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KGRL Exclusive Charlotte Sometimes Interview
The Alley Studio - 08.18.08
KGRL had a chance to sit down with the hot new talent Charlotte Sometimes, who is currently making waves in the music scene, for an interview right after her KGRL FPA Live Session held at The Alley Studio - 08.18.08.
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KGRL: Can you give us a brief introduction as to who Charlotte Sometimes is?
Charlotte Sometimes: Charlotte Sometimes is a character that I've created. I think it's pretty much a bunch of concentrated personalities and emotions into one person, so it's me but it's a different side of me because it's a little overdeveloped. What do you think Coley? How would you describe Charlotte Sometimes?
Coley: I definitely think you have two sides to you. I think you have more than two sides to you. I think Charlotte Sometimes offers you an escape sometimes.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah, it allows me to be another person on-stage and lets me come home to a different person. Whenever I'm mean they always call me Charlotte. [laughs]
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KGRL: We know that you are very much inspired by Penelope Farmer's book, so much so that you are performing under the pseudonym of her book title. We'd like to know... has it been annoying enough for you to have to explain why you use Charlotte Sometimes as your name every time?
Charlotte Sometimes: It's not annoying. I mean, it was my choice to choose the name so I had to live with the consequences and the anti-Charlotte Sometimes fans because they think I'm ruining [the] The Cure [song Charlotte Sometimes] or something.
Coley: Yeah, there is that misconception.
Charlotte Sometimes: It's not The Cure, but The Cure wrote the song about the book so I always try to say "Well, if you did your research before you send me hate mail -- read the book!" [laughs] But Charlotte is my middle name so it's definitely a character. It's fun to be like "Oh well, I'm Charlotte Sometimes."
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KGRL: What got you interested in doing music?
Charlotte Sometimes: Music was the only thing that calmed me down. I was a dancer for thirteen years so music has always been a big part of my life. I was going through a hard time around the ages of thirteen [and] fourteen. I started writing poetry and I got all sappy, and decided to pick up a guitar and start playing music.
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KGRL: If you were to describe your music to those who have not heard you yet, how would you describe it?
Charlotte Sometimes: How would I describe my music? It's so many different things that it's hard for me to describe it as anything. I think everyone is their judge but it's just some good singer-songwriter music mixed with some beats and a little bit of jazz influence.
Coley: I think the lyrical content of it is still allowed to be thought-provo[king].
Charlotte Sometimes: It's like the meathead's archetype is basically who I am.
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KGRL: Is music your full-time career?
Charlotte Sometimes: Music is my full-time career. I have no time for anything else at this point.
Coley: They've locked us in and thrown away the keys.
Charlotte Sometimes: They've locked us in. Yeah.
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KGRL: How did you get to sign up with a major record label?
Charlotte Sometimes: I had been working with my management since I was sixteen, and I guess they wanted me to graduate [from] high school. As soon as I [had] graduated [from] high school, I picked up [in] making the CD with my management, and then kind of shopped it around to a bunch of labels. My favourite label was Geffen, and they were just so stoked on the project. I want to work with people who are passionate about music in their all. The label is run by musicians, and I think that's super-important.
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KGRL: How is it like being a major label artist? Have you at one point decided to do it independently?
Charlotte Sometimes: I used to [do it independently], when I was younger. I used to release all my own stuff, but it definitely helps to have people who are willing to put some money behind it to get it off the ground instead of living with your parents forever. [laughs]
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KGRL: Is it important for you to create music that "stands out" from amongst other pop artists?
Charlotte Sometimes: I don't try to make it stand out, so that's how I think it stands out. I think that you['ve] got to worry about songwriting. Coley and I are both huge song fans and not so much band fans, and so the song always comes first. No matter how much it's produced, it's not a good song unless you can take an acoustic guitar and be able to play it, and it still be there. You know what I mean? I think...I'm too self-absorbed to look at other artists and compare myself. [laughs]
Coley: It's definitely a verse and genre -- various types of genres. There's an eclectic mix of things and they've concocted them together.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah, I think that's how you stand apart. It's when you're not trying to be a genre.
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KGRL: You have such a strong voice and it easily stands out when listening to your record. Did you have any formal music education? Voice training?
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah, I've been training for...six years now with various teachers, and I think it's helped a lot. But, I've always been really loud and had a strong voice so I was just kind of learning how to use it every day.
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KGRL: What was the first song you wrote? Did you ever get to record it?
Charlotte Sometimes: I didn't get to record my first song, but I did record one of the songs that I started writing that year. It was called Misery. It wanted to be Michelle Branch really bad[ly], but it couldn't be.
