Romattic don’t do romance the way you see in movies. “Candy Smoking” is a twisted love song, and it’s not here to make you feel warm inside. It’s a jab at the way modern relationships have become a checkbox, a status symbol, something you’re supposed to have even if it’s rotten. Theodor Andreas Halmrast and Tommy Duong are the duo behind it. They met at a youth club music course, both in guitar classes, and they bonded over different eras of rock and metal. Theodor came up on ’80s and ’90s rock, Tommy on the 2010s stuff. That clash of generations gives the track its edge.
The song pulls from The Offspring’s “Pretty Fly” and Avenged Sevenfold’s “Dancing Dead” – you can feel that punk sneer and dark melodic bite in the mix. But the story is what grabs you. The main character is head over heels for a woman he’s dating. His friends and family keep telling him she’s using him. He knows they’re right. He can’t walk away. The fear of missing out on what everyone else has – a relationship, a status – keeps him hooked. As they put it, he’s obsessed with keeping something one-sided because losing it means losing the image. That line from the song says it all: “My friends tell me I’m hopeless. She’s stripping off my senses, but I don’t want to believe that.” That’s not a love song. That’s a warning.
The duo say this topic doesn’t get enough attention. They’re right. Most rock songs about romance are either sappy or angry. This one is uncomfortable. It’s about the lies we tell ourselves to keep up appearances. Theodor has been making music for years. Tommy jumped in about a year ago. Together they’ve cooked up something that sounds like a basement jam with a grudge. They’re planning their first headline gig at a local venue, and if this track is any sign, it’ll be loud and messy in the best way.
“Candy Smoking” is out now. These guys don’t care if you’re offended. Their motto says it all: “Fuck around and find out.” So do that. Press play, sit with the discomfort, and ask yourself if you’ve ever held onto something just because you were scared to let go. That’s rock and roll. That’s real. That’s Romattic.