Carmen Canedo Grows Into Herself Through Second LP “Know It All”
Photo ℅ Kelton Young
If Carmen Canedo has gone through one thing in the past few years, it would be inevitable change. From packing up and moving from city to city, exploring various communities, and finding new ways to make music, the 21-year-old Nashville native has begun to see comfort in transformation, and that shows on her newest record Know It All, released August 6, 2020, under DIY label Oof Records.
Sitting in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, we got a glimpse into her fluctuating life through a Zoom call, noting how the ebb-and-flow of her personal history seemed to parallel that of Know It All — the record that she feels more confident in than her first from 2018, Wheels Are Turning.
Her debut album was a platform for her to work through a dark place — taking a year off after high school to navigate her feelings and find her place in music. She told us that music still plays a similar role in her life — “In this new record, some of that carries along as well because I was going through a lot of changes. Moving a lot, going to school in Massachusetts, and then coming back to [Nashville], and then moving to DC, and then coming back. It’s been a lot of getting used to new places and missing a life from before. It’s been a lot of reflection, and overall I’d say reflection is a big theme in how I write,” Canedo shares. This theme of reflection is ingrained in each track of Know It All, weaving through past memories, resurfaced feelings, and the physical act of looking, as told by the album’s middle track, “Reflections on Glass.” With all these life changes, using her music to look back on the past might be Canedo’s most potent magic to reclaim days already gone to forge a new path ahead.
A collaboration project between friends Kelton Young (of Dream Wave) and Lily Ophelia, Know It All reveals Canedo’s knowledge of self — as reflected in the title. She sings “I cannot escape this feeling of youth” in the opening track “Morrow” and yearns for a past lover in “At All,” revealing the ways in which she reflects on nostalgia and heartbreak through autonomous meditation. Yet, the input of these other artists transforms her solo project into that of a community, something the singer-songwriter has been navigating since she felt a part of herself fuse with the music world at the early age of 12.
“I think that growing up in Nashville was a really big influence on me. I started playing guitar when I was eight, and I would write songs for fun … I started going to shows when I was 12,” Canedo reminisces, “I went to my first show with my mom in somebody’s basement. I think just seeing all the people around me being creative and making great music and being so passionate about it really influenced my desire to pursue that as well. When I was 15, Soccer Mommy was just starting, so seeing her play was really, really big for me, as well as Kelton [Young], and so I did end up playing with him later. In high school, I wasn’t really writing, but just participating in the scene and getting a feel for music in a live setting [was influential].” Three years later, a freshly graduated Canedo took to the road with her bass, touring with Soccer Mommy and setting the scene for the beginning of her own transformative musical career.
Change isn’t only evident in her music, though; the continuing pandemic amplifies the life shifts Canedo has endured throughout these extremely uncertain times. Secluded and kept from her usual recording sessions, she has found that precious spark of inspiration to devote time towards exploring software that will allow her to produce on her own. “I think this time, what I want to do differently, is I want to learn how to use Ableton,” she shares, “I know a little bit of ProTools, just very basics, but I want to be able to really produce stuff on my own and go a little bit more electronic.” While she used traditional methods of songwriting in her newest project, Canedo is continuously evolving how she wants to produce, the output never being the same thing twice. Whether it be through intentional collaboration or independent production, this hint towards delving into a more electronic sound is the only piece of evidence that reveals a deviation in her production process.
Know It All held Canedo fast, keeping to herself the intimacies of songwriting. “I was writing a lot on my own,” Canedo admits, “there [are] two songs on the record I wrote in my dorm room, that I recorded back in Nashville, which [were] a bit more collaborative, but the writing process was just me alone in my room.” These two songs — “Morrow,” which repeats the refrain of “The night was an answer and an echo” and “Ocean I Swam,” the ninth track that contemplates the act of transitioning through time with “I am not where I began” — reveal Canedo’s ability to reflect on her own; yet, producing these songs with the help of Todd Tidwell, who also contributed to her first LP, proves her mutual growth with the collaboration of others.
