Candlebox is back. You thought they were done in 2000, but us Candlebox fans are a loyal bunch. We continue to listen to the band everyday with new found enthusiasm. The band is about to release their fourth studio album entitled Into The Sun on July 22, 2008. We caught up with Peter Klett, the lead guitarist and co-songwriter of the band, for a quick interview. That interview is below:

BnR: Hey Peter, great to talk to you! We are going to start right out with the interview, how did the reunion between you, Kevin [Miller], and Scott [Mercado] come about?

Peter: Well Kevin had been doing his band and I was doing my band. Rhino Records, which is through the Warner thing, they have the rights to do the "Best Of" or "Greatest Hits." He called me about that and we talked about it. And I said, let's talk about going out there and touring behind this because you know, you mine as well. So he came up and he thought it would be a good idea. We called the other guys and set up a tour and we went out and did it.

BnR:How did that short tour go for you guys?

Peter: It went really really well. Because the crowd was there and loved it. We couldn't believe it. It was so validating. It really inspired us to do another record.

BnR: So is that how the decision came about to write and record another album, a new record?

Peter: Yea exactly! We really wanted to see what we could do. We were comfortable with it and we decided to say "Hey let's give it a shot"

BnR: When you were writing, did you feel the old chemistry came back to you guys?

Peter: Not at first no. Because we were not comfortable right away. There was a lot of old stuff in the past. It slowly went away after time. We did another tour in '07 that truly went well. Then Bardi decided he didn't want to tour. He has been going to school to be an attorney and took the bar and passed it. So Kevin and I started working on a record with Scott and here we are.

BnR: So are you guys excited to do a full tour at the end of the month?

Peter: Absolutely, it is going to be sweet. It is going to be fantastic. As soon as the record comes out in July, [July 22] it's going to be that much cooler.

BnR: Do you know who you are on tour with coming up? Is it changing every day? We know how that goes.

Peter: We have a couple of young bands opening up. Late August, we might head out with Breaking Benjamin. If that is still happening.

BnR: Ok, so you have some bigger tours lined up?

Peter: Yea. Then we will move on. Coming up in the fall maybe we can get on some bigger tours with some bigger named bands.

BnR: Awesome. We can't wait to see that. What did you do in the interim when Candlebox was on hiatus? I heard you had another band. But were you also a boom mic operator for a porn company?

Peter: A what?

BnR: A boom mic operator for a porn company?

Peter: Are you serious?

BnR: Hey you have to pay the bills somehow right?

Peter: Aw, you are joking right?

BnR: Yes. I am absolutely!

Peter: Oh, no never a boom mic operator. But I imagine that would be kind of interesting. But no never did. So I started another band called redlightmusic and I did that for a while.

BnR: How do they compare to Candlebox? Different? Similar?

Peter: It started out as a rock thing and moved into more melodic stuff. But by the time I had gotten there [the more melodic sound], we had gotten the band [Candlebox] back together.

BnR: Did you ever expect "Far Behind" to become the Rock radio staple that it has?

Peter: Well you never know at the time. But considering how the way people reacted to it that song, no matter who it was or where they were, I had a feeling that it was going to do very well.

BnR: How has the music industry changed since you and Candlebox was on top of the world? Has it changed from 1996-2006? Even to 2006-2008?

Peter: Absolutely. Bands get a better deal. They can do it on their own. Some of these bands in the past have sold 100,000 records on their own. They get to keep all the money. It is amazing to me what they can do these days?

BnR: Would you say that the music industry is catering toward new bands or still holding onto the old guard like Iron Maiden or Led Zeppelin?

Peter: Well it is all about new blood. Younger bands. I know that bands these days are going back and listening to these bands. I mean Iron Maiden is what I listened to in high school. I learned a lot of guitar just listening to their songs.

BnR: I want to ask you about the tribute album to John Lennon. You covered Steel and Glass off Lennon's which is off of his album Wall and Bridges. Did you choose to cover that song? Was that a choice by the band?

