WHAT THEY SAID
"I don't believe in releasing records anymore. I think it's a waste of time." * Candlebox frontman Kevin Martin told the Pod Scum podcast he's done with full albums and wants to drop songs in batches of three instead.
THE DETAILS
- Martin says nobody's buying records anymore — he's not even sure Pearl Jam's latest went gold — so why wait to compile a full album when fans just want new music from bands they like *†
- Candlebox is unsigned and independent now, planning to record three tracks at Matt Sorum's studio in August 2026 with their own money *†
- Original guitarist Peter Klett rejoined after leaving in 2015 and still wants to make full-length records, putting him at odds with Martin's new approach *†
- The band released two albums recently — Wolves in 2021 and The Long Goodbye in 2023 — but Martin thinks the industry has reverted to a singles-driven model like the '40s and '50s *†
WHO IS RIGHT
Martin's right that album sales are dead and streaming changed everything, but his own band just put out two full albums in three years, so the "waste of time" talk rings hollow when Candlebox clearly still functions as an album act.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The real test comes in August when they hit the studio — whether they actually release three standalone tracks or Klett talks Martin into another full record.