Charlz
Melbourne based artist Charlz has a new single Feather out there which will no doubt gain plenty of attention. After basing herself in Los Angeles for six months it was the teaming with Grammy nominated producer Latroit and collaborator Lliaam Taylor that saw Feather come to fruition. Fresh from topping the Spotify ‘Global Viral Charts’ with her previous release About Last Night and collecting 5 million plus digital streams on a year’s worth of releases along the way, Charlz is discretely preparing for her debut project in 2018. Recently returned home from a six month creative stint in California, Charlz is adding the finishing touches to her next solo single Colors, produced by Grammy award winning producer M-Phazes, hot off of his success with recent ARIA award winner Amy Shark. Charlz answered a few questions for Hi Fi Way: The Pop Chronicles.
Must be an exciting time now that all the hard work is paying off with new music out?
It really is! Its been such a big journey to create and finalise my body of work so it’s great to have such a good response immediately from the two collaborations i’ve released.
How was it being based in California for six months?
It was a really transformative, a conclusive time for me as an artist. LA has this creative slip stream to tap into – you can go there and really get stuff done. People work hard and are rewarded for it with big opportunities- I really love that!
Do you have particular people in mind to collaborate with?
I’ve formed some really strong creative partnerships which I intend to continue working with. I’ve got a track coming out in February that I made with my good friend, Australian producer M-Phazes, and we have a bunch of material in the works. My pal from LA Lliam Taylor and I have a super fun time making tunes, and my good friend newly Grammy nominated, Latroit, will certainly keep making music. I’ve really enjoyed working with Deadmau5′ artist ATTLAS and wouldn’t mind making some more sonic stories with him.
What makes the perfect collaboration?
Each artist bringing their strong point and feeling safe and inspired to really show their colors. I think of collaborating like musical show and tell- its a beautiful process because in some ways your audience is the other collaborator so you’re communicating directly to another person through a song.
What was the biggest thing you learnt from your trip away?
LA taught me to be brave and proud of my art and not be shy about putting it out there. Just do it and live it the way you want to.
What’s the story behind the single Feather?
Feather is dreamy pop banger that tells of the challenges of love but also the rewards of love.
How did the song down when you played it for the first time at Festival Hall?
It was ridiculous – the whole room was vibrating from the bass.
Was that show one of the highlights of 2017 for you?
Absolutely. To support Khalid so early in my solo career was such a humbling and rewarding event.
Is there plenty new music coming out in 2018 for you?
Plenty! Starting off the year with a song I wrote with my friend M-phazes, and there will be many more tracks released throughout the year.
What does 2018 look like for Charlz?
My song Colors produced by M-Phazes comes out at the start of the year, and will be touring a whole bunch and releasing lots of tunes.
Interview by Rob Lyon