Candy Apple Blue | The Official Website. Includes the synthpop duos latest news, music, videos, photos and band biography. Read up on their recent activity, collaborations, remixes, and bonus content. ♫
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| Hoyt Emerick of Candy Apple Blue (Age 18) |
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| Spice Girl Carly (1997) |
~ Carly 🍬🍎🟦
Catching Up with Candy Apple Blue 🍬🍎🟦
A "Behind the Music" Podcast Video Series
Episode: 005 - "Awakening"
• The song is cherished by fans for its timeless and resonant quality, highlighting the enduring power of music that connects with its listeners.
• The discussion between Carly and Nick showcases how a single song can serve as a transformative moment in a band's journey, shaping their narrative and making a real impact.
Carly of Candy Apple Blue shares the band's tough journey of overcoming a major setback with a disappointing flop single to collaborating with Espen Kraft on their indie hit song "It Happens All the Time." Influenced by Pet Shop Boys, their new single had revitalized their status in the synth-pop music scene. They were once again everybody's favorite "darlings of synth-pop". Tune in for an inside look at how the duo dodged a bullet. Don't miss this tale of resilience and artistic reinvention!
Catching Up with Candy Apple Blue
A "Behind the Music" Podcast Video Series 🍬🍎🟦
Episode: 004 - "It Happens All the Time"
Key Points of Interest:
• Collaborating with Espen Kraft from Norway helped Carly and Hoyt from Candy Apple Blue regain their status in the synth-pop scene after hitting a rough patch.
• They didn't let a flop single dampen their spirits. They quickly got back up, dusted themselves off, and returned to work on their craft.
• Their new song "It Happens All the Time" was influenced by Pet Shop Boys, showcasing the impact of how artist inspirations put them back on track.
The success of their album "Second Sight" demonstrates the resilience and creativity of artists in navigating challenges in the indie music industry.
Watch all episodes here:#SynthPopRevival #bouncingback
In 2018, Candy Apple Blue struggled vocally on a song titled "No Good Together" originally slated for their album Second Sight. After their main vocalist Nick Bramlett took a break, the duo faced new challenges. Despite their best efforts, the release failed, leading them to urgently search for a new vocalist.
In this episode, discover how vocal struggles impacted the duo's single release in 2018. The search for a new vocalist becomes urgent after the disappointing results. Tune in to uncover the challenges and decisions faced by Candy Apple Blue during this pivotal time.
Key Points of Interest:Watch all episodes here:
Catching Up with Candy Apple Blue
Get behind the music! "Mad About You" took a dark turn during the songwriting process. "It's not really a love song. It's a song about obsession." - Carly Emerick
Join songwriters & bandmates Carly and Hoyt Emerick as they go behind the scenes. In each episode, they'll share their craft of composing and tell you never-before-heard stories about their music. To keep things interesting, the duo will be sharing these podcasts as visual stories to help bring more focus to their back music catalog.
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A few of our listeners have asked us what sound they can expect from our forthcoming summer pride anthem Moving Out of Town.
If I had to best describe it, I'd say it has a classic disco-rock sound. The kind that was big in the late 70s and early 80s. It was influenced by songs like Hot Stuff by Donner Summer, I Was Made for Loving You by Kiss, and Call Me by Blondie. We also threw a pinch of 90s Europop in there for good measure. (Think "Be My Lover" by La Bouche.)
The song is about what a lot of us LGBTQ+ Gen Ex'ers did. We moved to big cities to find acceptance and get the chance to live our lives authentically. That's what Hoyt and I did. We packed our bags and moved to New York City! (The Big Apple!) We wanted to write about that experience in a universal way.
Moving Out of Town is a song that I started composing back in 1997. Hoyt and I picked it back up again in 2014 and officially demoed it. However, thank god we had the good sense to not release it. Admittedly, we couldn't quite deliver what the song called for vocally speaking.
This time around we have Nick Bramlett on board to deliver the goods! Not to mention our trusted go-to guitarist, Micah Blakeslee, who gave our dance song some much-needed rock edge.
