Newcastle's own Charlie Farmer has been generating plenty of buzz in England's indie rock scene lately, and I was lucky enough to have him carve out some time out of his busy schedule for an exclusive interview shortly after his recent show supporting New Zealand psychedelic rock outfits—No Cigar.
I’ve been listening to Charlie’s music a lot over the past few weeks, so I was excited to finally ask him a few questions that had been on my mind.
Jenna: "So I heard your show with No Cigar went over really well. How did it go from your point of view?”
Charlie: “The show was awesome! It was really cool, and it actually sold out. Many people showed up early, too. Because there was only one support, it wasn’t like people were slowly trickling in. It felt like a lot of people were there for the support.”
"How did it feel opening up for No Cigar?"
Charlie: “It was pretty surreal. That was the biggest crowd I had ever played for, and it was cool to have a whole stage to walk across. Just looking out and seeing all those people was incredible. The crowd was really enthusiastic, and I felt like I could genuinely connect with them. I always try to connect with fans during and after the set, too—I even tossed a pick out at one point.”
“You mentioned the show went well and even sold out. Was this your first time performing at a venue that was at capacity?”
Charlie: “Not the first one—I think it was my third—but definitely the biggest. I think the room held around 300 to 400 people. I’m not sure exactly how many tickets they could sell because that includes crew, but I think they said somewhere around 350 to 380. It was definitely the biggest sold-out show I’ve done. The other sold-out shows were in 100-cap rooms, which had a really cool vibe because they were so small and you felt like you were right on top of the crowd. With this venue, though, the room was a lot bigger and the stage was really high up, so it felt a little more distant. I was actually worried about that because part of my act is about creating that connection with people. At the end of the last song, I usually jump into the crowd and dance with everyone just to show that I’m living in the moment with them. I wasn’t sure if I’d still be able to do that, but I managed to jump over the barricade, which was really cool. I’ve seen a few videos people took of it, and you can see the happiness on everyone’s faces. I got to show them what a Charlie Farmer show is all about!”
I’ve always found that the more in-your-face or theatrical a live show is, the easier it is for the crowd to get immersed in it. Is that something you think about when writing your songs and planning how they translate live?”
Charlie: “I think I’m in a really good spot with my music because, with certain songs, half of the song might just be me playing. It’s very still and calm and brings everything down, and then the second half kicks in and completely changes the energy. It’s nice having that sort of contrast. With my music, I can be really dynamic with it, and that’s part of the reason I write the songs the way I do- so I can do those sorts of things live.”
“You’ve talked a lot about how important connecting with fans is to you. What have some of those interactions been like after shows?”
Charlie: “Yeah, recently I’ve really been enjoying talking to fans at the merch area after the show, especially newer fans. I see a lot of people come back and tell me how much they enjoyed the set. Being at the merch table gives me a chance to actually talk to them and make that connection. I think that’s something I’ve really been enjoying—being able to meet and talk with everyone after the show.”
“You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into how your music connects with people live. How has the writing process been going behind the scenes?”
Charlie: “It’s been going really well! Just before the tour, I took about two months off from doing gigs and went a bit quiet for a while because I was in the studio writing and spending more time on my songs. I can get really vulnerable with the music, and I also do a bit of production myself, so I took everything into the studio and have been working on it there. I’ve actually had Darcy Long involved with my next three songs, and I think those are probably my favorite songs I’ve done so far.”
“Not to sound too eager, but do we have a timeline for when we can expect some of this new music?”
Charlie: “We do. The next song comes out on October 22, and it’s called "Who Is She." It explores how we move through life and how our brains can sometimes mislead us. The song was inspired by an experience I had with someone, and afterward, I kept thinking I was seeing that person everywhere. In reality, I was simply seeing random people, but my mind kept transforming them into that person. I found it to be such an interesting experience—how your mind can play tricks on you like that—that I really wanted to write about it. I’m glad I did because I’m really proud of the song. It also looks like there’s going to be a music video to go along with it. I’ve got some really cool ideas brewing.”
“Your last music video looked incredible. How involved were you in bringing the concept together?”
Charlie: “I actually didn’t see it until the day before it was released. I spoke with Grace about the idea behind it, and then she went into the editing room and did her thing. I didn’t see anything beforehand. In hindsight, that could have gone so badly,” he laughs. “But we’d talked about it beforehand, and she understood the idea behind the song and what I was looking for. I trusted her with it, and it turned out really well. So, hopefully, the next one will be awesome too!”
taken from Youtube
“What can you tell me about the other songs you’ve got coming up after ‘Who Is She’?”
Charlie: “Hopefully next year, the next two songs will be coming out. They’re still in production at the moment, but they’re songs we play live quite a lot—"Anxiety"" and "Too Late." They’ve both been really popular with the crowd, so I’m excited to get those out and into everyone's ears soon."
“Are you planning to take ‘Who Is She’ and the new material on the road as well?”
Charlie: “For ‘Who Is She,’ I’ll be heading to the Gold Coast and Brisbane because I’ve noticed on Spotify that I have a lot of listeners in those areas. I feel like my live show is really the main course. You can listen to the songs, but it’s just not the same as seeing them live, and I put so much into the show. I love touring, meeting heaps of different people, and getting to know the fans.”
“Have you had the chance to collaborate with other local artists or creators yet? If not, is this something you're interested in?”
Charlie: “Not yet, but I’d really like to. I think it would be really cool to connect with other artists and support local projects. That’s something I’m definitely trying to do more of. I’m always like, ‘Send me a DM if you’ve got a project,’ whether it’s a short film you want to use one of my songs in or something else entirely. I’m always looking to connect with other artists. I think it’s really cool when different artistic mediums can come together.”
“We’ve covered the big No Cigar show, new music, and what’s coming next. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to put out into the universe?”
Charlie: “Stay tuned because we’re going to be doing more shows. Come out, support your local scene, and buy some merch—it means heaps to everyone involved. There’s a lot of new media coming out as well. Shoot me a message if you’ve got any projects you want me on board for.”
Check out Charlie Farmer's music on all streaming platforms and keep an eye out for new music and show announcements coming your way very soon!
