Interview — Never Settle for Less

Skratch Magazine

Kandi Dyer is the woman behind Never Settle For Less Project. “I do everything,” Dyer says. And by everything, she means writing, mixing and performing her electronic pop music. Currently calling Oklahoma City hom, she’s had classical training in music since her days in the European Honors Choir back in Germany. When she’s not working with her band, Torn Tomorrow, she putting all her friends emotions to music as Never Settle for Less Project. Check out what she had to say to Skratch Magazine.

Skratch: Describe your sound:
Kandi: I guess the easiest way to describe it is an Electronic pop. A lot of it is inspired by a few techno/pop artists that I grew up listening too. I like my music inspirational in a way that I want people to feel what I write. So I try my best not to write angry sounding songs because I hate to feel angry myself. Haha.

Skratch: How did you become interested in music?
Kandi: I pretty much always was. I have been in 2 bands previously...and I'm currently in a band called Torn Tomorrow and I just felt that I had a style of music that I wanted to express that my band isn't exactly fond of. So I thought to start a solo project and that's pretty much how all of this got started.

Skratch: What is your song writing process like?

Kandi: I find inspiration from people around me. I never really write songs about myself, but for other people, so I get a lot of emotion from friends and that initial emotion sparks a random melody in my head, then I have to rush home and play it out on my synths so that I don't forget it. Haha. Then after I build a song structure from the initial melody, I just add words that I feel go with the feel of the song structure.

Skratch: What artists or musicians inspire you?

Kandi: Pretty much all of them. I am inspired by people who have a fondness of music in general. I can honestly say that I have been inspired my pretty much every genre of music there is. I might not use a particular style in my music, but I love to break apart music and use style structure and at times the feel of the song and make it my own.

Skratch: Where do you take musical inspiration from? Your environment? People? Explain.
Kandi: Definitely people. I am very sensitive to people's emotions and for some odd reason I feel like I have to, in a way express it for them! I dunno.. I am a VERY mellow person so I can honestly say I am not very extreme with my emotions but I like to express it in music. So that may be the reason why. I have found a way to vent. Haha.

Skratch: What is your musical background?
Kandi: All though high school, my mother was set on my doing something with music. Growing up in Germany I was exposed to A LOT of classical music, Bach, Beethoven; and every year in high school, I was sent to a private music class, which I had to audition for called European Honors Chorus. It was very difficult work. Learning music in foreign languages; long hours of singing; fighting to keep your voice because the intense rehearsals were for 8 hours a day 5 days a week and you can't afford to suddenly go hoarse. I never realized how much money all of that was until now. So I can say that my parents had a lot of faith in me to do SOMETHING with music. Haha. My mother is also a choir director and she would pull me away after school many days of the week and would tell me to assist her,whether that meant to help her with building harmonies for the different sections or to play keys for her pieces. It was difficult and at times I hated it, but I am so grateful for her today.

Skratch: Tell us about how you got started as a band.
Kandi: Well I enlisted in the US Air Force after leaving Germany and realizing how difficult music is to pursue... There I met 3 amazing friends and musicians, Trey who plays guitar, Zach who plays drums, and Bryan who is a vocalist and bassist, and together we wrote a number of songs for Torn Tomorrow. They have always helped me out with everything I needed, even though it was quite difficult to get them to realize that having a band is A LOT more than just playing music. They don't input much into Never Settle For Less, but I started the project mostly because they encouraged me, so I have to thank them for the creation of the project in the first place.

Skratch: What is the most rewarding part of playing in a band?
Kandi: The most rewarding part of the whole deal is when you have someone approach you...in person or online telling you how much your music means to them. I feel then that I have done what I was meant to. And it's an amazing feeling! I love to know that people enjoy my music... that's can really ask for.

