Charlotte Martin - May 2009 Flower-Powered Artist @ KGRL.fm.

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Official Website: http://www.charlottemartin.com
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/charlottemartin

Charlotte Martin, known to some of her fans as CharMar, grew up in Charleston, Illinois. Charlotte's mom and dad were both into music as a profession, which accounts for Charlotte's innate ability and skill in music - which in turn accounts for her being into music as a chosen career path. Music had always been a part of Charlotte's childhood: piano lessons by the age of 7, vocal lessons by 9, and singing and directing choral groups and theater in her early teens. Charlotte obtained a degree in Opera singing from Eastern Illinois University at the age of 21, incidentally the same university her dad teaches music in.

Charlotte's foray in recording is with 1998's now out-of-print (available for listening only through - archive.org) album Mystery, Magic, And Seeds, which was written as a result of her friend's death. While the recording is not a representative of her current works, the album demonstrates the musical ability and songwriting skill Charlotte possesses. Charlotte got signed by RCA Records around 2001 and released a couple of records under the label: the EP In Parentheses (2003) and the full-length album On Your Shore (2004). At that time Charlotte was writing odd, quirky and complex keyboard- and piano-based tracks. This led to critics immediately drawing comparisons to artists like Tori Amos and Kate Bush. Around this time, also with RCA, Charlotte also released One Girl Army (2002), a collection of songs that was issued as a promotional item and subsequently withdrawn. This CD is a rarity that is widely sought after by Charlotte's fans.

Finally, after five years and two releases on RCA Records, Charlotte left the label in early 2005. Determined to take the next step in her career, she released the Darkest Hour and Veins EPs on Test-Drive Records that same year. A series of tours had Charlotte playing across the US in support of the independently released materials. The Veins tour climaxed with the private taping of Something Like A DVD in Los Angeles in November 2005, and the following spring headlined another tour to coincide with the pre-released DVD.

It was on September 12, 2006 that Charlotte finally unleashed to the hungry fans the next installment in her musical journey, a full-length entitled Stromata. Stromata heralded another step in Charlotte's ever-changing musical direction, this time towards electronic music. Taking the production helm, Charlotte was inspired to take the focus off the acoustic piano and indulge in the world of analog synthesizers, digital percussion, and vocal collages. Charlotte completed all of the initial demos and digital percussion on her own, a stark and compelling contrast to the full-on live band and orchestral recordings of On Your Shore.

Charlotte currently resides in Los Angeles, happily married and living with her longtime collaborator and co-producer, Ken Andrews. Together they formed Dinosaur Fight Records and aligned their label with Fontana Distribution.

In 2007, Charlotte released Reproductions, a CD full of covers ranging from New Order to Joni Mitchell. What followed next was a brief hiatus. In May 2008, Charlotte gave birth to a baby boy named Ronen. Several months later, a new EP titled Orphans surfaced. Orphans was released in November 2008. This new studio EP contains songs from several masters that almost made her previous records. Some of the songs were supposedly for a band called Exceptional Birds Of Flight, with co-writer Tommy Walter. In the same year, Charlotte signed up with Dangerbird Records management group.

But the goodies did not stop there. Charlotte is fond of releasing rare and collectible CDs for her fans, including the elusive Rarities CDs that can only be bought at her live shows. In January 2009, Charlotte released the latest (as of this writing) in the series, Rarities .5. Being that she only had two shows in early 2009, .5 was the first in the series that was made available online.

KGRL is proud to present a newly revamped page for our January 2006 Flower Powered Artist Of The Month, Charlotte Martin. The revamped page is so bursting with new features that we decided to dedicate the whole month of May, our 3rd Year Anniversary month, to it. Our 3rd Year Anniversary month is also the same month as Ronen's birthday so we dedicate this feature revamp to Ronen. So what do you get from the new revamped page? First of all, Charlotte came to The Alley Studio for a very special KGRL FPA Live Session. What makes it even more special is the fact that the studio we shot the live sessions and the piano that was used, were the very same studio and piano Charlotte used to record One Girl Army. You can view the full session below. The live session was recorded in 1080 full-High-Def with a matching HD audio. We've included 720p WMV-HD versions of Is This Called Desire & Galaxies from the session. If your computer can run HD videos, you should definitely check it out! Necessary codecs are linked on the HD pages. What else? There is also a new interview that includes a video format. Yay! But wait, there's also new amazing photos courtesy of our friendly neighborhood, Koga.

