A Chat with Freddy Charles (26.07.20)
Take some classic rock guitar riffs, add a steady drumbeat and then push through some synths and you have Freddy Charles. A genre-bending artist, this one-man act is bringing people his own brand of rock with jazz undertones. Using a true DIY approach when making music, Charles has several self-produced albums under his belt with a lot more up his sleeve. We speak with Freddy Charles (FC) about his single ‘Dissolve’, collaborating with different artists, plans for the future and much more!
OSR: What inspired you to become a musician?
FC: I’ve been playing drums since I was four years old. Father was a musician and really groomed me early on by getting me acquainted with the drum set and tons of rock and progressive rock music.
OSR: How would you describe your single ‘Dissolve’?
FC: ‘Dissolve’ is very typical of my writing style. I like to think it teeters on the prog-rock side, but has elements of the blues, jazz, EDM and pop. When you are a one-man band, you really have to channel each instrument individually. For me, ‘Dissolve’ accomplishes this.
OSR: If you could change one thing about ‘Dissolve’ what would it be?
FC: I’m actually pretty happy with how it turned out.
OSR: What was the writing and recording process like?
FC: ‘Dissolve’ started with the synth parts, which were recorded on a flight about two years ago. Many of my pieces are resurrected from musical fragments – stuff I lay down and forget about. I returned to the track with the guitar part about a year ago when I started tracking the new album. Drums were dropped late 2019. The vocals and context for the track came about toward the end.
‘Dissolve’ was actually one of the last tracks completed on Emportez Moi. I started thinking about what it was like to fall in love and all the emotions and trials involved when working through a relationship.
OSR: If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
FC: Hard to pick one artist. I have a few dream scenarios. I would love to play drums in King Crimson; that’s probably the only big name act I’d ever consider playing drums for. I’d also love to record a song with Paul Rodgers and Eric Clapton. All these artists are my musical heroes.
OSR: Who inspired your music?
FC: So many, but it’s really broken down per instrument. Drums: Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Jojo Mayer, Buddy Rich, Ginger Baker. Guitar: Eric Clapton, Robin Trower, John McLaughlin. Vocals: Paul Rodgers and Chris Cornell.
OSR: What do you do in your spare time?
FC: Outside of playing music, I’m very much interested in wellness. I also do lots of cooking and love sourcing exceptional meats and products from around the world with my wife. I’ve travelled to 90 countries so I’m always tapping into my worldly view for inspiration. I’m also very much into fine wines.
OSR: What is the backstory to ‘Dissolve’?
FC: No backstory really. I write a lot of songs and ‘Dissolve’ was just something that happened at the right time.
OSR: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
FC: Perhaps an eagle. A powerful predator and so good at soaring.
OSR: What is your best personality trait?
FC: Patience, I think.
OSR: What are the different benefits and challenges to being an independent artist?
FC: Benefits are being your own boss, if you can handle it, and the freedom that comes with that. If you have the resources and figure out how to deploy them effectively you can be very successful.
OSR: What plans do you have for the future?
FC: My current plans are really focused on finally building my fan base to where I want it to be.
OSR: Do you have any final message for our readers?
FC: I really appreciate all the support thus far, especially the overwhelming positive feedback for the new record.
Thanks to Freddy Charles for chatting with us! You can find more about him on his official website, Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.