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KGRL: We have read about the jaw disease that caused you to have reconstructive surgery. We also read that you wrote songs during the recovery period. Having your jaw shut for months, how were you able to write songs?
Charlotte Sometimes: I was able to. You know, at the time I had so much to write about still, so it was so easy for me to pick up a guitar -- even with my jaw wired shut -- and write songs. I was just kind of like [sings with mumbled words]. It was great, good times. My parents were like "What is going on with her?"
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KGRL: Which songs were born out of writing while recovering from the surgery?
Charlotte Sometimes: Nothing on this album. On the EP I made all of them, I think. Actually, Build The Moon was not written -- no, it was just on that EP. I don't think it was written while I had my jaw wired shut, but it was on the EP. I'm trying to think of -- no, nothing made this record, but on the EP it did. But, it was under a different name. You've got to Google that stuff.
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KGRL: Where did you draw inspirations for writing the songs in your record?
Charlotte Sometimes: I'm very dramatic, so it doesn't take me much [inspiration] to find a reason to write. Ask all my boyfriends; they hate me. [laughs]
Coley: You're a very emotional, passionate person.
Charlotte Sometimes: I am. It's that Italian in me.
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KGRL: How long does it usually take for you to finish writing a song?
Charlotte Sometimes: Not long -- like a half-hour to, like, finish it.
Coley: Yeah.
Charlotte Sometimes: I mean, I could do it in five minutes but it might not be polished. But we've done it together pretty quickly.
Coley: Yeah.
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KGRL: How long did it take to finish the album?
Charlotte Sometimes: To record? A month. Just a month. Yeah. [laughs]
We recorded very quickly and then it took forever to get it signed and to get it mixed and mastered. The CD's been done forever.
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KGRL: You were into folk music before... Listening to your CD, it pans more to the pop-rock/alternative and doesn't show much of your folk side, except for the acoustic versions of the songs. With the way the songs in the record was arranged, do you feel like this album is in the right direction as to how you want your music to be?
Charlotte Sometimes: It's where I was in my life. I think that you go through different phases as a musician and you want to explore other options.
You know, you're the first person who says you don't hear the Folk in the music....We've had so many people say that there's a lot of folk elements because every single song has acoustic guitar in it, but I think that it's just a kind of mix of a bunch of stuff.
Do I want to always make the music that I'm making now? I don't know. I think that every artist wants to change as they grow older, so maybe I'll make a Folk record, or maybe I'll make a Dance record. Maybe I'll make a Rock record. Who knows? I like all music -- as long as it's a good song.
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KGRL: We know that your album was already finished long before the release date. So, how is your follow-up record shaping up? How many songs have you already written for it?
Charlotte Sometimes: I guess I have around fifty songs written for the next one.
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KGRL: What direction do you think your new record will be?
Coley: I think it will stem from the same singer-songwriter idea.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah. Who knows what direction it could take? But, a lot of the songs are very epic-sounding.
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KGRL: Your CD, Waves & The Both Of Us is absolutely phenomenal. Stellar vocal work, amazing production quality, and impressive songwriting are some qualities that stand out. It's currently available on iTunes for $5.99, we think that's such a bargain for an album of this caliber and it even comes with two bonus acoustic tracks. Who decided to put it at such a bargain price?
*Note* After the interview, they raised the price to $7.99. I'm sure it's not our fault for bringing this to Charlotte's attention! :)
Charlotte Sometimes: Well, thank you.
My manager [decided]. I don't know why.
Coley: $5.99 is a steal.
Charlotte Sometimes: It's a steal. [We'll] sell more records that way. In this day and age, you've got [to].
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KGRL: Have you considered shopping your music to TV and/or movies?
Charlotte Sometimes: We're just starting to do that now. We've just finally signed our publishing deal, so it took awhile.
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KGRL: Can you tell us who influenced you the most in your songwriting style?
Charlotte Sometimes: That's too hard. That's too hard of a question because I listen to so many different artists and I don't think I have one person that directly influences me. I really don't. Maybe Fiona Apple. Not even, though. I don't know.
Coley: That's a tough question.
Charlotte Sometimes: That's a really tough question because I listen to so many different artists, and my favourite artist I sound nothing like. I love Death Cab for Cutie and I sound nothing like them.
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KGRL: Are you comfortable with co-writing songs?
Charlotte Sometimes: Depending on who it [is with], I think if it's natural I think co-writing can be a beautiful thing. You know, Coley and I write all the time together, but we choose to.
Coley: Yeah, we don't want to force it.
Charlotte Sometimes: I don't like being put in a room and being told to write a song with someone. I won't do it. It makes me feel weird.
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KGRL: Do you have any artist in mind that you'd want to write a song with someday?
