Candice Gordon reveals new song 'Golden Dreams' - premiere

Something for the weekend

Candice Gordon (Maren Michaelis)

Candice Gordon is preparing to release her debut album Garden of Beasts, which was recorded at a mansion in rural Ireland that was occupied at one point by Grace Jones.

The Berlin-based, Dublin-born artist has drawn on the city's dark history, and how it is impossible to avoid it. She nods to the likes of Nick Cave and Patti Smith, along with references to Middle Eastern music, post-punk and indie rock.

We're premiering the woozy, immersive track "Golden Dreams" from Garden of Beasts, set for release on 8 September via Proper Octopus Records.

Watch below:

Q&A with Candice Gordon

What are you listening to at the moment?

My favourite musical discoveries of this year are Paddy Hanna, Anna Meredith, and Baloji, all of which I've had on my playlist this summer. Also been pigging out on Alan Vega a lot.

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

I'm working on new music that I'm very excited about. I've also set up a label 'Proper Octopus' and we're releasing a fantastic record by A.S. Fanning, 'Second Life', in October.

As well as that, earlier this year I made a perfume to accompany 'In Golden Dreams' and in the process of learning how to do that I slipped down this smelly rabbit hole! I've been obsessively nerding out on collecting scents and learning the history of them and I'm looking forward to developing that more this year.

What was the first gig you ever played and what’s been the best so far?

One of my first gigs was supporting Rick Astley in Dublin. I don't know why I was asked but I'm glad I was. It was just me on my own and an electric guitar playing very mournful slow songs. Picture that audience going out to have a good ol' knees up and sing along to Rick Astley- but first they had to pay the morose goth teenager toll! My friends thought it was very funny but I didn't know who he was at the time.

I reckon the best show I've played was the main stage of Body and Soul festival right before Kurt Vile, Charles Bradley, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The stage was beautiful in a sort of natural amphitheatre of grassy hills. And afterwards we got to have dinner with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in a castle nearby.