At just 17 years-old, Paradise, Texas native Candice Green is making quite the name for herself.
After a run to Hollywood week on American Idol at just 15 years-old, Green has introduced her own music with her debut EP Side/Fx, released on January 31.
By her own admission, Green crafted each of the five songs on Side/Fx with a classic country sound in mind, and she did that and then some. As she weaves her way through songs of love lost, her appreciation for under-appreciated music and complaints, steel guitar is present throughout and Green’s vocal sounds well beyond 17 her years, especially on the EP’s title track.
Read along as Green discusses how her American Idol experience encouraged her to pursue music as a career, many of the songs on Side/Fx, what she hopes listeners take away from the EP and more!
Pro Country: Who are some of your biggest musical influences that have shaped your sound?
Candice Green: My two biggest influences are Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves. I was so excited to record my songs at the same place Miranda Lambert recorded her first album.
PC: When did you realize that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
CG: I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, and it just kind of came naturally. American Idol really made me believe I could possibly do this as a career.
PC: You appeared on American Idol at just 15 years-old in 2018 and made it to Hollywood. How did that experience come to you, and what did the praise from the judges mean to you?
CG: A talent scout heard me on social media and reached out to me. All of the judges were pretty positive, but Katy Perry compared me to herself when she was younger, and that meant a lot to me. She said “1. You’re talented, 2. You’re goooorgeous, 3. you got style, and to top it off, you remind me of myself when I was your age!! Just a diamond in the rough.”
PC: What did you take away from your Idol experience that you were able to carry with you into the next stage of your career?
CG: That it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to pursue this dream.
PC: What emotions were you feeling as you were preparing to release music for the first time with the Side/Fx EP?
CG: I was very excited and I was just hoping that everyone would accept my music. It’s hard to know what people are going to want to listen to, so I just really picked songs that I would like to hear.
PC: Just before the release of the Side F/x EP, the song “Side F/x” was featured on the Texas Country Music Association’s Best Texas Country Picks, Volume 3. What did it mean to you to have your song featured with so many great Texas country artists?
CG: It gives you a lot of confidence to be surrounded by other great artists, and it felt like the door was opening up to something bigger.
PC: “The B Side” is an ode to undiscovered and underappreciated songs. How true does the message and story of that song ring to your true life and feelings?
CG: So many times in life, only the popular songs and popular people seem to get all of the recognition, when actually, some of the less popular people and songs are just as good.
PC: “Broken Record” is one of the standout songs on “Side F/x.” Can you talk about why you decided to cut that song?
CG: I’m not really sure about the inspiration behind this song, but when I listened to the demo, I realized that it was a song that many people who have gotten their heart broken can relate to.
PC: “Side/Fx” is one of our favorite songs on its EP. What went into the decision to name the EP after that song and record a music video for it?
CG: I’d gotten a lot of good feedback about the song when I played it for family and friends, so when I met with my managers, we kind of picked that song as a favorite and just went with it. The song had a good storyline that would work well on video. We though “Side/Fx” was unique and brought all the songs together.
PC: Do you have a favorite song on the Side F/x EP? If so, why is it so special to you?
CG: My favorite is probably “Things You Can’t Unsee” because it was my very first song I ever recorded in Nashville, and it’s a very relatable song to anyone who has ever fallen in and out of love.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from the Side/Fx EP after listening all the way through?
CG: I hope that when they hear the EP, it takes them back into an older style of country music.
PC: Along with promoting Side/Fx, what are your plans for 2020?
CG: Being I’m 17 years old, I want to see how these first five songs do with the public and then just see where that takes me.
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
CG: I know that there was a lot of hard work put into this EP, so I want to thank my producers out in Nashville, my songwriters, my managers here in Texas and my family who have supported me along the way.
*Images courtesy of Candice Green team*
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