Bio Full Biography »

Candlebox rode the grunge bandwagon to multi-platinum success in the early '90s, despite howls of protest from the Seattle faithful who considered their music a watered-down version of the genuine article. To be sure, Candlebox's take on grunge diluted the punk and indie elements inherent in its original form; instead, they were rooted in the bluesy, classic-style hard rock that grunge had ostensibly replaced. Their resulting commercial appeal made them highly suspect in the minds of authenticity-obsessed scenesters, and it didn't help matters that the band hadn't formed until well after the Seattle hype machine had begun. Nonetheless, Candlebox unwittingly helped usher in the post-grunge era; along with Bush, they showed how the more challenging aspects of grunge could be ironed out and polished into a sound that mainstream rock radio could embrace without reservation. Candlebox were formed in Seattle in December 1991 by singer/guitarist Kevin Martin, a native of Elgin, Illinois, who...