After 27 years and a few re-writes later; this song will finally see the light of day. The timing feels right!
Big love, Carly 🍬🍎🟦
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| "We are the dreamers. We are the music makers." |
.png "I Wanna Party Matt Pop Radio Edit Candy Apple Blue") |
| Candy Apple Blue - I Wanna Party (Matt Pop Radio Edit) |
After its release, a few people mentioned that while they loved our new song, they felt the track was too long.
Matt Pop initially tried to get the edit down to 3 minutes, even declaring that "cuts had to be made". However, we championed for a longer single version. Our song had so many important elements that we didn't want to see get axed. 🪓 (For instance; we have a dance beat intro, a rap, a guitar solo, a vocal breakdown, and additional ad-libs in the last chorus.)
Ultimately, it's always our end goal to make our listeners happy. At heart, we are people pleasers. So, we have decided to officially release the Matt Pop Radio Edit of I Wanna Party! 🎉
This new radio-ready mix feels more energetic and times in at only 3:22. It moves along quickly while keeping the necessary elements intact.
I Wanna Party (Matt Pop Radio Edit) will be released simultaneously with an official lyric video on April 5th, 2024.
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| I Wanna Party (Hype Sticker) |
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| Candy Apple Blue - I Wanna Party 🥳 ft. Nick Bramlett (Matt Pop Mix) |
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| Hoyt, Beth, Jamie, and Carly |
Big love, 🍬🍎🟦
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| Candy Apple Blue (2010) Band Photo |
Back in 2009, after taking a seven-year-long hiatus from music-making, Hoyt and I both decided that we better get back to work. At that time, we were both in our late 30s and busy living our adult lives. Admittedly, we put our musical dreams on the back burner. Fortunately, we both heard a strong calling to start composing new music again. Our artistic souls needed to dive back into our art.
14 years later, here we are still at it. Thanks to you guys! You have showered us with so much love, support, and enthusiasm. Your loyalty to us and our music is the fuel that keeps us going!
We want you to know that we feel that our best work is still in front of us. In so many ways, we are just getting started. Thank you for being on this musical journey with us!
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
.png "Janine, Hoyt, and Michael (1993)") |
| Janine, Hoyt, and Michael |
Music was always a big part of our lives. I remember Janine being a huge Morrissey and Smiths fan. Mike was really into Saint Entiem and Deee-Lite while I was all about Aimee Mann's first solo album. The music artists that we liked back then were a big part of our identities. It's hard to describe but back in those days, the artists that you listened to helped to define you as a person.
Admittedly, my lipstick application is more Robert Smith than Madonna, but hey that was the look I was going for. I'm pretty sure that Janine might have borrowed my lipstick because the fact that we are both wearing the same shade of Chanel red is just too much of a coincidence.
~ Love and laughs, Hoyt 🍬🍎🟦
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| Hoyt Emerick: "I Wanna Party" Music Video Shoot |
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| Erasure Signed "The Two Ring Circus" CD to Candy Apple Blue |
"You can step on out. You can do without. You don't have to be like every other."
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| Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue (1997) |
We Are All Souls Just Temporarily Visiting a Human Body
Being androgynous is having possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. My idols growing up were androgynous rebels like Boy George, Pete Burns, Marilyn, David Bowie, Divine, and even Rocky Horror's Tim Curry. I identified with them. I saw pieces of myself in them.
My life has indeed been one big strange circumstance. Quite often growing up people would misgender me. I caused quite a stir in my small hometown by just being me. Even when I lived in NYC, if I dressed like a boy, I would be called she; if I dressed like a girl, I would be called he. I just couldn't win. I never let pronouns define me and I still don't. I believe that we are so much more than our physical bodies. We are all souls just temporarily visiting a human body. The same could be said for all living creatures on this beautiful planet.
The world has changed a lot since I was young and seeing people embrace this aspect of themselves is so refreshing. It's like the world has finally caught up to my way of thinking. Whether you identify as he, she, transgender, two-spirit, or non-binary just know that you belong here. How you choose to express your soul is up to you. In a sometimes cruel world that seems to be against anyone who is outside the realm of "normal" just remember to be kind, be respectful, be calm, and be you.
