Candlebox's Peter Klett Talks to Suite 101
The Lead Guitarist Reflects on His Career
Candlebox guitarist Peter Klett discusses the band, songwriting, and his background, in an interview with Suite101.
Suite 101: Can you give Suite 101 readers a sense of how Candlebox originally formed?
Klett: I knew Kelly Gray, who produced our first two records, from a band I was in prior to Candlebox. Kevin [Martin, vocals] and Scott [Mercado, drums] were in a band called Uncle Duke. They needed a guitarist, and Kelly suggested me. I met Scott. I met Kevin. I went down there with some of the ideas from the first record and started working with them, loved it, and decided to go forward. We had to replace the bass player; wasn’t right. So we got Bardi [Martin, former bassist] and that was it.
Suite 101: You have said that after you left Candlebox in 1999, you “got really drunk, [and] did a bunch of drugs.” What was it like struggling to get sober?
Klett: Well, it’s a slow progression really. You start out. You’ve got fame and fortune. Then, you’ve got booze at your disposal, and someone introduces you to cocaine. When Kevin & I decided to get out of the deal with Maverick [Records], I moved to California with a girlfriend. That didn’t work; probably because of my alcoholism. I moved home, partied. I woke up the next day shaking and miserable. I just decided: “That’s it. I’ve had enough.” I called a friend whose father started a treatment center in Washington called Lakeside-Milam. I called him on Saturday or Sunday, and was in there by Wednesday. I’ve been sober ever since.
Suite 101: You maintain a blog on the Candlebox website. How do you like writing it, and does it come as naturally to you as songwriting does?
Klett: I actually really enjoy doing that. It’s fun for me. You know when I think of myself or of most musicians, writing just kind of comes out. You fiddle around and all of a sudden it’s like: “Oh, I like that. Where can I take this?” You do what you can with it, and then bounce it off the others, and go from there.
Suite 101: A lot of rock stars have written books. Do you think you’ll ever write a memoir about your life?
Klett: Oh, I don’t know if my life is that interesting.
Suite 101: When Candlebox broke up, you played guitar and sang lead vocals in your other band, Redlightmusic. When you came back to Candlebox, did you miss being the primary vocalist?
Klett: Oh no, not at all. As much as I enjoyed being able to explore types of music and see things the way I wanted to see them, I was okay going back to my guitar. It’s where I should be. It’s what I do best.
Suite 101: When did you first realize you were a gifted songwriter, and did you have any mentors to help you with it along the way?
Klett: None of my family were musicians so I was the first to come along, but you know, everybody sucks when they start. First of all, you just catch the bug and fall in love; I mean head-over-heels in love. I spent every waking moment playing guitar. I didn’t know if I was good enough, but I knew I could do something. I wanted to, and I wasn’t going to stop until I did.
Suite 101: On the blog, Kevin wrote something interesting. He wrote: “A great song … makes you throw away your inhibitions and go. Just run with it, run as fast as you can, dance as wild as you want, sing as loud as your heart desires or cry as much as you’re physically capable of.” When you’re writing songs, do you consciously strive for that, or does a great song just happen?
Klett: You have to think in a sense where you’ve got to have some singles. I think, as far as trying to write some kind of anthem, it’s just about writing a good song. I think, the way Kevin and I connect as writers, it just seems to happen.
Suite 101: Some would say that “Far Behind” is a great song like that. When you recorded it, did you know it would be a hit or were you surprised by its success?
Klett: I think we knew. I don’t mean that with arrogance at all. You could just feel it. You knew there was something special. By the reaction from people, we knew we had been given a gift.
Candlebox is currently touring throughout the U.S. Tickets for the remaining dates can be purchased through Ticketmaster. For more information on Candlebox, visit the band's website or read more of Klett's thoughts on the group's 2006 reunion and future plans.
Candlebox Debut Album
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