In the spotlight – Charity Stow

In the spotlight – Charity Stow

Charity Stow is a young singer-songwriter based in Nottingham (UK). Charity comes from a musical family and has worked with her father to create her own sound. Charity combines her alternative style and love of old tracks to produce her own unique music. Her track ‘What the World Wants’ is currently in our chart.

Tell me about your journey as a musician. When was your first attempt at writing songs? 

“The first song I wrote was my debut single, ‘here’ and it started as a very ropey two chord garageband project that we worked really hard on in the studio. It was my first experience of learning how my ideas can transform into produced songs and helped me gain a huge amount of knowledge about making music!”

What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?

“I think I’ve developed a lot of my sound through listening to other artists. I always take a lot of reference tracks to the studio and I find it’s a really useful way to find a sound or vibe that you’d like for your own track, but find a way to make it yours. I’m well aware that I’m relatively new to songwriting so any interesting ideas are always a welcome addition to the process of finding my own sound within that!”

Where do you see yourself currently in your career? 

“My NextGen funding has helped me make a great leap in my music and do a lot of things I haven’t been able to do before. It has allowed me to focus on the project as a whole and gain a huge amount of confidence in my abilities. I’m quite happy where I am at the moment. Music has always been something I’ve done for fun and I really want to make sure I keep that spark alive.”

Tell me about your song writing process. Do you sit down and plan how you want to write a song?

“I usually find a few chords I like and then see what comes out! I love ad-libbing and then refining chords and lyrics from very random recordings! I find it’s a great way to let your mind tell you what you need to write about.”

Your dad is also a musician. How much do you bounce around ideas with each other?

“A lot, especially in the studio! We’ve always produced together and I find it very handy to have another set of experienced ears to help. It’s been lovely making music with my dad and I’ve learnt a huge amount from him.”

What musicians have been inspiring you since you first started making music?

“Bob Dylan and Carole King are always my long time go tos and I’ve learnt a huge amount from their music. It’s always a joy to sing their songs and that’s the kind of music I aspire to make.”

Where do you feel you most often find inspiration?

“Through people! Most of my songs are based on a certain person, or a certain person’s reaction to a very particular situation. I find that that’s a great way to really focus on the message of the song and not get too carried away with all the stuff that comes around it! Meaning and lyrics have always been very important to my song writing and I love singing songs that I can create a scene or character in my head for.”

What specific themes cover your music?

“Love, friendships, anger at being underestimated and the confusion of life!”

What is the most satisfying thing for you as a songwriter?

“Wordplay, I think. I’ve always found Courtney Barney’s music fascinating for that reason and love the satisfaction of singing a section word perfect! I’m also always searching for that Pink Floyd moment in music that makes you just stop what you’re doing and laugh because it’s so good!”

Can you name some other upcoming artists that you are currently listening to?

“So many! I really love Vona Vella at the moment – I’m always mesmerised when I see them perform live and think they’ve been doing an awesome job.”

Any potential collaborations that you dream about or would love to make happen?

Orla Gartland every single time!”

Life without music would be?

“Dull.”

What do you like to do when you’re not making music?

“I love painting, hiking, spending time with my lovely family and listening to incredible music that makes me wonder how on earth I could ever top it!”

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

“I’m looking forward to making music with some friends this year and finishing off a few projects that have been in the pipeline for a while.”

What’s your favourite song from the Cool Top 20 and why?

“‘Calmer Waters’ by Thirsty Curses! Really love the vibe of this track and the lead vocals especially, reminds me a little of Paolo Nutini.”

What song would you like to add as a bonus track and why?

“Joel Black & The Hallelujahs – ‘Mr Instigator’!”

You can follow Charity on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Songkick and TikTok.

All photo credits – Jay Naylor (@tjr1999 on IG)

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