CANDY WHIPS Splashes '50s Classics with Neon On MOONLIGHT Out Now!

CANDY WHIPS
Splashes '50s Classics with Neon On 
MOONLIGHT
Out Now via Kitten Robot
Stream HERE Candy Whips (hi-res)
Photo Credit: Rob Williamson

AUGUST 27, 2025 [Oakland, CA] -- "My mom would always have the oldies station playing on the car radio when I was young, so I grew up on Oldies. You could say that this is me returning to my roots,” says Wendy Stonehenge, of electro/New Wave-inspired project CANDY WHIPS, about his new covers EP Moonlight which is out now via Kitten Robot. Deconstructing doo wop classics and reinterpreting them in an electro-synth fashion, Wendy arguably creates a whole new entry point of appreciation for these age-old tracks. "For most of these songs, I was recording them as I learned them. I'd go through each instrument and find a way to reinterpret it. Once I had covered everything from the original, I'd go back and add new parts where I felt they were necessary." 

Inspired by Silicon Teens, an experimental project by producer and founder of Mute Records Daniel Miller from 1980, which infamously redid Chuck Berry songs into a synthesizer construct, Wendy set out to put his own angular spin on classic and iconic 1950s tracks, keeping the inherent structure of each song intact to keep them recognizable while giving them a fresh, modern edge. "I definitely had the concept in mind before I started," he describes. Featuring the classic singles “Duke of Earl” (originally recorded by Gene Chandler), “Earth Angel” (The Penguins), and “Bad Boy” (Jive Bombers), among others, the EP Moonlight was also inspired by both “the post-punk and new wave bands of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s who in turn were inspired by the music of the ‘50s and early ‘60s." 

CANDY WHIPS - Moonlight

"Moonlight is my way of connecting with those roots of yore. Modernizing these songs helps me to be a stronger writer", he explains. Experimenting with vocal effects, drum machines, and synths, Wendy reimagines each song, adding in creative takes that refresh the tracks in a modern light. "My choice of tracks is more of an intentional thing. I’ve noticed that I’m particularly drawn to doo wop and old vocal groups."

On Moonlight, the EP opens up with synth-drenched first single, The Flamingos’ “I Only Have Eyes For You.” From there, Wendy injects a pulsating, mechanized rhythm into Marvin and Johnny's “Cherry Pie,” transforming the swoony dancehop sway into a midnight dancefloor waltz. Adding a blast of bright light to the Chordettes/Pat Ballard's girl group classic "Mr. Sandman," he creates a twinkling lullaby for babies counting electric sheep" and transforms The Cadets “Stranded In The Jungle” as a wacky doo wop song into a propulsive, psychedelic jackhammer dance track, retaining all of the original’s weird tone shifts.

Known as an established member of the well-known Northern California glam rock band Glitter Wizard, Wendy Stonehenge formed Candy Whips as a side project to explore music that didn't fit his other band. Wendy expresses, "I originally created 'Wendy' as the singer of Glitter Wizard but he has followed me into this project. I also released a psychedelic folk album under the same name about twenty years ago so he's seen some action." When live shows ground to a halt during the pandemic, he re-ignited Candy Whips in his home studio and transported Kraftwerk’s roborock to Oakland, fusing the genres punk, electronic, and synthpop. Previously known for creating the critically-hailed gonzo cyberpunk of his 2021’s debut LP Automaton, 2023's hypnotic A.L.T.C.H.B.S., and 2024's angular synth-pop album Artificial Melodies, which was released last year, MOONLIGHT is reinterpretation on classic tracks that are fascinating yet intriguing to the ear.

Exhilarated to finally release the new covers EP, Wendy concludes, "If I could turn young people on to this old music, that would be amazing, it sometimes bums me out that this stuff isn’t as ubiquitous as it was in my childhood. This era is the well that most good music sprung from!" 

Candy Whips is the solo project of Wendy Stonehenge. The new covers album Moonlight is out now via Kitten Robot and can be streamed HERE.

MOONLIGHT
Tracklisting

 1. I Only Have Eyes For You
2. Cherry Pie
3. Stranded In The Jungle
4. Bad Boy
5. Duke Of Earl
6. Mr. Sandman
7. Earth Angel
8. My True StoryInstagramYouTubeFacebookWebsite