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UPDATED: Sept. 22, 2020 at 10:19 a.m.

Syracuse-based band CANDY got its start when Lorenzo Maldonado and Aaron Rizzo resumed making music after a five-year hiatus.

At a studio session in July 2019, Justin Spaulding mixed a track for an upcoming release, resulting in a version Rizzo and Maldonado loved. The band released the song, called “Never Run Away,” in July across a variety of music platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.

Rizzo, Spaulding and Maldonado make up the band CANDY. Rizzo is the lead singer, Spaulding is the primary sound mixer and drummer and Maldonado is a keyboardist. All three serve as co-producers. CANDY describes its sound as a creative mix of contemporary and synthetic pop, drawing influences from the 80s and modern R&B.

After spending the spring working on a variety of projects and building up a collection of music, CANDY is releasing its second single, titled “Reason to Rewind,” on Sept. 30. Multiple releases are set for the coming months.

Rizzo, Spaulding and Maldonado believe their band operates smoothly because of their chemistry. The three members are compatible without ever “stepping on each other’s toes,” Maldonado said.

“It’s a really great band; it’s just a lot of fun,” said Tristen Jarvis, a bassist who works with CANDY. “I don’t find a lot of music to be fun.”

CANDY has grown through “trial and error,” Maldonado said. Growing up in Rochester, Maldonado and Rizzo both attended Webster Thomas High School. The two continually jumped around to different bands while at Webster-Thomas, but none ever stuck.

After graduating from high school, Rizzo attended Ithaca College to study sound recording technology, while Maldonado studied television, radio and film at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The pair reunited several years later to form CANDY with Spaulding.

At his alma mater, Rizzo was able to form a variety of musical connections that he continues to utilize and collaborate with today. He met Jarvis through a mutual friend at Ithaca.

Jarvis and Rizzo were compatible and bonded over their mutual love for the band Green Day, Jarvis said. Now, Jarvis acts as Rizzo’s go-to bassist on CANDY’s songs and is featured on many tracks, including those that will be released in the coming months.

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, “there was a silver lining to it” for his band, Rizzo said.

(From left) Lorenzo Maldonado, Aaron Rizzo and Justin Spaulding of CANDY will release the single “Reason to Rewind” on Sept. 30. Courtesy of Emma Rizzo Photo

Although COVID-19 took away the ability for CANDY to perform live, the band’s productivity during the pandemic got CANDY where it is today. CANDY invested enough time into its music and branding over the past couple of months to get the band the name it deserves, he said.

CANDY compiled a variety of singles and projects during New York state’s stay-at-home order that the band is now set to begin releasing monthly. CANDY looks forward to performing live as soon as possible, Jarvis said.

As for their future, the members of CANDY are hopeful that they will begin releasing music more frequently and consistently to attract and grow a larger fanbase.

“It’s just really inspiring to be around everybody,” Jarvis said. “To be around all these people that have different skills — it’s pretty amazing.”

CORRECTIONS: A previous version of this post misstated that CANDY, a Syracuse-based band, is based in Rochester. A previous version of this post also misstated that Lorenzo Maldonado requested that only his first name be used. In a previous version of this post, a quote from Lorenzo Maldonado was misattributed. How the band CANDY originally started was also unclear. The Daily Orange regrets these errors. 

Published on September 20, 2020 at 10:37 pm

Contact Taylor: tmcontar@syr.edu