“My new EP is about honesty, transitions, new starts, sisters, friends, being single, wanting to be single, not wanting to be single.”
We have totally fallen in love with Charlotte OC´s brand-new singe Satellite, that is out today on indie label GMR. All catches hold of us at the same time, her incredible voice, the change of rhythm and the eclectic sound indulging our senses. This single will accumulate into an EP in spring 2019 and in our interview she tells us what sort of other songs we will find on it, her inspiration for “Satellite” and about how she splits her life between extreme urban and extreme rural.
Dear Charlotte, thanks for your time! You said it has been a pretty interesting year for you and that a lot has changed. What were those main changes?
A lot of the things that were in my life around the time of last year suddenly changed and weren’t there anymore and there is something about change that is utterly petrifying but also so liberating as time goes on. That moment of change really fueled this EP.
Did you feel a lot of pressure after your last years´ successful debut album “Careless People” to create new songs or you are very relaxed when it comes to writing new songs and progressing as an artist not thinking about the reaction of others?
I think this was the first time I’d felt totally and utterly relaxed during the creative process. I’ve spent years worrying about what people thought or what everybody else was doing but this time felt different and I think I owe that logic and the band New Order. I’d never really got into production before but after my year of “change” a very dear friend of mine told me wipe my tears, open up my laptop and start being the artist I wanna be.
I found it really hard to start with but what changed it was when I started listening to one of my favourite songs by New Order called “Blue Monday” and suddenly I thought I’d love to cover this; Before I knew it I was building a track . I listened back to it and realised I loved all the elements I’d put in. I then moved onto a track I’d written called ‘This Pain’ which I had recorded on guitar and added all the same sounds over it and then I was “ FUCK ! That’s a bit of me right there!” From that moment on I knew where I was going and everything else fell into place sonically.
I loved how you described your inspiration for choosing the debut album title so I am very curious to hear what inspired you for Satellite. What is the song about? And how did you chose the title?
The song title came from a vinyl I saw in the studio whilst I was writing the song called ‘Sleeping Satellite’ by Tasmin Archer but the song is about reading somebody’s body language or even certain things they say and piecing it all together yourself and realising that something isn’t quite right. I wrote it for somebody to let them know I knew what was going on but also I wrote it for myself as I needed to get my head around it as well.
“I really do enjoy the split between extreme urban and extreme rural – they are both the same really. It’s amazing to arrive but bloody hell it’s good to leave.”
Can you reveal more about the EP coming out next spring – what sort of songs we can find on there and if there is an overall topic?
Honesty, transitions, new starts, sisters, friends, being single, wanting to be single, not wanting to be single.
You are from Blackburn, near Manchester but you now divide most of your life between here and LA, right? I read that you are someone who needs a lot of time to breath and step back, and having lived in London myself for some time, I know this is not such an easy place to so do. So where do you recharge your batteries in your daily life – at home? Or do you have some retreat places in the city?
Going back to Blackburn is a big thing for me. I get to lock myself away and walk my dogs in the woods, eating my mum´s incredible and I mean INCREDIBLE home cooking and just being around my family. I also feel very creative there as we live somewhere where I can make as much noise as I want.
I really do enjoy the split between extreme urban and extreme rural – they are both the same really. It’s amazing to arrive but bloody hell it’s good to leave. There’s this quote by my favourite F.Scott Fitzgerald about home that I love… “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realized what’s changed is you.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Do you think that one day you will end up living in a smaller place again?
I really don’t know where I’d want to live. I get fidgety if I’m somewhere too long.
The perfect day starts with… and ends with…
Peanut butter on toast with honey and ends with finishing a tune that you actually love and end up going to bed feeling like it’s Christmas.
Do you have a life plan of what you want to achieve or you take each “page of life” as it comes?
Still feels like we are on page one… I feel like I’m still on the contents page … I like taking my time with stories anyway….but that´s only because I’m a slow reader.
The most important thing for you in life is…?
My family being ok, safe and healthy and happy and as cheesy as it sounds…..music.
Stream / Buy here: smarturl.it/COCsatellite
