We sit down with Brandon Means of The (John) Candy, an innovative plunderphonic hardcore project that applies the gleeful sampling of early 2000s mashup artists like Girl Talk to a mosh-ready hardcore sound.
Who are you? Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
Brandon Means, main vocalist as well as brand manager of unconventional California trio The (John) Candy. He's a huge Lord of the Rings fan and a "massive gamer" with a fondness for the first three Battlefield game. He invites you to find him on Steam as "manballs."
What kind of music do you prefer to listen to?
Brandon started with nu-metal and kept getting heavier; his favorite album recently is Loathe’s I Let it In.
How would you characterize The (John) Candy as a live experience?
They're not really a touring entity - they've only played a handful of shows, almost all within within SoCal borders - and they use different sets and show gimmicks every time.
Any particular fond concert memories, either as a performer or attendee?
Brand saw Sleep Token 3 to 6 months before they blew up with In The Moment, Cherry Bombs and Nothing More - a very different experience to seeing them again at Aftershock this past October.
Thoughts on the state of metal, hardcore/metalcore and cybergrind? Although he knows Cory from ZOMBIESHARK!, overall he feels like they're not that connected to the scene and "aren’t cybergrind enough." Brandon loves collaborating with metalcore band, especially within their project. He also notes that a dip in popularity occurred between 2014-17 and that he's "not a purist."
How do you feel having your music included in the cybergrind space musically? Do you enjoy working within that style?
Brandon wouldn't really classify them as a member of the cybergrind drummer, but he loves that they are all samples and electronic production-based.
What are your favorite songs you've done?
1. The World is a Vampire and it Feels so Good
2. Benny "the Jet" Rodriguez
3. Buffalo Del
4. The Wand, the Cloak, the Stone
5. The Bijan Candy
6. October 31st
The (John) Candy maintains the following playlist of both their music and their biggest influences:
The (John) Candy's brand new single with Sammy SlamDance, "I've Got a Gas Grill for Sale, It's a Weber Grill," is streaming now. Check out more of The (John) Candy's music on any of their many platforms.