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
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| Candy Apple Blue Official "I Wanna Party" T-Shirts |
Order here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/56330065-i-wanna-party?store_id=1325384
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| T-Shirt Color: Tie Dye (Official Candy Apple Blue Merch) |
.png "Candy Apple Blue I Wanna Party Matt Pop Nick Bramlett") |
| Candy Apple Blue - I Wanna Party ft. Nick Bramlett (Matt Pop Mix) |
Press Release: Come party with Candy Apple Blue! 🥳 🎉
The official cover art, track listing, and release date reveal for our forthcoming single I Wanna Party.
We energetically composed and carefully crafted what we feel is the perfect pop song. In the great tradition of party anthems, I Wanna Party sits right up there with the best of the best of them. (e.g. Get The Party Started by Pink, Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus, Party All the Time by Eddie Murphy, You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party by The Beastie Boys, Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO, Get Lucky by Daft Punk, and I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas)
Matt Pop meticulously produced a sound for us that is so sonically fresh, feverishly stylish, and blissfully exciting. The warm bass line pulsates beautifully against the slick rhythm. The synthesizer work is just brilliant. The melodic hook is so deliciously irresistible. If you're not singing and dancing along by the third chorus then you might have to check yourself for a pulse.
The lead vocals on I Wanna Party are handled with great enthusiasm by Nick Bramlett. His golden voice soars along as he belts his heart out. Nick skillfully delivers each line of the song with just the right amount of intensity. It's got to be one of his best vocal performances to date. The glittery background vocals performed by Magenta Soulstar absolutely sparkle. I too had to join in on the fun and record some background vocals. The electric guitar work by Micah Blakeslee is funky, expressive, and played with great precision. And Hoyt's slick rap invites the listener to "Hope on in, enjoy the ride!".
I had a blast designing the cover art for this release. It took me three days in Photoshop with a little help from AI to achieve the cosmic look that I was going for. I wanted to show Hoyt, Nick, and I coming up through a space portal transcending our earthly bounds. The gold-colored helium balloons are there to celebrate our success. It was a remarkable achievement for us to get this particular song to the finish line.
In conclusion, I Wanna Party is cheerful and upbeat. It's undeniably a great dance record. The song's message is universal. It's a real triumph and we are super proud of it. We hope you will love, cherish, and support our combined efforts. It's our greatest wish that this song will elevate and lift your spirits.
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
Track Listing:
1) I Wanna Party (Matt Pop Mix)
2) I Wanna Party (Matt Pop Extended Version)
3) I Wanna Party (Matt Pop Instrumental Mix)
Release Date: March 8th, 2024 (New Music Friday)
PS. In case you were wondering, we are shooting a music video for I Wanna Party. We are scheduled to film next week. That should leave me just enough time to edit the video footage before the song's release.
PSS. I Wanna Party t-shirts will be available this coming Friday.
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| Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue |
I found success by redefining my definition of success. It's all mind over matter. xoxo ~ Carly
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| Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue |
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| Hoyt Emerick (Age 18) Holding a Boy George CD |
Record shopping was a huge part of our lives back in the 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s. Shopping for rare imports and missing pieces in our already huge record collection was an exciting experience for us. It was better than hunting for Easter Eggs. It's hard to describe the feeling that we would get when finding a rare piece that we didn't even know existed. Those of you who know, know. It was a thrilling time in music. We'd hunt for rare B-sides, 12" mixes, promotional items, and even alternative cover art sleeves from some of our favorite artists. We sought after artists like Culture Club, The Thompson Twins, Dead or Alive, Duran Duran, Bananarama, SAW, Pet Shop Boys, Sam Fox, Stevie Nicks, Crystal Gayle, Kim Wilde, and Sylvia just to name a few.
It's sometimes strange for me to think of how much time and money we spent doing this activity. We'd even drive to far-away towns, go to record conventions, and use mail-order catalogs to acquire these rare items. In a time before the internet, if you wanted to hear music that wasn't on the radio you had to buy it. Receiving a mix tape from a friend was the best. You got to discover new music that they hand-selected just for you.
