Though he grew up immersed in the sounds of ABBA and The Beatles, Charlie Freeman never picked up a guitar until the age of 19. More than that, he spent his childhood avoiding getting kicked out of music class or rocking a “tone-deaf” sense of musicality. Many years later, is hard to imagine him as such. A remarkable voice in the pop-rock scene, he combines retro, nostalgic references with contemporary elements for something entirely his own. Making waves with recent singles “Honest” and “Lost Town”, he is ushering in a new era of excellence.
So how did he become the profound songwriter and impeccable artist we know him as today? We had the pleasure of catching up with Freeman to hear all about it.
Stream “Honest” and “Lost Town”…
Read the interview…
Hi Charlie! How are you doing?
Hello Wonderland! I’m great thanks. Been fortunate enough to be in Ibiza for a few weeks working on tunes for a movie called The Hook. Currently London bound.
When did you first start writing songs?
I came to it fairly late. I saw a guitar in the window of a charity shop when I was about 19. I was incredibly drawn to it which was unusual as I’d spent the last 18 years being more or less tone deaf and a deft hand at avoiding or getting thrown out of music class! I fell in love with that instrument then and there. Took me a while to teach myself the chords but I’ve never looked back. Songwriting came fast and I’ve been developing and channeling ever since. My father was unwell at the time of that guitar encounter and I bonded with the instrument big time. Highly meditative, offered me solace and was the perfect way for me to express emotion. Having always deeply loved music, I’m so grateful to be able to write and perform it too.
Who were your early influences?
I was a huge ABBA and Beatles fan as a kid and soaked up those extraordinary melodies. In my teens I got into the classics such as Dylan, The Doors, Cat Stevens, Bill Withers, Al Green, Sly and The Family Stone, The Police, etc. Bob Marley and The Stones became a passion. Bob Marley would undoubtedly be my desert island artist – a deeply affecting, beautiful and genius blend of message, lyric, soul, anthem, fun and gravitas wrapped in a truth and authenticity that I simply adore. I loved the majority of the ‘Brit pop’ era and other stand out records/influences/bands or artists I love include Violent Femmes, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tim Buckley, Love, Paco de Lucia, Kings of Convenience etc. Nothing better than getting lost in a great album.
How would you describe your sound today?
Anthemic authentic pop/rock. Retro vintage backbone with a contemporary flourish.
Do you have a typical songwriting process?
I very rarely plan when I’ll write, it can happen anytime. I keep a guitar in every port! When the moment strikes, I jump on the guitar or the piano (the piano I am able to ‘play’ just about enough to create my melodies and which offers a whole new access point to channelling tunes) and see what happens. Grab the phone and get them ideas into voice notes! A very exciting time this early gestation period. As Noel Gallagher said, it’s like going fishing. You see what you channel, what you catch. Love it. I usually turn up to preliminary album recording session with about 60 ideas whittled down from 300 bits and bobs — some pretty complete and some 14 seconds long.
Can you speak a bit on your recent singles, “Lost Town” and “Honest”? What was the inspiration behind them?
“Lost Town” is a song about the journey of dark and light, the importance in my life of facing the shadow and the realisation that they are one and the same. The dark is there to help me get to the light. This is a subject matter that inspires me for sure – the journey of life, the soul education and the mission towards truth and love. “Honest” is about my desire and journey towards my absolute truth in a world and society that has vast quantities of BS and engrained belief systems to wade through and shake up.
How do these tracks usher in a new era of your artistry?
They are definitely more contemporary, more hi-fi, more nuanced, more detailed, more produced than the previous two albums. This was what i wanted to achieve anyway and a covid silver lining was the time and space we could put towards it. Kudos and love to Jamie Brown (producer), Dan Clark, Conor Mangan, Steve Wattis and Ryan Shickell from JBJ Studios who are great musicians, team mates and friends and helped enormously on this album.
What can we expect from your forthcoming album, FREEDOM?
A rich tapestry of anthemic tunes and strong production values. A journey of dark and light with an uplifting positivity. I am confident you will find it cohesive, melodic, thought provoking and fun! I am also confident you will sense the time and thought that went into it. I hope you enjoy it.
Do you have a career highlight thus far?
Playing out of the windows from my place on portobello during lockdown was a good crack and raised the mood somewhat! Though receiving a beautiful message from a far flung part of the world that one of my songs has really helped someone through a bad patch is the bees knees.
What is next for you?
The Christmas single “It’s Christmas (Let’s be Kids for a day)” comes out early Dec replete with the Live Portobello Choir. Having a huge shindig / street party on the 7th December up by the corner of Hayden’s place / Portobello so do come along! Then 2024 is all about touring and more singles from the FREEDOM album. Also, the movie The Hook (I play a band member in it) is coming out and I will be launching The Freedom Music Prize. I’m excited. I’ll also be starting on the new album and that’s a big highlight. Cheers Wonderland, all best.