Candy Claws

A dream pop ensemble fascinated with the sounds of nature as well as those created by human beings, Candy Claws are the brainchild of longtime friends Kay Bertholf and Ryan Hover. Based in Fort Collins, CO, Candy Claws began when Bertholf and Hover began writing songs together, reflecting their shared interests in electronics, droning shoegaze rock, and classic psychedelic pop. In 2007, the pair began recording material in Hover's home studio as well as during their travels — Bertholf capturing ocean sounds during a trip to Italy and Hover documenting sounds of nature while visiting his family in the Philippines, all of which was incorporated into their music. When Bertholf and Hover discovered Rachel Carson's classic book on marine life The Sea Around Us, it became a crucial inspiration, and informed the style and structure of the first Candy Claws album, In the Dream of the Sea Life. Originally released in 2009 by the tiny Wave Magic label, In the Dream of the Sea Life was picked up for release by the respected Irish independent label Indiecater Records and earned enthusiastic reviews from the international music press. In 2010, Candy Claws issued their second album, Hidden Lands, through Twosyllable Records; like their debut, Hidden Lands was inspired by a book on the natural world, The Secret Life of the Forest by Richard M. Ketchum. By this time, Bertholf and Hover had assembled an expanded eight-piece version of Candy Claws to perform their music live, and appeared at venues throughout the United States.