The state of the music industry and record business today admittedly puzzles me. Sure, it's amazing to be able to listen to absolutely anything that your heart desires at any given time. You have the world's complete music catalog at your fingertips. Future generations aren't going to believe that we collected music by pressing it to a physical format. Streaming is here to give us the instant gratification that we all crave.
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
.png "Carly Emerick Cranberrys or SixPence None The Richer (1996)") |
| Carly Emerick Living in Manhattan's Chelsea Region (1997) |
Here I am all doe-eyed but street smart trying to make my songwriting dreams a reality. I was 24 years old and living in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. I lived directly across from the notorious Hotel Chelsea. (Remember Sid and Nancy?) I was lucky enough to have a friend who was able to get me into this very small but quaint penthouse studio apartment. I was struggling just to pay the rent so I had no money to furnish it. I slept on the floor in a blue sleeping bag. However, I did have my music-making equipment set up and that was all that I needed.
Behind me is my trusted CrossWave synthesizer the Ensoniq SQ-80. It's been my main go-to bread-and-butter synth ever since I purchased it. With its easy-to-understand built-in midi sequencer, I still find myself today composing on it. I have to admit, however, that I spend more time these days composing in Pro Tools.
My look here is influenced by rock bands like The Cranberries and Sixpence None the Richer. Pamela Anderson was big on Baywatch and having tiny eyebrows was the trend. Around my neck is a Swatch watch. I wore it so much that the wristband broke. However, even then that didn't stop me from wearing it. I found a string that fit through the screw holes and wore it like a useful fashion accessory. My watch became my necklace. It was just another testament to how broke I was.
One night, after fumbling over a few piano chords, I found myself having writer's block. So I decided to go out and grab a bite. I needed to get some fresh air. When I got back in, the doorman at the front desk was all a buzz about Jon Bon Jovi filming right across the street from us. I excitedly got into the elevator with my sandwich in hand and pressed the top floor. I knew that I had the perfect view of the street and the hotel from my window. From there, I could easily see Jon. The film crew had him lit up and bathed in light. He was at the window just strumming away on his guitar. Behind him was the brightly lit Hotel Chelsea neon sign. It reminded me of how close and yet how far away I was from success. The irony wasn't lost on me.
There I was looking out my window at one of the biggest rockstars on the planet. He was making a tremendous living making music yet here I was barely able to make ends meet. Not only were we on opposite sides of the street, we were on opposite sides of success. I sat there watching him play feeling sorry for myself.
A few months later, while browsing titles at a record store, Jon's new CD single "Midnight At Chelsea" caught my eye. I walked over to the import section and picked it up. I immediately thought, oh so this must be the song for the music video that he was filming that night. I stared at the black and white stark cover art. I couldn't help but notice that Jon looked unhappy. Then I took note that the jacket that he was wearing on the cover was very similar to the one that I wore. I sighed and thought to myself maybe we're not as worlds apart as I initially thought. I turned the CD over to see the track listing and read that it was from his new album called Destination Anywhere. If Jon Bon Jovi seemed as lost as I was then maybe there was still hope for me yet.
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
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| For reference, here's a picture of that Jon Bon Jovi CD that I mentioned in this post. |
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| Candy Apple Blue With Pop-Rock Vocalist Nick Bramlett |
To say that we enjoy working with Nick would be an understatement. Nick is uniquely gifted and a real powerhouse of a singer. He brings our compositions to life by pouring his heart and soul into his vocal performances.
We first recorded with Nick back in 2014. After hearing that we were looking for a guest vocalist to sing on Detonator, a mutual friend introduced us. The first time I heard Nick doing his warm-ups, I knew he had a special talent.
I often tell Nick that his singing voice reminds me of the male version of Christina Aguilera. It could be because they are both from Pittsburgh, PA and have similar intonations. Nick's vocal runs are out of this world! His vibrato is beautiful and he really sinks his teeth into the material we give him. Nick is a passionate singer and a passionate person. His vocal performance on our forthcoming record I Wanna Party, for example, encompasses everything that I've mentioned here! 🎉
Happy 10th-anniversary, Nick! Candy Apple Blue loves YOU!
