Charlee Drew
Charlee Drew has just released his three track EP Past The Distraction as he builds up to the release of his debut album.
We caught up with the singer/songwriter to chat about the new tracks, how work on the album is going and what lies ahead.
- You have just released your EP Past The Distraction on your website so what can fans expect from the trio of new tracks if they have not had chance to check them out yet?
It is just an introduction of what the album is going to sound like - there will be some happier songs on the album - and these tracks are very much of a taster.
The tracks are quite live sounding and there is a live feel to the EP and that does reflect what the live show will be like.
- You slightly touched on my next question really as there is a live feel to the tracks as you say so I was wondering why you decided to go with that sound over something heavily produced?
They are still very studio - it was all done in my studio at home - but because I am a musician and I play guitar and piano and so the focus is always going to be on getting that live feel to stuff. The drums are all programmed but I did very much try to get that live feel.
I do think that that is missing in music at the moment as lots of music is overproduced, as you say. It is time to bring the live stuff back a bit.
- How have you found the reaction to the EP so far?
It has been really good as everybody seems to be enjoying it, I am glad. Hopefully they will enjoy the album even more.
- As well as penning the tracks you have also produced the songs yourself so how much is that a part of music making that you enjoy?
I fell into by accident really (laughs). I always sung and then I thought ‘if I am going to write a song then I need to learn how to play an instrument’ so I taught myself guitar and then the piano.
I am so far away from London; well it’s not that far as I am in Leicester, and while I work with other producers it did make sense for me to start producing my own music and so I taught myself the way around the studio.
I do really enjoy the producing side of things but I also enjoy working with other people because it is always great to have other people to bounce ideas off.
You can get too wrapped up in yourself sometimes and you need that second set of ears to be able to get something really cool.
- You are working on the debut album at the moment so how does this EP introduce us to that debut record?
The album is going to have that live feel to it but they will be produced records and so they will sound the same.
I think the EP gives a good EP what my vocal style is like as you will hear that I have quite a high range. Musically there is a piano, guitar and string vibe to it… when you hear it I hope you know what to expect (laughs).
- I was wondering if you were going to follow in the same footsteps in terms of the sound or if we are going to see you mix it up a bit?
There will definitely be some mixing it up as there will be some more pop records but there will also be some tracks that will also be the other way.
To be honest I am half way through the record and I don’t know what the rest of it is going to sound like - it depends on who upsets me and who makes me happy between now and then (laughs).
- Is the album pretty much written? Have you started recording? Where are you in the whole process?
You never know because until we are ready to put it out I don’t know how many of the songs that I have got now are going to end up on it.
I have got quite a lot of songs written and I have done demos for a lot of the tracks and it just all depends on who upsets me.
- You have produced the EP so are you going to be producing this album as well or are you looking to bring somebody on board?
I will be working with a few other producers on the album for sure and I will end up co-producing. I know how I want stuff sound so it makes sense for me to have a hand in it - no one knows you like yourself.
- So where your interest in music start? And what kind of bands/artists did you listen to you as you were growing up?
I don’t really know where it started I just have always really liked singing and music. I have always really like big vocals like Beyonce or Brian McKnight and there is a guy called Allen Stone who I have found recently and while he is not huge but he has got a great voice. So I have always been well into those big voices.
Since picking up instruments and learning my way around the studio I have started paying more attention to producers and writers; I watch people like Dr Luke and Fraser T Smith to see what they are doing. I admire both sides of the creative spectrum.
- How has the music that you listened to as you were growing up influenced you as both a singer and a songwriter?
I try and have a big voice (laughs) and I try to keep the vocal as interesting as possible. I have put the vibe from different styles of music into my own music when I can; sometimes you might feel that the track has gone somewhere else for a split second.
Sometimes I sit there and realise that I have stolen someone’s song and have to start all over again (laughs). I will be sitting there going ‘this is great’ before thinking ‘hold on a second’.
- Talking about song writing as I said earlier you pen everything yourself so what inspires you to put pen to paper?
As I said earlier who ever pisses me of (laughs). No, it really depends. I went through stage where it was like ‘I need to write a song’ and so I wrote a song, but I found quite quickly that that doesn’t work.
The few months leading up the EP I deliberately threw my life into a whirlwind of mentalness just so I had something to write about. It worked, it was mental, but it worked. You really do need the inspiration there.
The defining line in songs you couldn’t write if they weren’t real and I think that is when it resonates with people.
- Last month saw you play your first headline show so how did these new tracks go down with a live audience?
Really well as they seemed to love it. The rest of the songs they knew but they hadn’t heard these latest tracks yet but they went down really well.
I had people tweeting me and asking when they could get hold of them, and now they can.
- Finally what is next for you for the rest of 2013?
Over the next few months it is going to be me writing and playing some live to promote the EP. So I will be playing live as much of possible - it is my favourite part and I really don’t get to do it enough.
So I want to spend some time out on the road playing some shows and meeting people as well as getting more inspiration.
Charlee Drew’s EP is out now.