Vancouver-based Charlie PS has a sound that can be described as a sonic melting pot. Inspired by a wide variety of rock and blues from legends of the 20th century such as Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson, to modern rock artists that include Grace Potter and ZZ Ward. She borrows elements of strong vocals and energetic riffs and uses them to create her own blended sound rooted in modern-rock.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
My music is typically a blended rock sound. I grew up listening to many different styles of music: rock, pop, blues, R&B and motown. But after years of slowly evolving and adapting my writing style and production style to the music I currently listen to the most, it’s sitting somewhere in the blues, southern, alt rock category these days.
Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Chris Stapleton specifically from a songwriting standpoint — he is an incredible lyricist and writer as a whole and I love his southern rock tracks “Arkansas” and “Midnight Train to Memphis”.
If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?
It would be Grace Potter. She has been such a musical inspiration ever since I discovered her album “The Lion, The Beast, The Beat” and opening for her would be an ultimate dream.
What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?
My life is already pretty centered around the music industry, having worked at a live music venue here in Vancouver, Canada over the past 9 years. Lately I’ve also started working in a few production roles behind the stage with artists and that’s something I’ve really been enjoying and learning a lot from. So I would love to continue with that for as long as I can.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
The internet is a beautiful, terrible thing. It’s given us indie artists a chance to get our work out there without the need of a major label. In the same breath, it’s expanded the pool of content to an extreme where I constantly feel lost in a sea of artists trying to grab some sort of attention in order to gain a following that will enable me to make a full time career from music.
What would be a good theme song for your life?
‘Grow Up Tomorrow’ by The Beaches
Which fictional character do you wish was real?
Beatrice Kiddo from Kill Bill, she’s one badass lady.
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Jennifer Lawrence, we look nothing alike, but we have the same chaotic energy and sense of humor, and I think she’d nail it.
What do you think the greatest invention has been?
The greatest EVER?! I probably couldn’t pick, but the air fryer is pretty high up there!
If you were talking to a younger version of you, what advice would you give yourself?
Care less what people think and say about you, especially in high school. In a few years you’ll grow up and move away and never see those people again.
October 27 Charlie released her new EP, Even If It Kills Me
Whilst creating the 5 song EP, the artist dug deep into her psyche to bring together a project with plenty of personal meaning. “Each song is a bit of a snippet from certain periods of my life over the past three years. Recognizing things I need to work on – in the songs ‘Raw’ and ‘Down To The Devil’ – and celebrating moments of personal growth – in ‘Revival’ and ‘Eeven If It Kills Me,’ she said. The fifth of five tracks on the EP, “Slow Burn,” brings the EP to a triumphant close and the Vancouver-based, England-born rock artist isn’t mincing words about the modern music industry. The creativity inherent to music is what ignites the magic we feel when that bassline hits. It’s not a formula, it’s not linear, and it doesn’t require metrics for meaning – it’s a journey into humanity that makes you want to move. This is core to the concept of “Slow Burn,” a cathartic roar from Charlie PS as she unleashes her frustrations onto the track.
“‘Slow Burn is my retort back towards an industry that is forever changing with expectations that are unrealistically high, especially for independent artists,” she said. “We live in an incredibly bittersweet age that allows us to bypass the need for record labels by being able to self-promote and self-record our music. But that also results in being more easily lost in the crowd of those also pushing for the same goals. Sometimes, it feels less about the quality of my music and more about how many times a week I post to my TikTok, and that thought is one of the matches that ignited the fire into writing ‘Slow Burn.’”
https://music.charlieps.com/evenifitkillsmeep