Sincerely, Carly 🍬🍎🟦
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| Image-Line's Vocoder Effect Plug-In Vocodex |
The use of vocoders in electronic music is nothing new but for us it is. Vocoders were used a lot in early 1980s dance music. Many of you might remember it was used in the unforgettable hook of Michael Jackson's P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). Stevie Wonder also used it in his sentimental ballad I Just Called To Say I Love You. And surely anyone enthusiastic about pop music remembers Daft Punk used it on their international big hit Get Lucky.
Pictured here is an early 1970s vocoder that was custom-built for the electronic music band Kraftwerk. Fortunately, these days many great VST options exist in the digital domain. I used a great plug-in by Image-Line called Vocodex to achieve the sound I was looking for.
It only took me a few hours to learn how to use this effect in our own music. I ran Nick's voice through it using a carrier synth and the end result sounds just fantastic. There's something futuristic yet deliciously retro about it. Our producer Matt Pop loved it so much that he decided to open the song with this fun element.
Big love, Carly xoxo 🍬🍎🟦
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| Matt Pop Record Producer / Remixer (2018) |
Matt is remarkably gifted and detail-oriented. He dissects melody, harmony, and chord structure then puts it all back together again. The sonic choices that he makes with his reverb, delay, and use of compression are always the right ones. His synthesizer programming is just out of this world! His rhythmic tracks are always danceable and delightful.
Getting the various elements of a song to play nicely together can be very tricky. Every decision he makes is a thoughtful one based on how well the audio relates to each other in the mix. Matt makes it all sound like a breeze. He's got an excellent ear for what makes pop music work. He's both an outstanding mixing and mastering engineer. This is a rare feat in its own right. Mastering music can be difficult. It's a delicate and artful science.
Like all great record producers that came before him, Matt Pop has a signature sound. He leaves his fingerprints on everything that he touches and everything that he touches turns to gold. His mixes are a musical feast for the ears. They are always artistic, unique, and fresh.
Matt doesn't always agree to take on and produce every song that we send his way. Not only is he very much in demand but his standards are also very high. When he says yes to producing one of our songs, I know we've written a great composition and have recorded a great vocal.
I wanted to take this moment to proudly announce to you that Matt Pop has once again delivered to us another winner! 🏆 He's produced our forthcoming single I Wanna Party and it's an absolute banger!
If you like radio-friendly sing-along pop music then you're in for a real treat! This latest offering is an excellent example of all the things that I've mentioned here.
We've got the right song, the right vocalist, and the right producer. I Wanna Party is a winner baby! 🎉
The release date and track listing will be announced soon.
Big love, 💞 Carly
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| Hoyt Emerick (1991) |
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| Carly Emerick (1992) in Shadyside, Pittsburgh PA |
The guy who bagged the groceries for me was a huge Fleetwood Mac fan and so was I. We'd often have philosophical debates over who was a better songwriter Stevie Nicks or Lindsey Buckingham. I always championed for Stevie Nicks. "Wait a minute baby. Stay with me a while. Said you'd give me light but you never told me about the fire."
Big love, Carly xoxo
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| Hoyt Emerick Serving 1990s Selfie Realness |
Once we had the essential bare bones of the composition worked out we then had to address how it should be produced. If you listen to this simple piano and vocal mix of A Touch Too Much you can easily hear how it could have gone in the direction of a ballad instead of the dance track that it became.
There's magic in the air when the right song, the right vocalist, and the right music production all come together! Nick Bramlett sang this song with so much heart and conviction. He aced this vocal performance. We were smart to call on our Matt Pop for this one. His music production skills lifted this song into the stratosphere.
We couldn't be more proud of A Touch Too Much.
Big love, Carly xoxo
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| Candy Apple Blue with Shauna (1992) |
I have so many great memories from this time. I was 20 years old. We were all so young and we had so much ambition. To be LGBT in the early 1990's was no joke. The world and Pittsburgh was a very different place. We battled our way through it by looking stunning and keeping our chin up!
