Charley
Photo: Tim Ashton
Speaking to creatives over the years a common thread has emerged. That thread being that separating their passion from their personal identity/life is incredibly difficult. Every interview between Pario & a creator begins with us asking them to introduce themselves away from their passion & often that is the most difficult question for them to answer. This exact situation played out recently when we spoke with pop star Charley about her music journey & new EP, TimeBombs.
In answering our opening question Charley said, "Oh my gosh. It's hard to say who I am away from music because I feel like my whole life is encapsulated around music... When I am not doing music, I'm either sleeping or eating but probably still thinking about music."
The all-encompassing nature of passions like this means that it becomes impossible for the creator to not incorporate their personal experiences & emotions in their art. For Charley, these experiences included an awakening about her sexuality that occurred while in Sweden writing the songs for TimeBombs.
Reflecting on this period Charley told Pario, "I always knew I was bi, but within that, I just realised I was so gay. So there are some songs on the EP that from my straight days & there's a lot that are from me discovering myself."
Charley's process of self-discovery occurred after being told that she "needed to write a hit". While Charley began the creative process with that goal in mind she soon realised it was an insurmountable task.
"That is the worst thing you can say to a writer. What even is a hit?" Said Charley.
"At some point, I just said 'write how you're feeling' & 'write about what you're going through' because I've always wanted my music to be true to myself with a hint of extra & drama."
Despite the inspiration for TimeBombs being heartbreak, Charley lit up when speaking about her time in Sweden.
"And at one point last year, I was in Sweden & I was just having the most amazing time," beamed Charley. "I met a girl over there & we just had the most insane time together. However, at some point in every relationship, I know that's going to end. I love very, very hard because I'm a very open person. So I just knew it was either going to go up in flames or just end & I hated that."
Hence the title of the EP.
"In my heart, I knew that encapsulated everything about me, my past relationships & the EP."
By using her self-discovery & heartbreak to inspire her music but then ratcheting the emotions up to 10 Charley has created a record that goes beyond vapid pop. So now as she gears up for live performances she's expecting to get very emotional on stage.
"I am very excited because I think my audience has grown a lot since my first show in Sydney, & I'm really grateful for that... I'm so excited to perform this EP & cry with my people in the audience... I'm expecting to cry a lot, to be honest!"
Follow Charley's Creative Journey on social media at: @CharleySux
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