Los Angeles singer/songwriter Charlotte Lawrence is a pop powerhouse you’ll be hearing a lot more from over the coming years. Only a few songs deep, and she’s already racking up plays in the millions, in part thanks to her coveted spot on the Birds Of Prey soundtrack with eerily dark hit ‘Joke’s On You’. Her new single ‘Slow Motion’ – out today, ‘FYI’ – is a more intimate affair, an immensely sad tale of the end of a relationship with someone who sounds like a bit of a wrong ‘un tbh. Give it a listen below, and find out more about Charlotte, too.
Hey Charlotte, are you having a good day?
Heyyy! Yes, it’s been great, I’ve done absolutely nothing besides eat junk food and watch Mean Girls. Prime relaxing day
How’s LA at the moment?
Weather-wise it’s beautiful, and I feel lucky to be quarantined in a house with outdoor space so I can take advantage of the weather… but it’s overall very boring / sad not seeing anyone or going anywhere. (IMPORTANT AND VITAL TO STAY INSIDE / IF U LEAVE WEAR A FUCKIN MASK.) But ya. Overall I’m so bored.
How long have you been making music for then, did you grow up in a musical household?
Neither of my parents can remotely sing, but they both have the best taste in music, and I grew up with amazing music playing 24/7. I’ve always been obsessed with singing and writing and different instruments, but my mom was definitely a major influence on the type of music I love. I’d say I started singing at like 5, took piano lessons at 6-ish, and then really started writing my own music at 12. (It obviously wasn’t good lol, but it still counts.)
How did you hit upon your sound?
I find my sound always changing and growing as I grow as an artist/person. I definitely have my influences and inspirations, as everyone does, but I think most of my specific sound developed through my lyrics and my emotions, building tracks around the stories.
It must’ve been nuts having a song on the Birds of Prey soundtrack – how did that come about?
All of it was nuts. I recorded the song with zero expectations, not even expecting it to make the album that they released alongside the movie, and I definitely never thought it would be playing behind one of the big scenes of the movie. Watching the song play over the crazy epic Margot Robbie scene (obsessed w/ her) was INSANE. It was so fun to sing, so fun to make the music video, and so so so fun to watch everything unfold as it did. It was surreal, and I’m still the most grateful.
Tell us about your new single, ‘Slow Motion’ – what’s it about? Where did it come from?
It’s about the feeling of losing someone you love. Whoever that person is to you. I feel like everyone has gone through it one way or another, whether it’s a breakup, a friendship-breakup, family shit, etc. It’s about the feeling of knowing it’s over but not wanting it to be over, of knowing it’s the end of a relationship or an era, and feeling so hurt and upset, yet still confident in your decision to leave. The “hook line” or however you wanna put it, “I know I’ll be moving on in slow motion” is, to me, about not being able to let go, and living in the heartbreak for a little while, half reminiscing on the good times and half being so sad that it feels almost impossible to let go. I hope that it can maybe mean something different for everyone who listens.
And you’re working on your debut album, too? How’s it coming?
It’s amazing! A huge bonus of quarantine honestly has been being able to finish so much shit that I didn’t have the time to finish. I honestly feel like it’s completely done now, which feels crazy to say.
What’s your songwriting process like?
I honestly don’t even have a process. Every song I’ve written has a different process. Everything starts from a feeling or a story, and it just goes from there. I usually have an idea of what I want to speak about as we start creating, and normally we (we meaning producer or co-writer or whomever I’m working with that day) start with chords either on the guitar or piano, put them down, write melodies, and then put lyrics over the melodies. But honestly, it’s different every time.
How have the current lockdown restrictions impacted your plans? Have you had to cancel much?
Well for starters I’m supposed to be on tour right now, and I’m really sad that I’m not. I miss it every day. Honestly, all of this has really made me so grateful for touring. I always used to get so anxious before tour and so, so homesick. When I got on stage, I’d feel at home again, but overall touring is exhausting and draining and hard, especially when there are multiple shows in a row. I love performing with my supporters more than anything in the world and always miss it immediately when it’s finished, but having two tours be cancelled and looking back at old memories and videos made me so sad and eager to get back on the road. It made me wish I cherished every moment more, even the hard parts, and now I cannot WAIT to get back on the road post-pandemic. Besides that, being able to take time off and finish so much shit has been relaxing and rewarding.
Do you have any lockdown-friendly hobbies?
Disney+ has been very kind to me. I’ve watched every single cartoon/ kids movie I used to watch when I was little, highly recommend it. I’ve been drawing and painting, smoking so much weed and eating so much candy, making jewellery, (it’s so easy. order beads or charms or whatever off of amazon and some chains and strings, it’s so fun) dye your hair, sing, dance… I even set up a mini lil studio in my bedroom, and now I don’t even have to leave my room hahaha I took isolation to the next level, and I’m so happy about it.