Of course, you can also check out the oldies but goodies, including our very own Stromata CD Review, Charlotte Martin exclusive 2006 interview (audio/transcribed), and a couple of KGRL exclusive tracks: Four Walls (Live) - off the Something Like A DVD Re-release and Stromata (Red Swan Remix) - remixed by Ken Andrews. The 2006-2007 photos included in our feature were provided by Erin Russell Photography and Jules Ho.

What? You want more goodies? Okay, how about this? We are giving away three signed Rarities .5 CDs! Just e-mail us at contests [at] kgrl.fm and tell us why you deserve to win. It's something that you can't get anywhere else now so I hope you'll be creative on this one. And lastly, for all the lovely station donors, don't forget that you can request a FREE copy of the FPA live session DVDs (in either DVD format or AVC-HD DVD format (full 1080-HD - only runs on HD players)!

KGRL is very honored to have a new interview with our January 2007's Flower Powered Artist Of The Month, Charlotte Martin. The 2009 interview took place right after a very special KGRL FPA Live Session at The Alley Studio - 03.02.09.

Watch the exclusive Charlotte Martin video interview using the player below!
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Charlotte Martin Video Interview (Click to launch the player!)
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Listen to Charlotte Martin's responses in High Quality MP3 Stream using the player below:

Transcription excerpt from the interview:

KGRL: Congratulations on having your baby, Ronen. How do you find the time to take care of your musical career now that you have a baby?

Charlotte Martin: That's a good question. I have very good people that work for me [and] that I work with, and I'm not working full-time. I'm working three days a week, and I have help. I have a babysitter and nanny that comes in. The good news is that I work at home most of the time so I can be with him, but that's also the bad news too because there [are] many days when I can't get away from him. Right now my head is in a space where I can actually get some work done. He's ten months old and eating food and crawling around, so he's not quite as needy of me right now, which is sad but part of life....[During] the first several months after he was born I couldn't even write a song. I was just too happy, and me writing happy songs is probably not a good idea.

KGRL: Do you feel that you've changed the way you write music because of this?

Charlotte Martin: Yeah. I made a promise to myself way before I had Ronen, probably after I made Stromata, that I would not continue to write songs or make records if I felt that my creativity was slipping or my material was slipping, which was really a difficult promise because this is how I make my living. It was tough to swallow but I just didn't want to be somebody that puts stuff out there just to make a buck, you know. I'd rather just get another job. I never forced it after Ronen was born. I wrote a lot while I was pregnant, but funnily enough I wrote a lot for other people and not so much [for] myself.

I am not forcing it....I'm just starting to get inspired again. I mean, it's really easy to get depressed by watching the news so I'm having lots to write about right now. Now I can focus on that space, whereas before I knew I wasn't inspired and I knew I wanted to dive into being a mother. I just didn't even try, so I wouldn't write crap.

KGRL: Can you tell us which direction you're heading for the new album?

Charlotte Martin: Definitely more stripped-down. Definitely more minimalistic....On Your Shore, even though it was acoustic, it was very big and it had a 32-piece orchestra. I think it would be a good challenge for me to be a little simpler in my production but not have it be boring, and that's hard. I get bored easily and that's why I love to layer, but I think if the songs stand out then they won't need a lot. So it's just making sure that those songs are the right songs, that they can hold their own without needing a bunch of stuff....I mean, there'll be some production. It's not going to be like a solo piano record at all but compared to Stromata it will be stripped-down, because once you make Stromata you can't add anything else. That record is everything plus the kitchen sink. Songs have 120 tracks. It's ridiculous. There's nowhere to go. I was talking to someone at work. "There's nowhere for you to go creatively except to pull back for your next record." I can't grow three other arms and play three more keyboards.

-> READ the full transcript along with high/low quality mp3 of the Interview by Clicking Here! <-

KGRL had a chance to have an intimate talk with January's Flower Powered Artist Of The Month, Charlotte Martin, in the comfort of their very own home studio - 10.09.06.

