Listen in to Goldmine’s Q&A with Candice Night, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for Blackmore’s Night, the Renaissance folk act fronted by legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore.
Secret Voyage is the group’s latest LP, out on SPV Records, and it has that magical blend of ancient melodies and traditional and modern instrumentation that has beguiled so many listeners in recent years.
In this unique Q&A format, we offer up the questions here, followed by a link to click on the podcasted answers from Candice Night. Just click on each link to hear Candice’s answers!
Question 1: Many of the tracks on Secret Voyage explore the folk traditions of countries such as Russia, France, Germany and England. Do you find the lines between the folk music of all those countries are blurred in some ways, or do they all have their own distinct identities?
Question 2: Using that as your template, and using Renaissance instruments, it seems the possibilities are endless for Blackmore’s Night?
Question 3: Is there a particular folk tradition that you are especially fond of, and does Ritchie share that?
Question 4: "Gilded Cage" has its roots in French folk traditions. That song has a real romantic quality, that unrequited love theme.
Question 5: "Toast To Tomorrow" has that celebratory Russian drinking song vibe. Is that one based on folk songs from that country that you’ve heard before?
Question 6: You do two very interesting covers on this record. One is your version of Elvis’ "Can’t Help Falling In Love." Why did you choose to remake that one, and how did you want to approach it?
Question 7: And then there’s Rainbow’s "Rainbow Eyes," which is really ethereal and sweeping here. And Ritchie’s guitar playing is otherworldly. Were you cautious at all about doing a song that Ritchie had done with another band?
Question 8: Where did you gain your interest in Renaissance music?
Question 9: A lot of your lyrics are inspired by nature and fantasy. How much does ancient literature influence you?
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