Logan Slaughter (aka Logan Hardcore) Finds the Radiant Light (In Candles, That Is)

It was two years ago when NYC-based drag star Logan Hardcore announced she was stepping back from performing. Not retiring, but not making drag the focal point of her life. But what was Logan to do after 14 years in the spotlight? Hardcore, who now goes by the name Logan Slaughter and uses he/him pronouns, saw the light. The Radiant Light, as in the name of a new candle company he now runs. "Candles became that outlet, and with each one I create, I am reminded that even in the darkest of times, we all have an inner Radiant Light," he says in a press release.

It is quite a change for Logan to trade his wigs and make-up to become a LGBTQ+ small businessman in a competitive home goods sector. But becoming a successful entrepreneur is one of many changes Logan has made in the past few years. He became sober during the pandemic and created a podcast dedicated to sobriety. On the Apple podcast Hardcore SobrieTEA, Logan takes listeners on a journey of discovery about the community of recovery. He also got married and has a child; all while developing Radiant Light. He talks to EDGE about how he became interested in becoming a candle maven, what special meanings some candles in his collection have for him, and what sobriety means for him.

EDGE: Tell us some details about you and your story.

Logan Slaughter: I am your typical story of New York City. I came from a small town in Arizona. I wanted to get out because I was always openly gay and marginalized. The climate that we're in now, I experienced back then, and it wasn't normal. I had to get out of there. I needed to go somewhere that was the polar opposite. LA was too close, so I decided to move to New York. I moved here at 17 at the height of Myspace and had become pretty big on it. I moved in with a drag queen I had met, and we started dating. On my first night in New York, she was going to work, and she told me I could come, but I would have to get into drag. After that, my drag career took off. I had a pretty successful career in New York City and Fire Island. I was a Fire Island queen. I worked at the Ice Palace for 14 years. I headlined their Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and created the Saturday pool show. After I met my husband, my addiction issues came to a boiling point, and I realized what am I doing here. The pandemic helped me pull out of the nightlife, and now we could attempt to get sober. So, I got sober.

EDGE: What inspired you to start making candles? 

Logan Slaughter: I wanted to do something creative. I'm creative at heart, and I love business. I've always loved the business side of drag. Being locked in your house for four years during a pandemic gives you a lot of time to think. I've always loved candles, and the candles that we have access to are full of crap. If you go to a TJ Maxx or Home Goods and smell a candle it doesn't smell good and is not visually appealing. I am someone who dives into things headfirst, and overnight, I decided to start a candle company. I started selling all my drag stuff and buying candle supplies the following day.

EDGE: How did you come up with the name?

Logan Slaughter: I was lying in bed one night thinking about all this candle-making, and I am one of those people who can sleep no matter what, but that night I couldn't sleep. So now, I'm going to start a candle company. Initially, I wanted to start a candle company for people to buy anniversary gifts for those in sobriety because I think just the sobriety chips and flowers are boring. I have "The gift of desperation" and "Protect your magic" tattooed on me, and then I remembered how dark it felt at my rock bottom and knowing that there was always this light inside of me and that if I could get through to that light, I knew I was going to be ok. Everyone has that light. The people who are in sobriety have all lived through some traumatic things that might not be the same, but our roads run parallel, and I think everyone's stories have those parallel lines and that light. I thought about what goes on before the light, and there were a few different things, but the word Radiant kept popping up, and now we have Radiant Light Candle Co.

EDGE: In your candle collection, do you have a signature scent?

Logan Slaughter: When I started, I got probably 60 samples of oil, and I remember I smelled one, and it reminded me of my mom. I looked at the name, and it was white sage and lavender. My mom loved lavender. That was the very first one. Then, a year and a half later, I went to my medium, who I see twice a year, and he said, "You're going to do something, and your mom keeps saying the word sage."

That was right before the launch. My candle, Mary, named after my mom, is in the center. Then Leonora is named after my mother-in-law. Dressed Up is named for my drag, Beach House is for Fire Island, and Fellowship is for sobriety because, in sobriety, we fellowship and have coffee. Nostalgia smells like fruit loop, and it's for the innocence of Saturday morning cartoons. The Saguaro Blossom is the state flower in Arizona, where I come from. All these scents tie into my story.

EDGE: Tell us about the special meaning behind your Cowboy candle.

Logan Slaughter: Cowboy is named for my father. He moved in with me and my husband during Covid. He had stage four lung cancer and chose to come off of treatment. When I started this, I told him I wanted him to have a candle. He is a through-and-through cowboy, like in Yellowstone. He grew up on ranches. He's the real deal, so we named it Cowboy. He chose the scent. I have a cowboy hat tattoo on my finger. He wanted that on the label. He wanted the wooden wick for the crackling sound of a fire. That was our project together before he died. I also have Chloe, who is named after our daughter. It's holographic and bright, and it has a very sweet smell. It has wax melt hearts on top that, when you burn it, melt and leave a shimmer.

