Seattle rock band CANDLEBOX has released a new song called “In Your Hands”. The track, which honors victims of gun violence in the U.S., features fellow musicians Don Miggs and Zane Carney.
CANDLEBOX vocalist Kevin Martin says: “When people read the words ‘gun violence awareness,’ a lot of folks just see the word ‘gun’ and get up in arms about the government coming to try and take their firearms, as opposed to taking a step back to think about the reality of the situation.”
The video for “In Your Hands” pays tribute to people who have lost their lives from injuries inflicted by guns. Martin cites some sobering facts, pointing out the following: “There have been more than 19,000 deaths from gun violence in the U.S. alone during 2021 so far, and the number has been staggering year after year. This phenomenon is clearly an epidemic, and it’s shocking to me that people aren’t willing to acknowledge that. While I am 100% supportive of the second amendment, I am concerned about the amount of damage that can be done very quickly with one small instrument in the wrong hands.”
Miggs shares: “‘In Your Hands’ began as a riff that popped into my head one night at a party I was having. It came to me after a conversation about how out of hand the gun issue had become. Kevin spent the night and woke up to me insisting he get in my studio because I already tracked drums and the basics of the song. We needed to write the lyrics and have him sing it before he had to catch a plane back home.”
While Martin is fully supportive of gun ownership, he says: “We need responsible gun laws in place to help make this a reality. What I mean by ‘responsible gun laws’ is that for one, I’d like to see a national mandate in place so gun regulations don’t vary so much by state. I can’t believe it’s not a requirement for a prospective gun owner to take a course and pass a test and become certified before being able to purchase a gun. We wouldn’t let people drive a car without a license because that would be dangerous. What makes guns any different?”
CANDLEBOX‘s seventh studio album, “Wolves”, will be released on September 17 via Pavement Entertainment.
The band will hit the road in August in support of the album, and the final two shows in Seattle will feature CANDLEBOX‘s original lineup.
