Candlebox

Candlebox is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. They arrived slightly later than the city's first wave of grunge acts and are often described as an underrated part of that scene, distinguished by a sound that leaned more toward hard rock and radio-friendly melody than the rawer, punk-inflected grunge of many of their peers. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1993, became a commercial success on the strength of singles like «Far Behind» and «You», both of which received heavy rock-radio and MTV airplay.

Despite the strength of that debut, Candlebox has often been seen as overshadowed by the bigger Seattle names of the era — Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains — even as their album sold well and their singles remained staples of 1990s rock radio. Songs such as «Cover Me» and «Blossom» further showcased the band's melodic instincts and frontman Kevin Martin's expressive vocal delivery.

The band continued recording and touring in the decades since their debut, maintaining a loyal fanbase built on their catalog of radio hits and live performances. While never reaching the iconic status of Seattle's most famous grunge exports, Candlebox remains a recognizable name from that era and a band whose melodic hard rock sound helped broaden what the Seattle scene of the early 1990s could sound like.