Charlotte Shaw Talks Debut Single, Future Plans And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Deuce Music
Australian singer-songwriter Charlotte Shaw is now based in the UK and has released her debut single ‘Bye Boys’. We sat down with her here:
When did you begin singing/songwriting?
I began taking singing lessons when I was 7 – I remember begging my mum to let me at school and I think a little later on I started writing songs and performing them to my parents around 11/12 years old.
What is your earliest musical memory?
Earliest musical memory is probably my dad singing a song about animals that he had made up and used to sing to me all the time, he would make the sounds of the animals and I would join in with him and occasionally he would add new animals so the song just got longer and longer 🙂
You have your new single ‘Bye Boys’ which is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
I have always loved singing, acting and performing and felt that this was my calling / what I was meant to do. When I made the decision to move to London from Australia to pursue this passion I realised that there are a lot more people acting as barriers to where you want to be and what you want to do then there are people telling you to go for it. So I remember realising the only and main barrier to what you want to do is yourself, and if you choose to let others stop you. So, I wrote this song to encourage not only myself but others to go after what it is that you want and not allow others to determine what you can and can’t achieve.
Was it a difficult song to write?
Surprisingly no, Once I had decided what I wanted the song to be about, the lyrics just kind of came naturally to me. The pre chorus took a bit of work as I couldn’t quite workout how to transition out of the verse to the chorus but piece by piece each time I sat down and told myself I was going to tackle a certain part of the song it kind of came to me. I guess maybe this is because I was writing as I was experiencing so with each day and each new encounter I had with people in the creative world I learnt something new or consolidated how I felt and what I wanted to articulate in the song.
The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?
The thought process behind the video was to almost emulate my move from a small town in Australia to London, but make it more of a country feel to match the sound of the song. I thought it would be impactful to have a boy in the music video who wasn’t supportive and was seemed to be holding me back as the song is about walking away from things that prohibit you, people, place, situation etc, so this was an easy way to show this theme as he was associated with the small town. I wanted it to show the scary journey it is to move somewhere by yourself, but also how once you push past your fears how rewarding this can be. I directed the music video alongside a friend of mine Loretto Morris who also filmed it.
Where did you record the single and who produced it?
I recorded it in London at Jack Marchan’ts (Marchant Music) home studio and he produced it as well.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
I think the ad libs that are in the song for example at the start I speak and throughout the song there’s a few words I say here and there. These weren’t planned but I kind of had this idea in my head of a call all knowing narrator in the song and for some reason she ended up sounding very country but after listening back it kind of worked with the song and we decided to keep it in 🙂
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
Not really, Jack put an effect on the adlibs to make it sound like an old radio sound which is what I was after.
Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
I have only released Bye Boys so far but I would say this is a mixture of happy and reflective.
Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025?
Yessss!!! got lots of songs in the works, I am working with different musicians to create as many songs as I can before the end of 2025.
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
I hope to have engaged the audience and have them feel something and connect with the words, sound, ideas of the songs and I hope to inspire and uplift audience members because you never know when someone just needs a little bit of positivity to brighten their day.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
I do like a bit of reverb on the microphone I think that can sound really cool.
How do you look after your voice?
Try not to shout haha, lots of tea and honey, and never practice for too long.
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?
I know its already been made into a film but ‘It ends with us’ by Colleen Hoover. This book moved me so much and I feel like it has so much opportunity to write such happy, upbeat songs as well as sad, heartbreaking and reflective and then empowered music. The novel is such a strong advocate for protecting your own peace and being your own saviour and I think that is such an important and brave message so I would love to write music for these themes.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
My hometown is Perth, Western Australia. It is peaceful, familiar, safe, beautiful and isolated.
Do you have any live dates in the UK/Europe planned for 2025/2026?
Not yet, but watch this space.
What makes Charlotte Shaw happy and what makes you unhappy?
Being with my family makes me the happiest, I love just being able to completely relax and be myself and feel supported and unconditionally loved no matter how I am that day or how I present, I make my family laugh and vice versa and moving overseas has made me appreciate just how at home I feel when I am around my family. I guess on a similar note being away from my family and closest friends makes me unhappy but I think alongside that not doing what I feel I should be doing or not living up to the potential I know I can achieve makes me unhappy as I feel like I am procrastinating or just putting off what I feel I should be doing – which is hard because it is not easy to be creative in my hometown which is where my friends and family are.
Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Deuce Music
Charlotte Shaw’s debut single ‘Bye Boys’ is out now.
Listen/Stream Here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/charlotteshaw/bye-boys
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte.shawxx/#
