Kandy

Kami Kehoe

July 25, 2025

Review by Ally Arens

Since her breakout in 2023 with the viral hit “Sleep When I’m Dead”, alternative rocker Kami Kehoe has continued to develop and refine her blend of sultry pop vocals, dance influences, and roaring, hard rock instrumentals. The latest entry in her discography, Kandy, aims to cement Kehoe’s place as one to watch in the rock scene as the 5-song EP explores lyrical themes of overcoming heartache and relationship toxicity while instrumentally, the entire work sounds like it would fit right in to the regular rotation on Sirius XM Octane with its headbang-worthy riffs fused with dance-y beats. 

Along with its multiple metaphoric references to candy, drugs, and other things that may seem like a good idea at the time but turn out not to be so, the tracks blend together with magnificent cohesion in that the intros/verses typically start out softer and more pop-influenced before building into a booming chorus with heavier instrumentals. This is especially evident on the title track “Kandy”, lead single “Dopamine”, and the explosive closer “Come Down.” Another standout track is “Make U Hate Me”, which gives me major “breakup anthem” vibes, with one line especially standing out with the lyric “I don’t wanna hurt you baby, but that’s the only way you’ll let me go,” speaking to how hard it can be to get out of a relationship even after realizing that doing so might be for the best. From a lyrical standpoint, as well as the infusion of heavy electronic elements, Kandy gives off major “Billie Eilish goes hard rock” vibes while also developing a sonic identity all its own. 

When asked to reflect on the making of the EP, Kehoe shared:

 “I was going through a break up while writing this EP, each song helped me get through my heartache. I was able to pull from my own experiences from my perspective and their’s. The main concept of this entire EP is that even when something is good or feels good doesn’t always mean it’s good for you. I use a lot of metaphors relating to candy, drugs, and all these “wrong” things that may feel right sometimes and compared it to how I felt with my past relationship. I hope this EP can help anyone who needs it like it did for me.”

Along with the EP release, Kehoe has also released a dual music video for lead single “Dopamine” and new single ‘”Come Down”, which can be viewed below.

Her star power is only set to rise even further this fall as she plays her debut headlining show on August 2 in Los Angeles before hitting the road across the United States beginning in October alongside the rock legends in Seether, Daughtry, and P.O.D., continuing to make her mark on the scene. 

Kandy is out now on your online platform of choice, and tickets for her upcoming tour dates can be found on her website.