Big love, Carly xoxo
.png "Synth-pop band The Inertia Case (1997) Elton Lin Hoyt Emerick Carly Emerick") |
| The Inertia Case (1997) Elton Lin, Hoyt Emerick, and Carly Emerick |
Back when we wrote I Won't Say Adieu in the late 1990s, Hoyt had just gotten back from a trip to France. For those of you who don't know, Adieu is a French word meaning "goodbye". I remember being excited about the title that we came up with. We already had a song called Between Love and Goodbye, so I thought that was a clever way to use the word again without sounding too redundant.
I remember writing the bass line for this song and thinking; "oh, this is good". We worked tirelessly and passionately on the lyrics. The song had a universal larger-than-life feeling to it. There was something almost magical about the way the key signature, chords, bass line, lyrics, and tempo all came together. It was almost like the sky had opened up and a thunderbolt came down to light our path. This song felt important. It quickly became a fan favorite in our inner circle.
We were getting ready to shop ourselves to the major labels by putting together a demo tape of our best 4 tracks. We all believed in I Won't Say Adieu. So for the first time in The Inertia Case history, we paid an outside audio engineer to help us achieve a more professional sound. Before this time, we had always demoed our songs by ourselves using a portable Tascam 4-Track tape machine.
I will always remember Hoyt, Elton, and I dishing out almost $1,000 to try to properly record that song. In 1997, a thousand dollars might as well have been $10,000 to us. It was a mountain of money, but we were willing and ready to invest in our musical future. Sadly, this endeavor proved to be fruitless. The slow-moving recording process left us all feeling tired and artistically drained. This "professional" demo didn't capture the real spirit of the song and we ultimately disliked the results of this recording. So we never used it.
Lately, I've been thinking a brand new Candy Apple Blue version of I Won't Say Adieu could be in the cards. I know, after all of these years of experience, that Hoyt and I could give our old song a new life.
Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. I have many more stories to share.
Big love, Carly xoxo
.png "The Inertia Case 1997 Band Promotional Pic") |
| The Inertia Case (1997) Band Promotional Pic |
Hoyt and I both knew that singing wasn't really in the cards for us. We were strong enough to recognize our own weakness. We were passionate about songwriting but lousy singers. So, we knew that we had to find a qualified lead singer.
We placed an ad in The Village Voice looking for one. After countless unfruitful auditions, we finally found a musical kinship with vocalist, Elton Lin (currently of the band Notorious MSG).
Elton's voice is so magical and angelic. He has a remarkable gift. He's also a wonderful human being. We became fast friends and developed a great working relationship. Together, the three of us worked hard on our craft. During this time we wrote our signature song, Between Love and Goodbye. That song always got the greatest response from the crowd, when we would play it live.
Drawing inspiration from our personal musical favorites at the time (e.g. Erasure, ABBA, Stevie Nicks, Depeche Mode & Yazoo) we managed to produce and record a whole album's worth of material. We eventually released a self-produced best-of EP that is on all the streaming platforms if you're curious to hear it.
I look back on these days with so much fondness. If only we had the deep pockets of a major record label behind us. I feel confident that we could have made it big time.
Big love, Carly xoxo
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| A young Hoyt Emerick sporting a black leather jacket and white blonde hair. |
This time around Hoyt won! His hair came out the palest shade of blonde. Expressing ourselves with hair and make-up was an important part of our aesthetic. As you can see here, Hoyt would sometimes draw his goatee on with an eyeliner. It was very cool.
I remember taking this photo and thinking that this one's gonna come out great. We were very much into photography when we were younger. I'm surprised that neither of us made it into a profession.
Big love, Carly xoxo
.png "Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue Age 21 (1993)") |
| Carly Emerick of Candy Apple Blue Age 21 (1993) |
I always enjoyed changing up my look and hair color played a big part in my metamorphosis. I would go from blonde to black and then to red sometimes all within the same year. I remember watching Molly Ringwald's Fresh Horses and thinking I wanted to try to achieve the same red color that she had in that movie. I think I aced it.
