Back in 2008, I wrote a custom wedding song for my then-roommate Abbie. She recorded the lead vocals and the song was professionally produced at a studio, and it was played at their ceremony as a huge surprise for her husband-to-be Darren - but none of that was actually the plan in the first place! I talk about the journey of the song’s existence, how it was influenced by an old Damien Rice song, and why my original demo brings back memories of Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack.

Abbie is also my very first podcast guest!! She very generously shared her memories and reflections about the recording process, and talked about what the song means to her and Darren after almost 13 years of marriage.

You can also view Abbie and Darren's 10th Anniversary slideshow, featuring this song: https://youtu.be/ciRusBxiDOA

Special Guest: Abbie Broekhuis

Every songwriter needs to pen at least one ukelele song, right? About... politics and journalism..? In this episode, I discuss the silly reasons why I bought a ukelele in the first place, the recent-ish historical tragedy behind the lyrics (it's probably not what you'd expect), and the huge embarrassing secret behind how I record guitar/ukelele parts. 

I wrote and recorded this song in one day, as part of a project to help stave off boredom while my then-boyfriend was on a road trip. It's about job-hunting, which is not the greatest songwriting genre, but the studio version of this song is one of my most polished-sounding tracks. I talk about why syncopation in the bass makes the chorus more fun, why I added a glottal stop to the verses in the studio version, and for some reason I also brought out a really hideous recording of me trying to sing a creepy Donny Osmond song. Spoiler alert: I was eventually able to pay the water bill.

This bittersweet mutual breakup ballad is an ode to inevitable goodbyes. "People need to hear this song," a former coworker of mine told me once after sharing it with some of his friends. In this episode I talk about what inspired this song, my favourite bridge, and why I kept the terrible-quality demo string part in the studio version.

This simple yet catchy breakup anthem is one of the very first songs I ever wrote and recorded, and it's still one of my favourites. Here's the evolution of how a few clunky keyboard chords transformed into a playful pop-punk number. With lyrics inspired by some terrible poetry I wrote in college, I'm sure it's something almost everyone can relate to today, especially during this resurgence of Self-Love and Boundary Setting. You are more than just a flavour of the week. I promise.

Hi there! Before I dive into my songs and the stories behind them, I should probably introduce myself and how I got into songwriting in the first place. Here's a little origin tale about how music and creative writing shaped my childhood, and what inspired me to start crafting my own songs as a young adult. I even dug up some really old recordings from childhood recitals and concerts, and some of my very first songwriting demos (eek) to help illustrate my story. Enjoy!

Hi! I'm Candice, and I'm a songwriter. I've been writing songs since 2008, but I've never done anything with them professionally. I've decided to start this podcast as a way to reminisce about my old songs, and to share a part of my story with you. I'll be sharing background stories about my songs, my songwriting process, fun facts and hidden gems, maybe even a song or two I've never shared with anyone else. I won't give away all my secrets though! I'm so excited to share my songs with you. If you'd like, please subscribe. In the meantime you can check out some of my music on candicek.bandcamp.com and soundcloud.com/cupcakecandice. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you soon!