Transcription excerpt from the interview:

KGRL: What got you into music as a career?

Charlotte Martin: I've been a musician my whole life. I always knew I wanted to work in music ever since I was little. I grew up around music - my dad is a music professor, my mom is a music teacher. Initially, when I started college, I wanted to teach. I didn't know I wanted to do composition until my senior year in college - I didn't really even know that until I graduated. I started applying for grad schools and I waited up until the fall of that... I could have graduated in the summer of '98. I was fully going for grad school and I went, nope I'm going to move to LA and keep going with the music/composition thing. I never took a composition class in college, I had roommates that did.

When I started writing, I felt like music was being introduced to me for the first time again - eventhough I've grown up years and years singing. I started singing opera when I was 9, started voice lessons and piano since I was 7. That's all I did - music. The occasional ballet lessons which got too expensive, because I was doing everything else in music that I could possibly do - and because I grew up in a university town, eventhough it was small, it's very cultured and there's a lot of performance opportunities, lots of summer theater - just a lot of choral opportunities. I was in every show choir, every choir, everything you can ever imagine - I sang on it. Sang all out of Christian TV, sang in churches (this is a really long answer)... I've always been into music. I've never done anything else - I don't know what else to do other than raise chihuahuas and maybe build forts.

-> READ the full transcript along with high/low quality mp3 of the Interview by Clicking Here! <-

KGRL proudly presents two exclusive tracks from Charlotte Martin. The first is a live recording of Four Walls, which is off of the remastered version of Something Like A DVD. The second track is a Red Swan Remix of the song Stromata (Remix was done by Ken Andrews). The tracks are streamed on-demand. Enjoy!

Use the player below to stream the exclusive tracks:

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Charlotte Martin is by no means a newcomer to the music industry, having a good number of full-length albums, a host of EPs and Internet-released materials, and a loyal fan base to her credit. 2006 brings the fans what they have been clamoring for: the release of Charlotte's new CD, featuring a shift in musical direction as hinted by the two Stromata EPs before it.

We are immediately greeted with the new direction Charlotte is taking on this full-length CD with the title track, Stromata. The song is a delightful mesh of electronic, heavy percussive beats and old-school Tori Amos-like writing. Despite this song sounding Tori-influenced, Charlotte managed to make it her own by incorporating synthesized electronic sounds in an almost trip-hopish vibe. The vocal prowess one would expect from the classically trained Charlotte is predominant on this track, from the verses to the provocative chant-like chorus and the opera-like run-ons. The complexity of the song leaves one wondering (in the same way people wondered how the band Muse would play their songs live) how Charlotte would handle the song live. Fortunately, modern equipment allows for synthesized sounds to be manageable on-stage while still leaving it to one's skill to be able to "play" it live.

The next track, titled Cut The Cord, follows the same suit. The song is enveloped in heavy electronic tribal percussive beats with Charlotte chanting the melodic, meditative lyrics. I must admit that I wasn't into this song when I first heard it, but seeing Charlotte play this one amazingly well coupled with the energy she exudes gave a new outlook on this song. That it is superb live material makes me appreciate the song even more.

Undeniably, one of our favorite songs on this CD is the third track, Drip. The song features classic CharMar – keyboard-driven melody with hauntingly beautiful vocals to match – yet through chill-inducing complexity it manages to evoke an uneasy feeling. The complexity continues with the next track, Little Universe. The complexity lies in the precisely timed odd beats. It's a delight to see Charlotte pull this one off live.

One of the more intense tracks on this CD, not to mention one of our top favorites, is the song Civilized. The song sounds as complex as the tracks before it, and even moreso. It sounds like it was made with a full rock band in the background. Seeing this song performed by Charlotte live is nothing short of amazing. Every bit of the full-band sound and complexity is brought to life live on stage. It just never fails to make our heads bang, rocking to this tune. The next track presents a sharp contrast from the song before it.

A Hopeless Attempt is the first of the slow ballads in the entire CD. From the ethereal-sounding keyboards to Charlotte's calm soothing vocal work, the song – albeit pointing to a hopeless situation – does not leave one with a gloomy feeling but rather a very relaxing mood, like a lullaby might.

