Charlotte Plank at Reading 2023: "I'm excited to get back in the studio properly and make next summer's anthems"

In the same way as fellow Loud LDN types Caity Baser and venbee did last year. Charlotte Plank rocked up to Reading 2023 for a set on the festival's smallest BBC Introducing Stage. Size isn't everything, though - it's what you do with it that counts.

Using it as a springboard for a triumphant set - one of two appearances on the first day of the festival as she gatecrashed NOISY's slot too - it's just another show of potential from a future-pop-star who only dropped her debut single last year, but looks like she'll be skipping up the leagues quick sharp over the rest of the year.

We caught up with her after her set for a quick catch-up.

You’ve just played. How was it?

I was getting quite emotional actually; I feel like I've gathered such little crew, they like keep coming up to me like 'we saw you here', 'we saw you there'. I recognise people and I feel like the little Plank Army has grown. They're learning songs that aren't even out yet; it's crazy.

Is that the official name, the Plank Army?

They could be Planktons? There's endless things.

The important question is, how long can you do a plank?

Oh, I'm very shit. Probably a solid minute. I can't remember the last time I did one.

You popped up at NOISY.

Yeah, like half an hour before, I was like, shit. I made it by the skin of my teeth to hop on there. Which was so mad as well. The energy in there was crazy. But yeah, I love that.

Have you been doing a lot of festivals?

Yeah, it's been pretty much every week - my dream summer, basically.

Which has been your favourite?

Obviously, Glastonbury was amazing; I didn't do my own set, but I've never been before, and that was just mad. Secret Garden Party was so good. I've been going to that for a few years, and it felt like a special moment. Today was maybe one of my favourites. Because it was a short set, it was like energy energy. Everyone was with me the whole time. I don't want to stop. I thrive on the chaos. I've got anxiety about summer ending.

Very, very different from what you were doing last year as well?

I think I'd just put out my first song this time last year. I was seeing everyone at the festivals - I went to Secret Garden and Victorious and NASS and a couple of others - and seeing other people, I was like, I can't wait. When's it going to be my turn?

And you have more coming up, right?

Yes, yes, yes. I'm in Jersey next weekend. I've got my first headline show in October in London; it's being announced this week. Everyone come down, good vibes. New single coming in September, birthday week. 'Lights', I've been playing that all summer, it's really good for getting a reaction. I'm writing in the week and doing festivals at the weekend, it's really good to test out even just demos and get a feel of what's going off. Then my first EP, we're just finishing off, just wrapping that up. Hopefully, that's gonna come out October time.

We heard there's two singles?

Oh yeah, there is - a feature. Jazzy is fucking mad, I love her. We've worked together a few times. When did we make this, a couple of months ago? It just all came together really easily and it's quite fun because I haven't really done much house stuff, so it's nice to do something a little bit different. It's going to come out late October I think. It's nice also, all the girls together, there's not really many girl-on-girl feature tracks, it's not really a thing, so girl power.

What you guys do with Loud LDN, it's really empowering.

Where dance was a male-dominated genre, it's so great to see so many girls coming up. Was it last week the Top 10 was all girls? When does that happen? And people flipping the switches, like venbee featuring Rudimental rather than it being the other way around - it's like, yes girls. Usually the girls will be doing the vocals and stuff, and then sometimes not even get a mention, it'll just be the DJ. But yeah, Loud LDN, how amazing - big up Kat [Loud LDN founder Coupdekat] for starting it. It's great.

Tell us about the new single.

It was on a quick session that you don't really think a lot of, but then you walk away, and you're like, 'Ooh'. It was only when I started playing it out live I was like, 'Ooh'. The we got Hybrid Minds to work on it, who I've been a fan of for many years. I think I saw them at Reading when I was 16/17, when 'Touch' was popping off. That was such a moment, I was like, 'Oh my god, this is great'. To have them featuring on it is so exciting. 

The track's got a few meanings, really. Like there's a kind of deeper, darker meaning that people feel like they only come alive when they go out, and they can't think of life past the night out, which is also a positive thing as well - nothing else matters right now. What's gonna happen next week, how you're gonna feel tomorrow? It doesn't matter; it's all about the now. And I guess it was kind of about me and a bit of a darker point - not a dark point in my life, where I was just kind of not really looking after myself. I guess that's just all young people, so it's very relatable.

Anything else coming up, or that you want to talk about?

There's the EP coming up; I'm excited to have a body of work all together. There are going to be some tracks on there that are going to be singles. More shows, the headline show. Loads more writing; I'm excited to get back in the studio properly and make next summer's anthems.