CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 160: CHARLIE PITTMAN ON HIS RETURN TO AUSTRALIA

Interview by Caitlin Dyson.

Sydney-based alt-pop singer Charlie Pittman, is ready to hit the ground running with new music and live shows. Futuremag Music sat down with Charlie to discuss his upcoming projects.

FMM: Congratulations on the release of i don’t wanna be here. I really love it. It's a very good song.

Charlie: Thank you very much.

FMM: This is the first single you've released under Island Records or under any label at all, for that matter. What has the experience been like so far? Are there any similarities or differences with being an independent artist releasing this song?

Charlie: Yeah, I mean, that's a great question. It's one of those things where, you know, when I was independent, I did absolutely everything myself, and so you kind of wear every single hat. It can be really stressful. But, it was something that helped going into this process, because I really had a very strong creative vision of how I wanted the artwork to look, how I wanted the video to look. I guess the only thing that really changes, is you have the support and that backing from other people that isn't just you and your friends. You have professionals in the industry who are telling you this looks good, you should do this. There's a social media strategy that comes with it and things like that, but the label were amazing with it. They kind of let me do what I want to do with the song. They didn't tell me, oh, you have to do this, you have to do that. It was very much led by me. They trusted me, which I was super grateful for, and it was a success, I think. I was really glad with how it went.

FMM: It sounds like you've had a good experience with that.

Charlie: Yeah, I've definitely had a good experience.

FMM: You've announced on Instagram, this is the first single from your EP. What can we expect from this body of work? Are all the songs this personal?

Charlie: Yeah, 100%. I think everything I write is extremely personal. Everything I write is pretty much true, or at least I've exaggerated the truth slightly from it. I really struggle to write about things I’ve just made up in my head, so it’s all very personal. There’s definitely some more personal ones to come. I think from a music point of view and a sound point of view, i don’t wanna be here, sets up the sound for the EP. All the tracks have been produced and mixed by Jack Wilson of Fickle Friends and they will be mastered by Cam Becker who’s done some amazing work with artists like Knox, Braden Bales, and a few other national-based artists.

FMM: When listening to the song, if you analyse the lyrics, the meaning behind them seems a bit dark. Would you say it’s a dark song covered by an upbeat exteriour?

Charlie: I think there’s so many different ways in which you can take the lyrics, and I try to play between the two. I like to try and have a bit of fun with it. I think even if you’re watching a dark show, there’s always moments of comedy and light. So, even in the first line which is, ‘I might move desk to the left to make the illusion that something’s new,’ it’s kind of tongue-in-cheek. Even in the second verse, making tongue-in-cheek, ‘When half the time I don’t respond.’ I’m always on my phone, glued to my phone, but I don’t have the energy to even text my friends back. So, it’s those things mixed with the very real feelings that it can be really tough in your 20s to figure out where you are in the world and gain your independence. So, yes, I think there’s definitely elements of it which are darker, but I think it hopefully resonates with people.

FMM: You’ve recently relocated to Australia from the UK to pursue your music career. What brings you to Australia? What’s over here for you?

Charlie: Yeah, it’s a good question. I think it’s a strange one. I think there’s no formula in music. A lot of artists will move to London from Sydney and move to LA, where there’s obviously a larger scene. But for me, I always wanted to move back. I was born in Sydney. When I left, I was one, but I always wanted to live in Australia at some point in my life. It just felt with everything going on in my life, it was the right time to move. I’d been doing music independently in London for a few years. It was a big risk. I said to myself, I’d have six months here to see whether it worked work because when I moved here, I had no management, no label, and no one interested at all. It was a real shift. I was like, I have to make this work, and if I don’t make it work, then I’m back where I started again. I’ve been here six months now, and I’m happy to say I’m staying. It’s definitely been a big change, but I’ve loved every second and I think the Sydney music community is incredible. I think it’s the best I’ve experienced. There’s so many people who are open to collaborate and if you go to a show for instance, you see my drummer and bass player playing for other artists. I think that’s an amazing thing. I think everyone I’ve met has been super supportive of me and I like to try and give that back if I can.

FMM: Yeah, for sure. I get what what you mean with the community. I go to Sydney for shows and I always know people there and it’s always the same people playing for other people. It’s a really supportive community in Sydney. So, you recently support The Band Camino in Perth ad I know you were very persistent about getting your fans’ support by tagging you in their Instagram comments. So, how did you feel when you were supporting them?

Charlie: Yeah, it was an amazing moment. It’s one of those things you do on social media and you never really know if the band are going to see it or if there’s any success. Jeffery, the lead singer, said they saw it and they got tagged in it hundreds of times. I was super grateful because you never know if people are going to do it, but he said he looked at my music and thought it was great. He said it felt like the right fit. It was an amazing experience. I tried to do the same thing when they came to Europe, but before I had a bit more of a following, and it didn’t really work. But, it was an amazing experience to go to Perth, meet the boys, and open for them. It was the first time I actually saw them live, which was just an amazing experience anyway. So, I got a free ticket, I guess. It was great.

FMM: Yeah, it sounds amazing for a band you really love, as well. You're also supporting Drax Project at their Sydney show and that came about again, because people tagged you in their comments. So, I’d love to hear your thoughts on social media in the music industry because it can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. Where do you stand on it?

Charlie: Oh, absolutely. I think it’s a blessing. You can message your fans now and have that kind of interaction. You can play with us as much as you like. Every time I go to a new city, I try and do a pop-up show, a free show where I can have people who are maybe under 18, so they can’t come to over 18 shows, to give them a chance to meet you and have that real connection. Sometimes I feel there’s a bit of a divide between fans and artists, but it’s definitely my plan to try and break that and try to meet as many people as I can. Without fans, there’s literally no shows, there’s no industry, and I wouldn’t be able to do this for a living. It’s something I’m always grateful for and I think social media can be a really good tool with that.

FMM: Yeah, definitely. I think that’s a really good idea to build that connection and how you gain fans as well. You were on The Voice last year, so how did that impact your career as a musician?

Charlie: I think there’s some mixed views about whether you should do that route or whether there’s other routes. But, I guess I kind of saw it in a similar way in which people would go on TikTok and promote a song. It’s just another way in which you’re going to get more eyes on you from an audience. I though if I could go on the show and be authentically me, if I’m going to do covers on the show and do covers in a way in which I could switch the song up and do it in my own way, then it would be a success. To be honest, I thought best-case scenario, I’d maybe get a good blind audition and post it online. It went further than I’d ever thought. Obviously, I got a way bigger Aussie following that I had before, so I was super grateful for the experience. I had a lot of fun doing the show and I met a lot of really cool people.

CHARLIE PITTMAN LIVE

Thursday April 4 – Supporting Drax Project - Factory Theatre - Marrickville, Sydney

Friday May 24 - Solo Show - Camden Assembly - London