Have Loved You More' to overwhelming critical acclaim. Hailed as the perfect pop star 'If she didn't exsist, you would invent her' Candie's ascent to pop stardom seemed assured. Championed by everyone from Mark Lemarr to Mark Ronson, Candie's distinctive voice and style; both seductive and vulnerable, soulful yet restrained, set her apart as the alternative queen of the girl singer/songwriter revival. Those put off by the tabloid circus that swirled around other female starlets, were charmed by Candie's class, subtlety and cool. 'Ive turned down as many offers as Ive excepted. Maybe Im not a household name because of that, but Im proud of the choices Iv made. Iv always tried to be true to myself. Ultimately, what you say no to, is as defining as what you say yes to.' The list of offers that could have opened the door to more commercial success may indeed be plentiful, but Candie will only admit to turning down the chance to feature on a Radio One album of contempory covers bacause she 'hated the song' chosen for her. The others remain a mystery.
The offers that did bear fruit are intriguing in their variety, all showcase her sensitivity and versatility as a singer, and her habit of sidestepping into the left field; A collaboration with cult indie band 'Kings Have Long Arms' on the kitch and ludicrously sunny pop gem 'Big Umbrella'. The song was picked up and added to the radio 2 and 6Music playlists respectively. This was followed by an album for Setanta records featuring a slew of artists covering post punk songs backed only by string arrangements. Candie chose 'Old Town' by Phil Lynnot, with beautiful results. Candie also leant her vocals to a pet project of legendary David Byrne (Talking Heads). 'Its a song cycle about the life of Imelda Marcos and the woman who raised her, Estrella. Every song is a duet between two different female vocalists. David was a lovely presence to work with, Iv yet to hear the results but its something Im honoured to be a part of.' Other artists featured include Tory Amos, Roisin Murphy, Martha Wainwright and many others.
In the autumn of 2007, Candie went in to the studio with Mark Ronson to work on her forthcoming single 'One More Chance'. 'I did not want to be there, the label (SonyBMG) had engineered it. The song was not even on the record because after finalising the tracklist, I felt it just didnt fit anywhere amongst those other songs so I pulled it off. But the record company felt very strongly that it was the song to break me into the mainstream and Mark Ronson would seal the deal. I strongly disagreed.' Candie's instinct was proved correct and the song failed to chart.
In spite of a reluctant stint in the studio, a friendship developed. Ronson was impressed enough with Candie to invite her to sing alongside him at the Electric Proms. 'She is one of my favourite singers, I heard her demos and I was blown away'. The line up for Ronson's one off performance backed by the BBC Philharmonic orchestra included Terry Hall, Ricky Wilson, Santo Gold, Adele, and Tim Burgess among others. Candie went on to perform a duet of Ronson's version of the Kaiser Chiefs hit 'Oh My God' with Ricky Wilson on the Jonathan Ross Christmas special. After the success of this, Ronson asked Candie to be a permanent fixture on his 'Version' tour.
Starting in Feb 08, making its way across the UK, Europe and the US, the tour covered major festivals including Glastonbury, Global Gathering and the Montreux Jazz festival, as well as a support slot with JayZ on his arena tour, and a one off show with Duran Duran in Paris, before ending on high with a headline slot at Chicago's Lollapalloza festival in August. But Candie admits it was an intense time for personal reasons. 'The tour was an incredible opportunity and I gained so much experience from it, but it was also an escape because I was going through a devastating breakup at the time. I slept and drank my way through a lot of it, and I lost a hell of a lot of weight too'.
Back in Liverpool and licking her wounds, Candie could not face music 'I just stopped writing. I was too raw. It was only once I began to get over what Id been through, that I was able to delve back and search for songs amongst the rubble'. Her first tentative step back to music was singing on her brother Howard Eliott Payne's (ex Stands) sublime solo debut 'Bright Light Ballads'. Occasionally joining him on stage kept her fire alight and as her wounds healed, inspiration came flooding back. 'The new songs have the weight of experience in them no doubt, its been a while since my first record so its only natural that Iv matured and grown into my voice. And Iv gained so much from the people Iv been fortunate enough to work with. The first record was the tip of the iceberg, this record I hope will confirm the potential glimpsed the first time round'. JPP
Thank you Candie
Nice page you have!
Captain Storm
Concert acoustique samedi 6 juin 2009 à 20h
(première partie de Bang Everything That Moves)
Au Continental Café
69, bd de Strasbourg
Métro Strasbourg-Saint-Denis
Entrée libre, possibilité restauration sur place
Puis on fait tourner le juin :
A l’OXFORD à Béthune
Le 13 juin à 21 h
129, bd Jean-Moulin
Au Royal à Barbizon (77)
Dimanche 21 juin à 15 h 30
50, Grand-Rue
Aux Pierres qui Roulent
Samedi 27 juin 2009 à 20 h
Entrée libre
25, avenue Corentin-Cariou
75019 Paris
M° La Villette
