THE COLOR BLEW UNVEILS POPCORN AND CANDYFLOSS

 

The Color Blew

Unveil's 

‘POPCORN AND CANDYFLOSS’

By RubySage

10 JULY 2026

    One of my 2025 highlight moments was, not only meeting the legendary boys from the band The Colour Blew, but having them play Ruby Fest.This indie alternative rock band delivers acompelling contrast to the overproduced sounds dominating mainstream music.  A combination of passion, authenticity, moments of deep reflection and emotional connection is what you can expect to hear when listening to The Color Blew. 

Last year,  The Color Blew, defined by a series of compelling single releases that showcased their continued evolution within South Africa’s alternative rock landscape.  And one of those singles ,  'Leave', sees them nominated for an Afri-Indie Award in the Best Alternative Single category.  With Liaan Horton also receiving a nomination for Best Music Producer. (The awards ceremony will take place on 25 August 2026 in Pretoria.)
   Dedicated to a fearless approach to musical exploration, the band and their sound continues to grow and  an immersive experience that resonates, keeps evolving.   'Popcorn and Candyfloss', their latest single, due to release on Friday the 17th of July, is tangible proof thereof. The song offers a deeply reflective and emotionally charged listening experience, pairing immersive guitar-driven alternative rock with a lyrical concept that explores innocence, memory, obsession, and the painful recognition that some things are already lost before we fully understand them.

POPCORN AND CANDYFLOSS is built around the image of a moth drawn toward light. Is not presented as a nostalgic celebration, but as a meditation on the darker side of longing. As vocalist, guitarist and producer Liaan Horton explains, the song is rooted in "a desperate, ironic longing for an innocence that's already been destroyed by 'the darkest of our night'."  This is definatley a song you want to add to your playlist... its already added to mine!

I was lucky enough to to have a little Q&A with the band.  Read on to discover more insight on The Colour Blew band and what makes them tick.

Q: Tell us about The Color Blew. When was the band formed, who founded it, and how did the band get its name?

A: Honestly, we’re a product of the East Rand music scene. Back in 2014, Liaan, Marius, Armando and Dewald (1 st lead guitarist) had all been grinding in different local projects, butwe were looking for something deeper. We got into a band room to jam through some songs Liaan had written, and the gravity of the sound just pulled us together. Dewald left shortly afterwards in 2015. Tim then joined on lead guitar a year later in 2016, and that was it until he decided to take a sabbatical at the end of 2025.

The name The Color Blew actually happened after a killer Thursday night rehearsal. We wanted our sound to be visual and textured. We threw around;The Colour Blue; but that felt too ordinary. So we flipped the spelling of Blue into an action - the past tense. It’s a paradox. It’s about taking something familiar, turning it on its head, and blasting apart standard expectations. We’re DIY to the bone, and that name reminds us to keep breaking the mold.

Q: How old was each of you when you picked up your first instrument, and what was it?

A: Liaan – I was about 12 – 13 and it was a guitar I did however drag a old broken guitar around with me since I was like 5 years old.

Armando – First interest probably around 10 to 12 with pots, pans and buckets driving the family mad at lunches and dinners with knives and forks tapping on plates glasses and furniture. The bug bit from 13 with the learning of drumming rudiments and involvement in

school band.

Marius – I remember attending church when I was 12 and noticed that there was a drumkit,which I then attempted to play. It didn’t stick (no pun intended). I started playing bass when I

was 19.

Q: What, or who, inspired each of you to fall in love with music, and how have those influences shaped your individual musical styles and contributions to The Color Blew?

A: Liaan – 50’s Rock music especially Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens… That grew into BonJovi, The Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen later which evolved into Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Greenday, Muse and Metallica.

Armando – Inspiration and love was how listening to all types of music made me feel. The special turning point was watching a Live Bands! In terms of who, very influenced by the late 70s and 80s music and broad genre.

Marius – I fell in love the sound of a bass guitar when I was 13 when I heard ‘Love Buzz’ for the first time, but it was ultimately ‘Sliver’ from Nirvana which got me hooked. Main influences are punk and grunge which eventually changed over time into more melodic and rhythmic lines.

Q: When did each of you realise you wanted to pursue a career in music, and what led you to that decision?

A: Liaan – Since I can remember I always wanted to write and create it was never a choice or a career its just what I do, its how I human.

