OSM: Where is Charlotte Hall from? When did you start songwriting?
So I am from Chesterfield which is where I grew up and currently live. I started songwriting during my teens but wasn’t brave enough then to share them properly. It wasn’t until I was 22 that I did put out my very first single called “Bombshell” (2018) which got picked up by BBC Introducing York and North Yorkshire. I haven’t stopped since and I hope to write not just for me but for other artists as well in the future.
OSM: Your new single, ‘Plastic Heart’, is out now. What was the general songwriting process and are there any interesting stories around the recording?
In 2020 during the first lockdown I started listening to British bands, particularly those on the Manchester scene. I really liked “She Bangs The Drums” by The Stone Roses for the very catchy riff and was inspired to write a song along those lines. I came up with the guitar riff first and then the words “You’ve got a Plastic Heart, that you could pull apart” came into my head. So that gave me the lyric inspiration. Up to now I usually come up with riffs and guitar parts first. Sometimes I write lyrics down first but it’s rare.
I recorded the vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar parts at home in Chesterfield and my producer Tom Orrell did the synths, bass guitar and drums for the song in Leeds. He also produced and mastered it! Around the time of writing I was also listening to quite a bit of Fleetwood Mac (in particular the Tango in the Night album) and I think you can hear some of that inspiration in there!
OSM: From your point of view, what is the song about, what is its message?
“Plastic Heart” is a song about someone who is fake and untrue to their intentions; the kind of person who will flirt with you just to bolster their ego and not to date you. It’s about standing up for yourself, setting those boundaries and knowing that you deserve to be treated better. I think it’s a pretty relatable subject and actions speak louder than words; it’s definitely what I pay attention to more these days.
OSM: What challenges have you faced since launching your career?
I left university in late 2019 and was trying to find my feet; I did plan originally to take a gap year working part time, concentrate on freelancing and travel a bit. But of course that all got derailed in 2020 with the pandemic and the music industry shut down. I found myself working full time then which did save me and pay the bills with some to spare. I did feel angry and cheated though like a lot of people, losing time, loved ones and crucial years to form a music career. Now things are opening up again though I’m starting again with a clean slate. I can’t do anything about that time lost so I am focusing on what’s happening now.
OSM: What are your plans for the year ahead?
I am planning to release some more music further into 2022 and also will be playing some more gigs! Another single will be out in a couple of months’ time and I’m planning to get back to recording some videos for YouTube as well.
OSM: If you could change anything about the industry what would it be?
Good question! I think during the pandemic after we lost out on live music performances it really did highlight how little we earn on streaming platforms. It’s a different world now and people primarily stream over buying CDs, Vinyl, Cassettes and even buying mp3 versions of albums to put on the iPod! I hope in the future we will get paid more fairly as most of us certainly don’t record, produce and promote music for free.
OSM: If you could share the stage with another band or performer who would it be?
Another good question; I guess a dream come true would be to open for either Pale Waves who I’ve got into recently or the Queen of Rock Stevie Nicks; would probably feel quite unworthy with the latter choice I’ll be honest! Stevie is one of my biggest inspirations and artists I look up to not just for her singing and song writing ability. I love how honest and genuine she is about her life and is open about the good and the bad
OSM: Who are some of the main influences of your music?
Currently my biggest influences for my music are Fleetwood Mac, Paramore, Sam Fender, Pale Waves, Blondie, and Oasis. In terms of writing for guitar it is both John Butler and Johnny Marr who inspire me the most. I’m a bit of an all-rounder with music genres and I like a lot of music from classical to heavy metal.
OSM: What songs are on your playlist right now, which songs are you into at the moment?
On Repeat I’ve currently got “Television Romance” by Pale Waves which does remind me a bit of The 1975 in terms of Indie Rock sound. There’s also some Royal Blood on there; “Figure It Out”, “I Only Lie When I Love You” and their cover of “Sad But True.” Then on a completely different wave length I’ve got some songs from Years & Years “Night Call” album on there. A song I would also recommend currently on my playlist is Edie Brickell & New Bohemians “What I Am.”
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