EDGE: How has performing drag prepared you for a career as a candle maker?

Logan Slaughter: I like to think I'm a people person, although I'm one of the biggest introverts I've ever met. I'm very good at being in a market; it doesn't feel like work. I don't force people to buy my candles. I enjoy talking to people and telling them about my story and the story behind each candle's name, but there's also a performative side to selling. To me, each candle has its own little character. It has a scent, and it has a name and its own personality. There's a visual to it. It's not going to dance around and do a split, but you're creating something that you can have a 20-minute conversation about. In the two years I've been doing markets, I've realized not everyone is a forward-facing business host. I have met many people who should be creative behind the scenes, and if you can't or don't want to be a part of selling your products, don't do it. I love sitting outside in the sun for seven hours on the weekends. I find enjoyment in it. I love people-watching. I love meeting all the other vendors. There are always people coming in and out. There's always a new crowd every night. Drag helped me be more comfortable with the in-person events.

EDGE: dedication to the LGBTQIA+ and substance abuse recovery communities.

Logan Slaughter: As male candlemakers, we're here, but not many of us. I've seen that there are some great male candle makers, but most do it as a project with their wives or girlfriends. My husband is not involved in my business. I do it for me. I created the It's Giving Pride Candle and partnered with Gay Pride Apparel, a small Arizona business. They did a collection with Broadway's Wicked. Being able to partner with them as another small gay business is fantastic. I love putting a gay voice behind something that wouldn't always have a voice, especially here in Westchester. It can be very conservative and very much like where I come from. When I display my indicted and Convicted candles, there are these moments when women and men have come to my booth and struck up a conversation. It may be the first time they've had a conversation with a gay person, and then after they walk away thinking I'm not gay or I didn't end up with Monkeypox, and what a normal moment that was. Plus, it helps that I have a fantastic product. I like normalizing the gay experience through conversation. When people learn that I'm a drag queen, I have a husband, I own my home, I have a daughter, and I own a business, they see that I'm just a normal human being just like them, but who enjoys attention and dressing up in women's clothes. With sobriety, I think it's so easily manipulated to what we see about sobriety and addiction on television. Everyone thinks that addicts are walking around with needles hanging out of their arms, and that's just not true. When I am asked about my Fellowship candle or the people who walk by see it and get it, it is lovely to have conversations enlightening them about it. I want everyone to know that there's a safe space for them with me. I love sharing my story with others. I was open about drinking and doing drugs while I was on stage. I want to be open about being sober off-stage. I love that my candles are starting conversations.

EDGE: Westchester Magazine named you "Best Candlemaker of the Year 2024." As a queer male in a traditionally female-dominated field, what does that honor mean to you?

Logan Slaughter: It was shocking. I remember when the envelope came, I almost threw it away because I thought it was junk mail asking me to sign up for the magazine, but it was thick, so I opened it. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't a public vote; it was the editor's choice. It was a big deal for me because it was a male editor, which I loved. I remember him coming to my booth at the holiday market; he smelled my candles and asked for samples. I usually do not have samples, but I gave him a few smaller candles and my business card. Five months later, I got notified that I was best of Westchester. It is gratifying to feel seen, heard, and validated. We all want that. Many might think making a candle is just pouring wax into a jar, but it is much more. It's hours of work and hours away from my family. It's nice to know that the products I deeply care about and stand behind are being recognized. As a gay male candle maker, it gave me a reason to say I'm the best, which I've always enjoyed.

EDGE: What message do you want to communicate to anyone who purchases one of your candles?

Logan Slaughter: I hope my candles bring you a feeling. A feeling to your space. Some candles are meant to relax you. Some, like the Nostalgia candle, are sweet and youthful and are meant to make you think about your childhood. I want my candle to make you feel something. I don't want it to be something you set and forget. I want it to be something that you look forward to. I look forward to coming home and lighting my candles because I know within 20 minutes, my house will have a different ambiance and vibe. I think that being able to provide that in people's homes, a sanctuary for many of us, especially in New York, where many people are dealing with smaller spaces, want to feel warmth and comfort from the busy world outside. The smells alone are amazing, and being a part of people's day-to-day, enchanting their space is incredible. I also like that they are not an eyesore. You can gift it without having to worry if it is going to fit into someone's home. They are classic, matte black, and beautiful heavyweight pieces.

For more information about Radiant Light Candles and to explore the entire collection,   follow this link.