Charlotte Perry: “When you see past idolising your favourite artists, you can understand they have struggles like any other person.”
Charlotte Perry, 19, a University of Nottingham student juggling pharmacy and music. From a poetry diary to original songs Perry developed a keen eye for lofi/chill alternative song-writing.
Her recent EP ‘A Chance to Say’ features her ventures of being a soloist since the age of 15. She has come across many opportunities in her song writing career, including a music competition for the ‘year of mental health’ award.
This one opportunity set her in the right direction, where she produced the song ‘Fisherman.’
“The concept for Fisherman, was the idea that it’s the thing lurking in the background, a metaphor for what you can’t see.”
“Mental health is a prominent issue in most people’s lives and music has the power to release a lot of emotions.”
The message was so prominent, she went on to win the competition and produced her own album.
Her subtle angelic vocals appear so effortless, especially with the harmonies which she learnt from being in a band. This is not only evident in her recorded music but also live music.
Since winning the competition she gained the opportunity to perform her full album at the Silver Street studios which followed with Ascot.
But the 19 year old has been used to singing in the comfort of her bedroom.
“It was a weird adjustment performing live. In my bedroom, one wrong note and I can record all over again, the audience has high adrenaline which is also great.”
Perry has done her fair share of charity work.
Her most recent single ‘Hurts a little less’ was produced just before the UK went into its first lockdown.
This track later became a charity song to raise money for the NHS. She was completely successful and raised over £400. “Someone I haven’t even met before, donated £100!”
With this she produced a music video portraying herself having fun outdoors, quite content. “I wanted it to be a send-off to keep people happy and a reminder to hold on.”
Building a platform from social media and YouTube allows for an exposure to trolls and nasty comments.
She has been lucky enough to not receive drastic hate online. “I’ve had comments with people saying, ‘oh you can’t sing’, to which I replied ‘thank you so much, I’m so glad you took the time to comment.’”
“A lot of the time its just a kid hiding behind a persona that leaves the nasty comments.”
When asking for advice for people who struggle with backlash she said “forget about it, you know all the people who have told you you’re talented, listen to them instead. Proving them wrong makes you feel so much better than letting them bring you down.”
The pressure on larger artists is a difficult adjustment, Perry believes “celebrities lose their privacy, they have to put on a façade. If I were to progress as a singer, I’d want to them to see me as a normal person, not a super-god, just a real person doing what they love.”
The student is in the process of producing new upbeat and chill music with her friends in the small company hibernate.
The future is promising for Perry, her lesson for success is “meet the people, make the contacts.”