Skratch: What challenges have you faced a musician?
The most challenging thing at the moment is the military. I have a little less than 2 years that i have to commit before I can separate and I feel that whole "get up and go" lifestyle of the military is a HUGE hindrance. I was forced to start off a project in a city where no one knew me...no one supported me... and that by itself was the hardest thing... because you felt like you were going NOWHERE... But after the first few months things got easier as I started to get invitations to play at venues and to open up for more popular bands...it was really nice to know that people knew who I was. And another small challenge of course is writers block...hahaha. but it never lasts more than a few days.... so it's not too horrible.

Skratch: What would you say is your best song to date? Why?
Kandi: "I Hate This Town". It's different from most of the songs I write and it means a lot to me, because the person I wrote it for felt that it expressed everything she never told anyone... and it was just an amazing feeling to see her and her friends singing it and playing it online and posting it on their sites. It was the first song where I felt that it helped someone to hear it. I loved that feeling.

Skratch: Do you remember the first album you ever brought? What was it?
Kandi: I don't remember my very first cassette, but i do remember my very first CD. It was the lion King sound track. I loved it and I remember playing is all night quietly in my room and waking up to the Circle of Life. Hahaha. I was a very particular child and i preferred songs that had no vocals or used vocals as just another instrument. I loved movie soundtracks and would buy composition CDs and background music to games and shows. Haha. I would come home lock my door and close my eyes and imagine myself in the music... or imagine a perfect movie scene based on how the music felt to me.

Skratch: Where do you see your band in five years?
Kandi: Well I can only hope people still want to hear my music in 5 years. My dream is to write compositions for films and that's where I would like to see myself... but really all I want is to be a part of music and to change someone’s life for the better, even if it is only just 1.

Skratch: Would you say your goals as a band are long term, or short term? What do you ultimately hope to achieve? Explain.
Kandi: Fame. Hahaha. Kidding. Honestly fame is amazing, but if it something that I never gain, I wouldn't be heartbroken. I just want to inspire someone. I would much rather be an inspiration. I want to do so many things it's hard for me to narrow down what I want to do long term... there's just so much! But in the end I just want people to remember me as a person who changed their life for the better, no matter if I do that though music or something else.

Skratch: How has your band evolved since when you first formed?
Kandi: A lot really. I started off with piano and vocals only then i decided that I wanted to add more of an electronic feel to it... but still keep it pop... because my first sound always sounded kind of slow and sad and that's nice sometimes but there is nothing worse than putting in a CD and just getting depressed because of the lack of excitement in the songs. Haha. So I just thought I wanted something happier.

Skratch: How often do you practice? What is your rehearsal time like?
Kandi: Well most of my time i take writing opposed to rehearsing, because I wrote it... I know very well how the song goes! Haha, but I try to get on the keys about 2-3 days a week and once I'm on. I'm usually there for hours.

Skratch: What would you say is your band's motto? Explain.
Kandi: The motto is the name. Never Settle For Less. The phrase means A LOT to me and I just wanted to spread that message around for everyone.

Skratch: What shows/album releases/plans do you currently have set up? Tell us about them.
Kandi: Well at the moment I don't have much planned for this project, simply because work keeps me away from getting people together to do a show... but come the spring of next year I have an EP release show planned and that should be a lot of fun.

Skratch: Where have your preformed? Tell us about the experience.
Kandi: Well I've played in a few different cities in Oklahoma. OKC, Edmond, Tulsa, Stillwater the scene here isn't the greatest, but it's fun none the less. I love performing so I enjoy ever second I’m on stage. The worst performance I had was simply because of a lack of enthusiasm. It was just the wrong kind of venue. HAHA. It was so odd.

Skratch: What sets your stage show a part from all the other bands making the rounds at venues?
Kandi: Well I try my best to engage the audience. They are the determining factor of any bands success. You can have very common music and if you get the crowd to love you. You have it made from there.... boring bands no matter how talented they are don't usually make it anywhere because why go out to a show when the band does nothing more than what a CD can do. Hahaha.

For more on Never Settle for Less Project visit http://www.myspace.com/neversettleforlessproject

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