Q: Your voice is wonderful and we love that your accent comes into your singing as well. You have a very folk and country sound, who are your influences?
CHARLOTTE HALL: This track is definitely more country sounding than anything I’ve ever done before and in terms of influence it’s definitely Dolly Parton. She is a very clever woman and songwriter too. Lyrics are probably the most difficult part of writing for me, so she was a great model to follow. Dolly is the master of writing stories and real events into music. She is also very inspirational coming from such humble beginnings to being one of the most successful music artists of all time.
Q: Is there a personal story behind “Braid” and how did the song come into creation?
CHARLOTTE: Yes there is a personal story behind “Braid.” Back in 2018, when I was still at University I took part in the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival with a performance society I was in. We were a small but very tight knit cast, keen and dedicated to give the best show we could. There is one person in particular that the song is about; I was sharing a dressing room with her and I was helping to braid her hair. I’d never done that for another girl before so she was taking me through step by step, it was a very wholesome moment. We spent the week together both in and outside of rehearsals, we did have a good friendship back then but I think we became closer during that week.
Q: Do you write your own songs or is there a collaborator that you enjoy working with consistency?
CHARLOTTE: It was just me at first when it came to writing songs but producer Dave Gerhart took “Braid” in a more country direction. I was so surprised after hearing the first demo at how well it worked and it encouraged me to delve into a new genre I wasn’t familiar with. The end result felt amazing. I am open to collaborating with other musicians in the future; I am currently collaborating with another singer songwriter on a new single!
Q: Your songs are familiar and have a very popular sound that we love. Who or what inspired you to make music?
CHARLOTTE: I think I’ve always loved music right from day one. My mum often recalls me not sleeping as a baby unless Classic FM was playing on the radio! I love music across all genres though and so many people do inspire me whether they’re at the same level as me or are known globally. One huge inspiration for me recently has been Yungblud, as he’s encouraged me to start thinking about being true to myself when it comes to song writing and who I am as a musician.
Q: What made you want to become a musician?
CHARLOTTE: During school my brother was learning to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ with another pupil, and the teacher supervising them (Joe Morton) asked if I could sing it. From that moment I completely fell in love and I discovered a part of myself I never knew existed. Music did keep my out of trouble with bullies in secondary school, as I ended up joining a lot of extra-curricular groups. I went onto study Music at University as I knew I wouldn’t be 100% happy doing anything else. After having two singles played on BBC Introducing I knew song writing was the way forwards for me and I haven’t looked back since.
Q: What is coming up next for you?
CHARLOTTE: I have a new single coming out very soon in the next month or so, you can watch out for it on my Instagram page @charlottehallmusic. I am also recording some new songs very soon which is really exciting!
Interviewed by Stephanie Pankewich
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