Kandi Lake is redefining Nashville’s punk scene
The Nashville punk scene has been getting louder and more visible, and artists like Paramore helped put that sound on the map. What’s happening now though is darker, with instrumentals really driving the mood and the vocals matching that intensity. Kandi fits right into that lane. His music hits like catharsis, packaging rap in gritty, loud, emo delivery that matches how personal the writing is. It feels like being dropped straight into his brain and hearing the kind of thoughts most people keep quiet.
That comes through in “There Goes the Neighbourhood”. The project sits in a haunted space where punk, dark indie, and hiphop blur into something uneasy but addictive. There are flashes that’ll remind you of Paris Texas or $uicideboy$, mostly in how the grit carries that self-reflection. Take “Daddy’s Girl”: percussion heavy, very emo punk in tone, with electric guitar keeping that indie feel while the words are existential.
A lot of the record feels confrontational in that way, like he’s shouting through his own vices and personal demons, and you catch strays that feel uncomfortably familiar.
What really stands out is how the project moves. The beats shift with his mood, so it plays less like separate songs and more like one long mental spiral. On “Tears at 12:30”, deep vocals and bass set the mood, then the beat and synths slide in so it feels like a night drive, rain on the windows and the car picking up speed.
Kandi leads The Kavities, whose punk metal and grindcore sound sharpens his raw energy, with their first single dropping in 2024. The riffs are aggressive, his voice sounds even more unguarded, and the whole thing feels closer to a live breakdown than a studio take. Check out “#ImSippinTeaInYoHood”, straight headbang fuel. With The Kavities, Kandi’s emotions become more physical, pulling you into that intensity.
If you’re a fan, check out Kandi Lake’s links below. Love y’all.
Myra | Dec. 20, 2025