Theo Kandel Releases "Existential Crisis" Today (4/29)
THEO KANDEL
— ALTERNATIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER —
RELEASES NEW SINGLE AND LYRIC VIDEO
“EXISTENTIAL CRISIS”
INDIE ROCK EP
What if it all works out in the end?
EXPECTED AUGUST 2022
ON TOUR THIS SPRING AND SUMMER
Above: “Existential Crisis” single artwork
LOS ANGELES, CA (April 29, 2022) — Los Angeles-based alternative singer-songwriter Theo Kandel has released “Existential Crisis,” a mellow bop accompanied with a laidback lyric video. This new track offers another element to the throughline question he’s trying to answer on What if it all works out in the end? — his forthcoming EP expected this August (exact details and release date TBA).
Stream/Download “Existential Crisis” here.
Wonderland Magazine showcased the song’s official lyric video and raved: “Dropping his bouncy new track, ‘Existential Crisis,’ the artist on the rise treats us to a slice of his syrupy vocals, accompanied by the flow of simple yet effective acoustic instrumentation on the new single. With tongue-in-cheek lyricism also melting into the track, which situates itself in between the folk and pop realms, a unique tone prevails, making it a truly captivating listen…irresistibly relatable and a bop worthy of the name, ‘Existential Crisis’ is a tune deserving of your attention today.”
“Existential Crisis” arrives hot on the heels of his recently released singles — from his upcoming EP —“Half as Cool” and “STARSIGN.” With “Existential Crisis,” Theo maintains that “candid, accessible and uninhibited lyricism” that Flaunt previously detailed.
“For this track, I was just sorta messing around with the guitar loop that starts the song off,” explains Theo. “A few words came into my head after having a conversation with a girl who was like ‘I wish it could be casual,’ after I had just poured my heart out to her. I then started thinking about how I’m not where I want to be right now, and not making things happen the way I want. So I took a step back, wrote the chorus explaining how existential crises are so overrated…why do I need to take everything so seriously? Why can’t I just make out on the beach?”
What if it all works out in the end? has served as an encouragement to keep going for Theo, with “Existential Crisis” being the kick starter of it all. “I realized I was writing a lot of sad songs and was in a sadder place than I’m in now,” admits Theo. “Moving to LA, having the sun all the time, wanting things to be better and to be happier you can kind of will yourself into that.”
Theo has several tour dates lined up across the U.S. including a West Coast tour with Wyatt Pike (American Idol Season 18) and a headline show at New York City’s iconic Bowery Ballroom on July 7.
Last year, alternative singer-songwriter Theo Kandel set his sights on the West Coast in what he calls the “final frontier” on a journey of music influence and inspiration that settled in Los Angeles. The journey began in New York City where he grew up learning classical and jazz violin before picking up the guitar. “Growing up in New York, I got super into folk music – that was what drove me to write initially – but I always found that my music was too pop to be completely folk, and too folk to be completely pop,” Kandel says.
It wasn't until he moved to Nashville, TN that he began honing his craft into something a bit more mainstream, despite an initial aversion to the word. “It definitely sounds cheesy, but in Nashville, the song itself is king. Writing better songs is literally the goal there. For a while I hated the idea of my music being labeled as ‘pop,’ but ‘pop’ actually just means accessible – relatable – whatever. So hopefully, the better my songs are, the more people can find a little bit of their own stories in there.”
His 2021 EP, Spin Cycle, found the exceptional artist arriving at the peak of those New York and Nashville influences that molded his creativity. What comes across in the six-song collection is equally vulnerable as it is highly unique. The songs are musically complex, layered, and blend a variety of instrumentation that creates a special alchemy; a musical fingerprint that directly identifies Kandel.
Above: Theo Kandel; credit: Moriah Ziman