Candyland

Candyland is a sad, folksy song about unhealthy coping mechanisms. Specifically, it’s about leaning into despair, terror, and isolation, not because those things are enjoyable but because they are familiar. It’s about seeking comfort (that you’re never gonna get) in the cold embrace of sadness. Although, some community members of mine read entirely different stories in the lyrics, which is kind of amazing to me. A colleague of mine called it “a perfect depiction of what it’s like being a person of color, a houseless person, or someone with a stigmatized mental illness in a world that is not set up for you”. A friend of mine assumed it was about drugs. A couple of folks have asked if it was about the board game. I’m excited to hear what this song is about to you. Stylistically, Candyland is reminiscent of early 60s folk ballads (I was trying to channel Joan Baez when I wrote it), which are maybe my favorite type of music. I released it a as a single on Christmas Day, 2020, and as the fifth track on my debut album, Songs to the Monster Under My Bed, in May 2021.

Credits

Mirabai Kukathas - lyrics, melody, vocals, electric guitar
Grafton Downs - bass
Matt "Sabyu" Sablan - acoustic guitar, synth, production