The Stromata CD version of Four Walls is electronically upbeat. A question of which version of this song is better depends on who is listening. The album version (which is what we are reviewing) succeeds in much the same way the song Stromata does, by incorporated electronic music into a complexly structured song (rather than the other way around). The second slow ballad on the CD presents itself with the song Inch. Inch is just a solidly crafted slow ballad in a very On Your Shore type arrangement, simply a beautiful song.

Keep Me In Your Pocket has one snapping one's fingers with the beat of this cleverly written love song. The song Pills talks of, well, Pills. Some might get it as tongue-in-cheek humor, but the song is every bit as serious as the dark overtones it tries to present in a whimsical fashion. Just Before Dawn is a stab at Charlotte's background in Opera singing; it is short but it serves as a reminder of Charlotte's competence in Opera singing. Cardboard Ladders is another slow ballad – still, a good classy ballad.

The Dance presents us with yet another heavy percussive beat akin to Cut The Cord, although the vocal lines and the whole song run in a more cohesive melodic arc – a ballad in guise of the dominant rhythmic percussions. The album ends effectively with Redeemed, another personal favorite. This track reminds us of another wonderful ballad from On Your Shore, Beautiful Life. It sounds like something that might have belonged on On Your Shore, and rightfully so as this song was written several years ago. Don't get me wrong though: I love that this song was placed on this record as the closing track. A little non-electronic music is always welcome, and I DO sincerely hope that the next Charlotte Martin album will not be devoid of such classic ballads. The piano playing is absolutely superb and the vocal work leaves one breathless.

In closing, Stromata is everything a Charlotte Martin fan would hope for. It has a mix of old-school Charlotte Martin and a host of new songs from her new direction, that of electronic music. As much as this recording would satisfy the fans, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing Charlotte perform these songs live. The real beauty in it is the way Charlotte pours her heart out when she plays on stage.

Stromata CD - Buy It Now (Click Here)!

Tracklist:

Stromata
Cut the Cord
Drip
Little Universe
Civilized
A Hopeless Attempt
Four Walls
Inch
Keep Me In Your Pocket
Pills
Just Before Dawn
Cardboard Ladders
The Dance
Redeemed

*KGRL FPA Live Session photos were taken by Jeff Koga.
*Never Say Never Tour photos courtesy Of Jules Ho.
*2006 Photos courtesy Of Erin Russell Photography.

KGRL proudly presents another installment of our FPA Live Sessions monthly series. For the month of our 3rd Year Anniversary, we are proud to present a very special live session from our January 2007 Flower-Powered Artist, Charlotte Martin. A special note regarding the live session: the studio and piano used in the session is the same studio and piano used to record Charlotte's One Girl Army.

*Cloudbusting is a cover of Kate Bush's second single released from her no.1 1985 album Hounds of Love.
*The District Sleeps Alone Tonight is a cover of The Postal Service's single released in 2003.

The streams can be viewed using our embedded flash player. We do hope you enjoy these wonderful exclusive videos shot in high-def video and audio. There are also 720p (1280 x 720 resolution) high-definition videos of Charlotte Martin's Is This Called Desire and Galaxies.

And remember, those of you who support the station by donations can request a copy of the DVD. Click here for more information on how to obtain the DVD!

*The flash videoplayer uses Javascript - be sure to enable it in your browsers.

Is This Called Desire	Stromata	Outerspace
Galaxies	Cloudbusting & The District...	Tough

Is This Called Desire
108Mb

Galaxies
103Mb

*Is This Called Desire & Galaxies performance are available in 720p High-Definition WMV-HD format.
*Both require WMV codec for Mac and Linux.

WMV Codecs:
For Mac - Flip4Mac
For Linux - http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/download/

Very special thanks to Charlotte Martin, Matt Solodky, Kat Sambor, and the rest of the folks at Dangerbird Management.
Photos by Jeff Koga.

Thank you very much Charlotte Martin, Lisa Lombardo and the rest of the folks at Dinosaur Fight Records.
Photos by Erin Russell Photography and Jules Ho