Between touring and gigging antiMusic caught up with Lee Goodale, vocals and guitarist from Candella, to ask our litany of questions. Some of the questions we asked lead us down a path to deeply personal moments in Goodale's life, like the songs about a close member of his family that committed suicide. Overall, Goodale is a smart, good natured, down-to-earth guy who has big plans for the future of his band. Plus, he knows how to fly planes. Cool.

antiMusic:What's the story behind the name Candella?

Goodale: I found the name while sifting through a chemistry book. Candella is the measurement of luminous intensity of a light source in a particular direction. I thought this was the perfect metaphor for what we are doing as musicians. Focusing our energy together creating music.

antiMusic:What inspires you as a band?

Goodale: As a band we are inspired by everything that surrounds us. Everyday life throws many things at you and we take that energy and put it into our music. The music becomes an outlet for that inspiration that life spontaneously puts in front of you.

antiMusic: Where do you find it easiest to be most creative?

Goodale: There are many places. Lyrically I write a lot when I am driving. I know its not the safest thing to do. But there is something about the road that lets your mind put together all the pieces, almost like meditation and the pieces of a song are born. I wrote the lyrics to The Trail and Alive and Missing this way.

antiMusic: How do you blow off steam or handle "creative differences' with your counterparts?

Goodale: Luckily we work great together as a band and handle creative differences on the spot. We have been writing together for 5 years now so we know when one of us is getting frustrated and we deal with it.

antiMusic: What musician do you respect the most and why?

Goodale: That's a tough question. There are so many great musicians in this world. If I had to choose one it would be Dereck Paravicini. He is blind and autistic and is a musical genius. He was featured on NOVA musical minds. He can play the piano with amazing ability despite his disability. You have to watch the video [here] to fully understand how special his talents are.

antiMusic: This one of those annoying questions but I am going to ask it anyway. Who would you compare your sound too?

Goodale: Cold, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin

antiMusic: Did you have family influences that made you want to play music?

Goodale: I grew up in a very musical family. There was always some kind of music around. My grandmother played the piano, my uncle played the guitar. When I was 14 I decided that I wanted to play guitar. My grandfather helped me buy my first guitar. An American fender strat. From that point there was no looking back.

antiMusic: Do you set out to write songs that speak of a particular personal narrative?

Goodale: Songwriting for me has been a constant thing since I was 15. I always have found a creative outlet in writing. I always carry a journal with me and the inspiration usually comes out of nowhere. A melody pops in my head, or a phrase gets stuck in my head and I write it down and build it from there. For this last EP my writing helped carry me through some dark times over the past year. "Numb" and "Fragile, are both about the suicide of a close family member.

antiMusic: What do you hope people take away from your music?

Goodale: I hope that people can relate to the feeling and passion in the music and use it to make what is happening in their life a little easier.

antiMusic: How the the public received your EP album?

Goodale: So far the response has been great. People seem to really relate to the songs.

antiMusic: Do you think that working with Rae Dileo, Brian Dlemar,and Maor Appelbaum have given you an advantage?

Goodale: Definitely. Working with grounded people with such talents as Brian and Rai really open up creative doors. Being able to bounce ideas off them regarding songs, recording, gear, etc. has made recording self inflicted much easier. In the future we really look forward to working closer with them to take our sound to the next level.

antiMusic: When do you anticipate a full-length follow-up?

Goodale: We are working on it right now. We have more than an albums worth of songs on tap that we are working on, shaping and changing every practice session. I anticipate by spring/summer of 2010 we should have a new album about ready to go.

antiMusic: Who else would you like to work with in the production sense?

Goodale: It would be really cool to work with Steve Albini. I am a big fan of the sound and his recording techniques.

antiMusic: What is your favorite track on the new album?

Goodale: I would have to say "Fragile". This song incorporates it all. A strong riff, melodic strings and emotive vocals.

antiMusic: Touring in the Northeast can be difficult as people are generally very picky about embracing new bands. Has playing the Northeast circuit added backbone to your band?

Goodale: Yes, the northeast circuit can be very difficult but we have built a solid foundation of fans over the years. Every time we play live we get the chance to bring Candella to new ears.

antiMusic: What would you be doing for a thrill if you were not playing music?

Goodale: I have many interest outside of music so I would either: Run a recording studio, finish my pilots license training and ride my motorcycle more.

antiMusic: What is your favorite album of all time?

Goodale: Another tough question. I have so many favorites. If I had to choose one it would be Tool, Lateralus. Just a solid album from start to finish.

antiMusic: What is the most challenging moment you have experienced with this project?

Goodale: Building our own recording studio to record "Self Inflicted" was a much bigger task than we originally thought. It took us about 4 months to build the studio and get it up and running. But it is worth every long night that we put into it.

antiMusic: What sort of advice would you give other musicians just starting out?

Goodale: Practice as much as you can and give yourself a solid foundation to work with. Find the right musicians to work with, it may take awhile. Keep a level head and make as many new contacts as you can.

antiMusic: What musician would you like to play with?

Goodale: Adam Jones from Tool. His guitar work really touches on a different level.

Interviewing Goodale was a breath of fresh air. He is laid back and contemplative, with the innocent passion about music still intact that ordinarily seems to disappear once youth and experience collide. He seems optimistic and hopeful, always trying to reach out and connect with his fans. From their Myspace page I extracted the following quote, which I think helps shed some light on Goodale's personality.