Charlotte Sometimes: No. [laughs]
I'm so open as a musician that, you know, people come to me and we talk, and then it's just about building a very organic, natural relationship with someone. I wouldn't want to force anything with anybody. It's just not the kind of artist I am.
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KGRL: Your favorite songs are Army Men and Losing Sleep. After playing in several tours, has that changed?
Charlotte Sometimes: No. I don't think so. Losing Sleep is so much fun for me to play because it's kind of what I'm going through every day. Army Men is definitely a song that keeps me going [while] on tour. Pilot is kind of becoming one of our favourites as well. All slow songs -- we're slow-jammers.
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KGRL: Is there any song that you wrote and have gotten tired of?
Charlotte Sometimes: Have we gotten tired? Yes. What song have you gotten tired of?
Coley: Oh, let's see. What song have I gotten tired of? That's a good question. I don't know. You know, it's different every day. [When] playing them live it depends on the crowd; it depends on the mood.
Charlotte Sometimes: Probably the single [How I Could Just Kill A Man] for me.
Coley: [On] some days you could love every song, and on some days you could be like, "Oh man." So it depends. I don't know.
Charlotte Sometimes: I think I get really sick of the single.
Coley: Yeah, that's the song we're going to have to play non-stop, no matter what we do --
Charlotte Sometimes: -- for at least another two years. I also get sick of AEIOU.
Coley: I don't know why you --
Charlotte Sometimes: The boys love it. It's a jam. Sometimes I get kind of tired of being funny.
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KGRL: Which of your songs get the most crowd reaction when played live?
Charlotte Sometimes: How I Could Just Kill a Man.
Coley: Yeah. Probably now because it's catching on to the single --
Charlotte Sometimes: It's the single.
Sweet Valium High.
Coley: Sweet Valium High gets a big [reaction].
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah. They just like that we curse in it. [laughs]
Coley: I think that every time you curse in a song it increases the excitement in the room.
Charlotte Sometimes: It increases the excitement. Yeah.
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KGRL: Speaking of live performances, you just finished doing the Vans Warped Tour... How did the crowd of a used to be "punk" festival react to your music?
Charlotte Sometimes: Really well, actually. I was pleasantly surprised. It's kind of becoming more of a music festival and not so much of a punk festival. I think there's a misconception about it.
Coley: It was very, very eclectic this year, not what I had expected.
Charlotte Sometimes: It was fun.
Coley: I think as the tour got rolling on, the people that were coming [to] our stage were coming to see us so it wasn't too much of a shock for them.
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KGRL: Are there any new artists you listen to?
Charlotte Sometimes: I don't know how new they are, but I love Augustana, and...Brandy Carlile, and Nicole Atkins. She's a friend of mine. Shout her out. Who else? What other new artists have we been listening to -- anybody on the tour?
Coley: We've been listening to MIW.
Charlotte Sometimes: MIW. Are they new?
Coley: I don't know if they're new. They're new to my world.
Charlotte Sometimes: We have a lot of bands that are new to us, but not new to the world. We The Kings --
Coley: We The Kings are great guys. They're really good friends of ours.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah, we kind of listen to just about everything. Sometimes I buy a lot of singles on-line. I'm trying to think of any of the singles that I bought lately.
Coley: I discovered Family Force 5 on the tour.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah!
Coley: I think I enjoyed them immensely.
Charlotte Sometimes: They're hilarious. Hilarious.
I like Sara Bareilles. She's fun.
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KGRL: What do we expect from Charlotte Sometimes in 2009?
Charlotte Sometimes: Hopefully we'll be getting a little bit more radio-play, and hopefully you'll know who we are. That's what I want you to expect in 2009. [laughs]
Coley: We'll continue our quest for world domination.
Charlotte Sometimes: Arr!
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KGRL: Any last words for the KGRL listeners?
Charlotte Sometimes: Please go to the web site and vote for the video --
Coley: -- and anything else that we ask you to vote for --
Charlotte Sometimes: -- because we will find you. I'm not going to threaten you, but if you know what I mean.
Coley: And, keep supporting our record.
Charlotte Sometimes: I feel like because we can hear ourselves, we're very quiet today. Usually Coley and I are like, "Blah blah blah blah blah." Today we're just like, "And thanks for coming." [laughs]
Coley: We are officially warped.
Charlotte Sometimes: Yeah, totally.
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A million thanks goes out to Danielle Faustini, Tom Addison, Coley O'Toole, and Charlotte Sometimes.
Transcription was done by our good friend, Flour (E.S.).
Charlotte Sometimes Links:
Official Website: http://www.charlottesometimesmusic.com
Myspace Page: http://www.myspace.com/charlottesometimes
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