Red can be a tricky hair color because of the laws of science. The small molecules found in this artificial pigment easily rinse out after only a few shampoos. It wasn't long before this hair color faded and I was golden blonde again.
Big love, Carly xoxo
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| Candy Apple Blue in Astoria, NY (1994) |
As young adults, we barely had any money. Instead of catching a private taxi, we would have to catch the N train subway to get into the city. On this night we were headed to town when some blue-collared idiot screamed out of his car window at us; "Hey, you freaks, go back to Manhattan where you belong!". I remember this moment clearly as a bell. It's like the universe was finally saying to us; "You're home. You finally have a place where you belong." When we would dress like this in Pittsburgh, we often heard much worse derogatory comments screamed out at us. They were much too graphic and much too hurtful to be repeated here.
In NYC, we were celebrated club kids. We NEVER had to wait in line to get into the clubs. We'd be pulled from the line and guided in if we tried to get in line. The red carpet was rolled out right in front of us. It felt great! We felt like we finally arrived.
Being on a tight budget meant we'd have to hit the thrift stores hard to create new outfits to wear. I believe Hoyt's wrist cuffs are actual welding gear. You know the kind used when blowtorching to prevent sparks from backsplashing and burning you. I didn't have a chocker chain then but I did have a very long necklace that I wrapped around my neck to give the same look. Our outrageous makeup application was far from par for the course.
I look back on these days with so much fondness. We were young, wild, and free. Our songwriting was improving and we felt like anything was possible.
Big love, Carly xoxo
.jpg "Hoyt Emerick Pittsburgh Bridge") |
| Hoyt Emerick Pittsburgh Bridge (Early 1990s) |
.jpg "Aimee Mann of 'Til Tuesday Hoyt Emerick of Candy Apple Blue (1993)") |
| Aimee Mann of 'Til Tuesday with Hoyt Emerick of Candy Apple Blue (1993) |
This photo of us together was taken back in 1993 in Pittsburgh, PA, when she was touring for her debut solo album Whatever. I was lucky enough to meet her and be graced by her kindness. She was a very warm and wonderful person. I distinctly remember us talking about our similar haircuts and ultra-bleached blonde hair colors. We look like we can be brother and sister in this picture.
I'll be seeing her again at the end of February. She's back on tour and I'm excited about it. It's hard to believe that this photo was taken over 30 years ago. In many ways, it feels just like yesterday, and in some other ways, it feels like a lifetime ago. - Hoyt
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| Candy Apple Blue Behind the Old High School (1993) |
Here we are back in 1993 behind our old high school. We were modeling like our lives depended on it!
We often heard from people back then... "You should be a model!" Although we were never professional models, we do have the photographic evidence to prove that we aspired for greatness.
Thank you for walking down memory lane with us! ~ Carly xoxo
#candyappleblue #highschool
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| Hoyt in Drag (1993) |
Here's Hoyt in drag from back in 1993! He was getting ready to go to a drag show at the Pegasus in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before he left, I managed to snag a few photographs of him getting ready.
I was excited about it because I just bought a brand new role of Kodak black and white 35 mm film for my Nikon camera. Back in 1993, Anna Nicole Smith was huge with her Guess ad campaigns. Herb Ritz was the most popular photographer in the world. So, this photograph is highly influenced by that period.
I think Hoyt looks absolutely stunning in drag! He's giving me strong Marilyn Monroe vibes. Maybe he's even serving a little Linda Evangelista!? Was Hoyt a label queen back in the day? You tell me. He's wearing a stunning shade of Chanel lipstick and sporting a pair of bold over-the-top Givenchy earrings. The crushed black velvet dress and dinner evening gloves were extravagant in every way. Hoyt was one classy bitch!
I say it's tens across the board! Then again, I might be a little biased because I was the photographer and my brother was the model. 📷 - Carly
#photography #blackandwhite #givenchy #chanel #drag #dragqueen #lgbt #herstory #candyappleblue #hoyt