Some songs are more quick to highlight Canedo’s collaborative spirit — “August,” Know It All’s third track, is the record’s most joint effort, with Lily Ophelia’s ethereal voice joining Canedo’s to produce a cathartic duet. Her Nashville influence shines through while revisiting a dusty summer evening that brings about both familiarity and newness. Either way, the artist knows herself — on her own or with the help of others — and her album title works to prove that.
“That title I came up with before I had even really written a lot of the songs. I think I maybe had one or two songs, but at the time I kind of had this feeling of, like sometimes I just I feel like I know it all, you know I’ve always been, kind of,” Canedo laughs. “It’s sort of like, taking that negative connotation and making it a little bit more positive,” she continues, “knowing things and exploring things is a good thing, and accepting change that comes along with it.” It’s never an easy task, to accept change, but through Know It All Canedo opens up, allowing us into her mind in such a gentle, endearing way that makes change an easier pill to swallow, giving us room to dust off our shoulders, take a deep breath, and release the weight of the world from our bodies. There is comfort found in experiences shared, the desire for peace of mind, the ease at which we fall back into old habits — these are the experiences that build community and push us onward.
It’s evident that finding and creating a space where she can feel safe and welcome has been fundamental to Canedo’s journey. Extending that to those around her is second nature. As the Co-Director of Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities’ ‘Ready to Rock’ camp program, Canedo is continuing to give back to the community where she found solace as a child. “These kids love music, it’s so exciting to see their passion,” she shares, “they just enjoy it so much because they love playing music. I’ve been doing an online ‘How to Play Guitar’ sort of thing, so shifting to Zoom calls is really not quite the same. It’s hard to teach guitar over a screen, I don’t know why I thought that would be easy.” Yet, she persists, finding new ways to shift alongside the world and supporting the spaces that empowered her when she was looking for answers herself. Taking action today, all digital sales from Know It All throughout the month of August will be donated to Nashville Community Bail Fund and Drkmttr Collective, and will continue to support both organizations beyond August through dividing 10% of all merch sales between them.
Canedo revels in her self awareness and growth through Know It All, showcasing how processing life and its many changes can manifest into lulling songs of her past, present, and future. Her newfound sense of self shows; she says, “I am proud of this record, and I feel proud to say that I’m proud of it. I worked hard on it, it’s been two years, I’m ready for everyone else to hear it and get it out into the world.” With music being a huge factor in her own emotional journey, from coping with PTSD to attending different colleges, her second LP has allowed her vulnerability as both a musician and young adult to emerge — while also supporting her communities in the process.
Like the calm after the storm, Know It All’s release feels like the product of years of finding oneself, and Canedo shares this same sentiment — “Finishing this album has felt like such a weight off of my shoulders to be like, ‘Okay, I’m moving on and working through this.’”
About the Authors
Natalie Geisel (she/her) is a senior at The George Washington University studying women’s, gender, and sexuality studies with minors in English and communication. Her love of writing sprouted from starting her fashion blog in high school, and her current written work focuses on topics of LGBTQ+ content, culture, and identity. Launching and managing Camp Thirlby was out of interest in intersecting gender and sexuality into the world of youth and wellness, hoping to add marginalized voices, like her own queer one, to an underrepresented community. When she’s not writing, she spends her spare time at dance rehearsal, attending local indie shows in the DC area, or finding the best cafes that serve oat milk. She’s passionate about inclusive sex education and sustainable fashion and thinks everyone should be, too. You can view all of her written work on her website.
Geordon Wollner (she/her/hers), a curious creative and avid daydreamer, is currently pursuing a degree in Retailing & Consumer Behavior, with a Certificate in Studio Art, at the University of Wisconsin. Both in- and outside of the classroom, Geordon has focused her attention on developing new relationships and experiences with her community in creative environments. She is constantly seeking opportunities to collaborate and thrives off of serendipitous moments.
