katncandix2

katncandix2 (katncandix2) is a Taiwanese indie pop duo formed in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Zhuang Juan-ying (Xiao Qiu) and Shen Sheng-zhe (Lao Ban), who serves as the group’s leader, guitarist, and primary songwriter and composer. During a transitional period in Taiwanese pop music—as the industry shifted from being dominated by traditional major record companys to a multi-pronged explosion of independent record labels, street culture, and online self-media— the rise of katncandix2 provided a highly instructive example of grassroots success.

In the early days of the group, katncandix2 did not have the financial backing of traditional record company labels. Starting with obtaining a Taipei City street performer’s license, they spent a long time performing extremely simple yet passionate acoustic guitar-and-vocal sets on streets, in parks, and on college campuses across Taiwan. Lead singer Xiao Qiu’s voice is highly distinctive—clear, high-pitched, and imbued with a natural vitality untouched by industrial production; while Shen Shengzhe’s songwriting precisely captured the confusion, innocence, and tenacity in pursuing dreams experienced by the younger generation as they came of age (as heard in songs like “Goodbye, Prince,” “I’ll Be With You to the End of the World,” and “2375”). This deeply sincere and inherently therapeutic musical style was widely categorized by the media at the time as the “Xiao Qingxin” (Fresh and Light) genre of Taiwanese indie music.

In 2009, the duo released their first full-length physical album, *Little Flight*. Released independently (with assistance from Asia Muse), the album not only sparked a phenomenal response among college students in Taiwan but was also nominated for Best Vocal Group at the 21st Golden Melody Awards. In their subsequent albums, *Goodbye Prince* (2010) and *The Misunderstood Oddball* (2012), katncandix2 gradually incorporated richer band arrangements and pop-rock elements into their compositions, while consistently maintaining a strong humanistic touch and independent spirit.

In 2013, on the group’s sixth anniversary, they announced a hiatus, after which the two members pursued their own musical careers. It wasn’t until 2021 that katncandix2 officially announced their reunion, signed with Universal Music, and released their new album *Everything Was to Meet You*. Industry observers believe that katncandix2’s discography and archives of street performances perfectly document how Taiwan’s independent music scene in the 2010s, relying on highly engaged offline community interactions (the “Livehouse” culture) and word-of-mouth promotion of physical albums, and ultimately succeeded in breaking into the mainstream pop music scene.