In the spotlight – Charlie Smith

In the spotlight – Charlie Smith

Charlie Smith is an alternative singer/songwriter from Hampshire (UK). He started playing music in his secondary school days, but only started putting music out properly at the back end of 2020. He released an EP ‘I Hate It I Own It’ in 2020 and a full length album ‘I just want to sleep’ in 2021.

Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?

“Yes, all the fabulous indie musicians I have met on my musical journey so far. A lot of them from NAS [new artists spotlight] and also those local musicians that I have met.”

What can you remember about your earliest compositions and what influenced them?

“I’m actually just recording some of my earlier work at the moment and realising it properly. My biggest influence for the first CD I made was John Lennon demos tapes.”

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

“Nothing special really, but I don’t use the computer stuff so much. My earlier works are on tape and now I use a recording mixing desk. I suppose that I just do things in one take and keep things simple. It probably makes it sound different compared to some music on Spotify.”

How do you start writing a song?

“It’s hard because I’m always writing too much music. I really don’t know, it just sort of happens. Sometimes even when I’m tired and I don’t want to.”

When you’re writing a song, how do you know when you have an idea worth pursuing?

“I have to record and maybe wait a little bit. Mostly they probably are worth working on more, but I barely have the time. I’m lazy top. I never finish stuff.”

What sort of life inspirations are you drawing from?

“Everything! Not really myself as in so much. It’s more about the stories I see and hear about people.”

What can you tell me about your song ‘One Day Some Day’ that’s currently in our chart?

“Yeah this song is re-recording of one of my earliest demos. It’s a more chilled out version than some of the songs I have put out recently.”

Are many of your songs written from personal experience?

“Only one, I think. All my songs have nothing to do with me other than the fact I wrote them. Sometimes I’m talking about my self in third person. But anytime I use ‘I’ I don’t actually mean me.”

What’s the ultimate goal for you to achieve in your career as a musician?

“I have no clue, really. I just focus on just doing the little things. Like one song at a time, one show a time.”

What does success as a musician and songwriter mean to you?

“The honest answer is: I don’t care. Everything I’ve done is a bonus if you want to look at it in a certain away. That’s how I would see it.”

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

“I’m not that interesting, really! I like reading and watching films. I follow snooker and cricket sport wise and yeah that’s about it. I’m into beer as well. Not just drinking it, but I research it and know some stuff about it. Although I do drink quite a lot.”

What can we expect from you in the near future? I read on Instagram you have a recording session planned this month.

“So I hope to finish my recording towards the end of the month, which will be fantastic to get that out of the way. Even though I have had my recording gear for ages I’ve only released two songs and two B sides, which isn’t great, but hopefully I can finish that. Also I have a show coming up on Saturday 13th August at the Angel Inn in Southampton which I am hosting, so that should be lots of fun as well.

What quote or saying do you always stick by?

It doesn’t matter what do but not not do it. I don’t know if I made that up, but yeah basically I think things don’t really matter. Might as well do them because you enjoy them, but it doesn’t really matter if it goes wrong.”

Your current profile pic is a biscuit that you also used as artwork for several singles. What’s your favourite biscuit?

“Hahaha, yeah it was a bit of an old joke when I start making my first demos, I think it’s just because it was random. It was kind of funny. I suppose I really should change it, but I dunno, I just kept using it. I used it for the singles just because they were on the original demos that I used.”

“Either, bourbon or custard cream. I think I might change the biscuit out in the future. (Laughs).”

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

“‘Admiring the View’ by the Jonny Phillips Trio.”

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

“‘Big Wave’ by the Orange Creek Riders.”

For more info on Charlie Smith: https://linktr.ee/CharlieSmithMusic

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