Armando – Already from the age of 10 and the amazing effect of how sound waves, beats melodies and diverse sounds & genres made one feel drawing one’s focus into a hypnotic state.

Marius – Since MK days.

Q: Who writes the songs for The Color Blew? Where do you draw inspiration from, and what does your songwriting and creative process look like as a band?

A: Liaan- Our creative process is completely hands-on. A song usually grows out of pure, spontaneous jamming. If a riff or a beat catches fire, we record the demo right then and there. Nothing gets released unless all of us completely buy into the sound. Lyrically, Liaan tends to write from a third-person perspective—putting himself in a character’s skin to dissect a specific, intense moment rather than just writing about himself. We're obsessed with capturing real, unpolished human emotion—extracting everything we can out of a single moment.

Marius – We all have different contributions when it comes to writing the songs. I do most of the composition together with Armando and previously Tim, and Liaan writes the lyrics. We have a saying that ‘It’s not a song until Liaan sings over it’.

Q: What are your day jobs, and how do each of you balance your professional lives with being musicians?

A: Liaan – General Manager of a Private Security Company and full time dad, I am fortunate that I love everything that I do, its not always easy balancing everything but it is well worth it when everything comes together.

Armando – I work for a global corporate company with an initial background in the technical audio video field also sparked by the interest of music and the technical aspect of what makes it work. Of course, that’s not what I do today being responsible for various businesses and management hierarchy within the group currently responsible for SCM/IWD across a wide geography of Middle East, Turkey and Africa

Marius – I am the Senior Operations Manager for a national chemical distributor. Although the professional life is challenging, most of the balancing act revolves more around family life as in the current phase of my life I have two little kids which take up most of my time.

Q: Looking back on your musical journey, what has been each of your most embarrassing moments, or biggest 'AHA' moments?

A: Liaan – I remember us playing Aandklas around 2017 and towards the end of the show we were playing “ This is how we say Goodbye “ just before the guitar solo I took a step back and this being a tight stage I tripped over one of the lights and fell on the drumkit… I saved it though and we didn’t mis a beat, the show must go on but my ego did hurt for a second or two !

Armando – an embarrassing moment for me is being on stage and momentarily losing my concentration resulting in an improvised correction

Q: As a band, what achievements are you most proud of? What would you consider your biggest bragging rights so far?

A: Liaan - Recording, writing and producing original music for 10 Years ! no money, investment from the outside just everything done with blood sweat and a few tears. Determination is the definition of The Color Blew.

Armando – Ditto and Definitely getting up on stage playing live shows with my amazing Color Blew band mates. 

Marius – Putting out two albums and releasing a couple of singles over the last 12 years whilst always staying true to the music we write and produce which in turn is always a true reflection of who we are people.

Q: What music has The Color Blew released to date? Tell us about your albums, singles, and any other notable releases.

A: Since forming in 2014, we've steadily built a catalogue that reflects our growth as musicians and songwriters. We began with our debut album, 'The Canvas' , which was heavily influenced by the raw energy of grunge and punk. That was followed by our second album, 'Light Switch',  where we expanded our sound by incorporating elements of jazz, African rhythms, and more experimental songwriting while staying true to our alternative rock roots.

Along the way, we've released several singles that each represent a different chapter in our journey.  

In 2022, we released our interpretation of 'Under Pressure',  the classic by Queen and David Bowie, which reached the SA Top 40 and several international indie charts. We followed that with, 'Love in Space',  in 2023, before releasing, 'Discount Hearts',  in 2024, a deeply personal track that captured the honest, unfiltered sound we strive for.

Our latest creative chapter has seen the release of ,'Leave',  &, 'Lily' and now,'Popcorn and Candyfloss', each exploring different themes while continuing to push our songwriting and production forward. We're incredibly proud that 'Leave' received an Afri-Indie Award nomination for Best Alternative Single, while our vocalist, songwriter and producer, Liaan Horton, was also nominated for Best Music Producer. It's wonderful to have our work recognised by our peers and the industry.

Popcorn and Candyfloss is one of the most personal songs we've ever written and offers a glimpse into the direction of our upcoming third studio album. It represents another step in our evolution as a band, both musically and lyrically.

Looking back, every release has marked a milestone in our journey. Rather than chasing trends, we've always focused on creating music that is authentic, emotionally honest, and true to who we are as The Color Blew. We hope listeners can hear that growth and passion in every song we release.

