Candice Lorrae - The Candy Suite Studio
Candice Lorrae is shaping the future of First Nations music with The Candy Suite Studio – a First Nations, female-led, music studio dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and non-binary creatives.
More than just a space for recording and collaboration, The Candy Suite Studio is an inclusive space that serves Victoria’s vibrant music community as well as First Nations artists across Australia.
In 2024, Candice launched the studio at the renowned Aviary Recording Studios in Abbotsford. It has quickly become a vital base for her projects, including the acclaimed Singing Our Futures program. Backed by support from the VMDO, Creative Australia and the City of Yarra, she has secured essential equipment and lease funding to establish a permanent creative hub for training, mentoring and storytelling.
For over two decades, Candice has been a dynamic force in the Australian music industry – first as a performer, then as a mentor and now as one of the country’s most exciting emerging producers. She co-founded the acclaimed duo The Merindas with Kristel Kickett. Together, they performed at major festivals across Australia, earning national recognition for their distinctive sound and cultural voice.
Candice began writing songs at age 12 and recorded her first single at age 14 with ARIA award-winning producer Audius Mtawarira. By age 16, she was studying at ABMUSIC and eventually returned as a lecturer, teaching for more than a decade.
Since relocating to Melbourne in 2017, Candice has emerged as a leading figure in First Nations music production and mentorship lies at the heart of her work. Established in 2021 and supported by the Archie Roach Foundation, Singing Our Futures supports emerging Indigenous artists by pairing them with celebrated mentors such as Emma Donovan, Emily Wurramara, DOBBY, Bumpy and, in past years, Dan Sultan. The program is also supported by a collective of established producers such as Simon Moro, Stephen Mowat, Anthony Liddell and Michael Belsar with Candice playing the roles of both mentor and producer.
Singing Our Futures participants write and record original songs, perform at major events and build the confidence and skills to drive their own careers. One standout success is Canisha, who has worked closely with Candice for the past 5 years and is now stepping into the role of music producer herself.
Candice was recently awarded a Creative Australia First Nations Fellowship to mentor emerging First Nations female producers, deepening her industry impact. Over the next two years, she will continue to develop innovative training programs that amplify the voices of women in music production.
Looking ahead, Candice’s long-term vision is to grow The Candy Suite Studio into a full-scale First Nations Music Hub – a world-class facility designed by and for Indigenous artists. This future space aims to support songwriting camps, production workshops, video content creation and live rehearsals.
Candice Lorrae is not only producing music – she is producing change. Through The Candy Suite Studio, she is building a powerful, practical and lasting legacy for First Nations women in music.