Peter: Yea they gave us songs to pick and we were lucky that song was still available. We wanted to do a different song, but somebody had already taken that song. So we chose that one. I'm glad we did because it sounds pretty good. I think we did a good job on it.

BnR: Why did you choose that song?

Peter: Well it was probably the coolest one left. And we all liked the song quite a bit. It kind of fit our style with Kevin's voice.

BnR: Anything on your Bucket List? Something you really want to do before you die and you just haven't been able to do it yet?

Peter: Yea, I would like to tour the whole world. Everywhere. Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, everywhere. And I would like to race in a NASCAR. I am a big fan. I can't get enough of that shit.

BnR: Any embarrassing tattoos?

Peter: No. I didn't get a tattoo until I was 33. I love everyone of them. I waited so I didn't do any drunk, stupid tattooing?

BnR: Who was your favorite Batman? Was it Adam West, Michael Keaton? Please just don't say George Clooney.

Peter: Oh I don't know. Michael Keaton was good. I liked Val Kilmer in the Doors movie. Michael Keaton is good, but Michael Keaton is always exactly the same in every thing he does. Val Kilmer.

We did ask the A-Team question as always. But I left it for the podcast. It comes around the 7:13 mark.

Thank you Peter for talking with us. We urge all you readers to go out and buy the new Candlebox album when it is released. Also check the band out on tour.

Jun. 27 - Maplewood, MN The Rock
Jun. 28 - Rock Island, IL Rock Island Plaza - Daquiri Festival
Jun. 29 - Mt. Clemens, MI Stars and Stripes Festival
Jun. 30 - Milwaukee, WI Summerfest - WJJO Zippo Rock Stage
Jul. 02 - North Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge
Jul. 04 - O'Fallon, MO Ozzie Smith Sports Complex
Jul. 05 - Clear Lake, IA The Surf Ballroom
Jul. 06 - Libertyville, IL Austin's Saloon
Jul. 08 - Toledo, OH Headliners
Jul. 10 - Lake Charles, LA L'Auberge du Lac
Jul. 11 - Salem, OH Quaker City Raceway - Ribs & Rock Festival
Jul. 12 - Ft. Wayne, IN Headwaters Park - Three River Festival
Jul. 15 - Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Jul. 16 - Clarkesville, TN Kickers
Jul. 17 - Atlanta, GA Center Stage
Jul. 19 - Modesto, CA Xclamation Festival - Rock N Roll Stage
Jul. 25 - Spokane, WA The Knitting Factory
Jul. 26 - Clarkstown, WA Gateway Golf Center - Rockin on the River
Jul. 27 - Boise, ID Knitting Factory
Jul. 29 - Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
Jul. 31 - Abilene, TX Midnite Rodeo 3
Aug. 01 - Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
Aug. 02 - Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Aug. 04 - San Antonio, TX Scout Bar
Aug. 05 - Waco, TX Whiskey River (Formerly Grahams Central)
Aug. 06 - Odessa, TX Dos Amigos (Outdoors)
Aug. 08 - Corpus Christi, TX The Pavilion @ Concrete Street
Aug. 09 - San Angelo, TX Grahams
Aug. 11 - Little Rock, AR Revolution Music Room (The Rev Room)
Aug. 12 - Mobile, AL Soul Kitchen
Aug. 13 - Ft. Walton Beach, FL The Swamp
Aug. 15 - Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Aug. 16 - Ft. Myers, FL Ricochet's
Aug. 17 - Sebastian, FL Captain Hirams Resort
Aug. 19 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
Aug. 20 - Port St. Lucie, FL Mojo Room
Aug. 22 - Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
Aug. 23 - Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
Aug. 24 - Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Aug. 27 - Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino
Aug. 28 - Buffalo, NY Thursday at the Square
Aug. 29 - Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
Sep. 02 - Lancaster, PA Chameleon
Sep. 03 - Johnson City, NY Magic City Music Hall
Sep. 05 - Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
Sep. 06 - Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Sep. 07 - Towson, MD The Recher Theatre
Sep. 09 - Norfolk, VA The Norva
Sep. 10 - Charlotte, NC Amo's Southend

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