Q: How do you feel the internet, and more recently AI, has impacted the music industry, both positively and negatively?

A: The internet allows more organic and alternative musicians to reach an audience created by them and for them which wasn’t possible in the past … So it’s a positive for art to be shared. AI on the other hand has no place in music it robs originality and we despise the use of it in music creation as it has no soul there is also a possibility of it rewarding those who are lazy in Liaan’s opinion and don’t deserve the label artist.

Q: What message would The Color Blew like to share with your fans?

A:  We wear our hearts on our sleeve… there is no agenda we write and create 100 % independently and if you like that then we got you fam…

Q: What advice would The Color Blew give to aspiring musicians who are just starting out?

A: Liaan - Rehearse, Practice, Repeat and don’t chase the fake “likes” stay true and organic and you will find your audience

Armando – Be yourself and do what you love most

Marius – Play what you feel and do it because you love it.

Q: What is the most trouble any of you have ever gotten yourselves into? Feel free to share your funniest or most memorable story.

A: Liaan - oooh we can’t really talk about those days in 2018 \ 2019 here… maybe we will tell all in a book one day … haha or maybe not

Armando – Trouble? No way! Who? Us? No, we don’t get into trouble!...

Marius – Never got into trouble. Ever. Squeaky clean. The cleanest. Ever.

Q: What is each of your favourite sounds that have absolutely nothing to do with music?

A: Liaan – Silence

Armando – Natural / Nature sounds! (like visualising pictures from Clouds, sounds that have their unique resonance and somehow my mind turns them into some imaginary rhythm in my head)

Marius – Even me. Silence.

Q: What is the most spectacularly useless real-world talent each of you possesses that would surprise people?

A: Liaan – Meticulous Dishwasher packing skill

Armando – I can read peoples energy

Marius – I can wolfwhistle extremely loudly. Pointless talent.

Q: Do any of you sing in the shower? If so, what songs usually make the setlist?

A: Liaan – Nope, I normally just cry in the shower thinking of all the money music has cost me over the years …Hahah

Armando – Certainly not. I can’t sing and that includes alone in the shower!

Marius – Sometimes. Usually a song that is one of the shows the kids exposed me to.

Q: What piece of advice has another musician given you that you ignored at the time, only to realise years later that they were right?

A: Liaan - Carl Mathews told me to get a compressor for my vocals in 2001… I thought he was crazy… now I love compressors more than a man should it took… it took a few years

Armando – Practice 8 hrs a day

Marius – Have the right attitude. Having attitude is always good, but it must be the ‘Wright’ one. Also, use your little finger when playing bass.

Q: If The Color Blew could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

A: Liaan - Try and recapture the excitement of actually owning a physical album touching the art and not just listening to endless streams… appreciating and valuing music

Armando – Music Communism

Q: Which musicians or bands does each of you admire the most, and why?

A: Liaan – In the South African context I admire Wonderboom for their longevity and consistency I am a huge fan of the boys. I also respect the business savvy of Fokof and the movement they created in their genre.

Armando - sound corny but true. I love all “Real” musicians and all “Real” bands presenting their craft by the uniqueness, personal spin and individual skills in which there is always something to pick up on, learn and takeaway. “ Real ! Not fake ”

Marius – I am also a big fan and supporter of the guys in Wonderboom. I also do have a great respect and admiration for Jacob Collier and what he can do with imagination and

involvement of the crowds.

Q: Where can people find The Color Blew online? Please share your streaming platforms, website, and social media channels.

Follow The Color Blew

• All Links https://linktr.ee/thecolorblew

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thecolorblew

• Instagram https://instagram.com/thecolorblew

• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/TheColorBlewMusic

• TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thecolorblewband

Stream & Watch The Color Blew

• All Links https://hypeddit.com/Popcorn-Candyfloss

• Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/6mnHAaGTCbeNA07xwFbWvz

• Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-color-blew/1034224356

• YouTube Music https://music.youtube.com/@TheColorBlewMusic

• Bandcamp https://thecolorblew.bandcamp.com/music

• Deezer https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/8777414

• Tidal https://tidal.com/artist/7188655

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Catch the full Ruby's Review and #jollingwithseanmcbride on Burg.studio.online here:   https://musiciansdomain.com/activity/p/8298/