Q&A: Rae Charlea
Can you introduce yourself?
Hiya, my name is Rae Charlea (pronounced kar-lee-ah) and I am a British-Australian indie rock musician currently based in Melbourne, Australia but hopefully one day back I'll be living back in the UK. I am a singer/songwriter and musician, who predominantly listens to British music like Holly Humberstone, Arctic Monkeys and Sam Fender and heaps more who are all huge influences on my music.
Can you describe "Father" in three words?
childhood. melancholic. cathartic.
What were the first and last parts of this release to be written?
The first part that was written were the chords which is very new for me as 99% of the time I write the lyrics first. This time around I found the verse chords and thought that they were so sad together so I decided to continue that feeling and write about a sad thing that happened to me, my abusive father. The last part to be written was the second verse. I originally had a different second verse which I wasn't entirely happy with so with some help from my producer, Zak Higgins, we created a second verse with some leftover lyrics I had.
What’s your favorite lyric or production element of "Father"?
My favourite production element in 'Father' would have to be the harmonies in the chorus. I am normally shocking at recording harmonies because my self doubt kicks in when I hear myself back but Zak coached me through it and had me matching pitch to notes that he played on guitar. He made the layers mould together so perfectly that it's uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time which is exactly the emotion I was going for with this song. My favourite lyric would have to be 'I was just a child, how could you do that me?' because at that point in the song, it's just a punch to the gut y'know?
Did you learn anything new about yourself while creating "Father"?
I learnt that I haven't healed from my trauma as well as I thought that I had. Music became an escape for me from an early age when I was living with my dad. I've written many songs and poems over the years about how much I hate him but there was a period in the last few years where I wasn't writing about him... and then I wrote the first draft of "Father" in less than an hour and I realised that maybe I didn't squash that resentment as well as I'd hoped haha.
Is there a certain place that you feel the most creative in?
In nature mainly. I love listening to instrumental tracks and writing ideas in a notepad while sitting at the park and humming melodies into my phone. I think establishing multiple creative spaces when songwriting has helped me create better because I can separate the stages of the songwriting process with my environment the same way that a 9-5 worker can clock off and head home at 5pm. I love writing when travelling too. I travelled a lot in 2023 and wrote lyrics/started songs in The Regent's Park in London, St Stephen's Green in Dublin and The Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool. Shaking up the normal routine always makes me want to create more.
What was on your playlist as you created "Father"?
A lot of really sad tunes that are great to cry too at at 3am haha. Main tunes were: Room Service & Kissing in Swimming Pools by Holly Humberstone, Couldn't Forget You by Amy Allen, Please Don't Murder Me pt.2 by Love Fame Tragedy, Fade Into You by Mazzy Star, I Still Say Goodnight by Tate McRae and The Time Has Come Again by The Last Shadow Puppets
If you could transport listeners to the perfect location to hear "Father" for the first time, what would that place be?
I'd transport listeners to a cozy bedroom somewhere, like those ones that you see on Tumblr or Pinterest boards with blankets and fairy lights.
If you had to describe your music to someone who couldn’t hear, how would you describe it?
My motto is 'pixie dust infused indie rock' so that's a good one if you want to keep it short and snappy. Otherwise, I'd say that my music is a mix of British Rock/Britpop and sad girl indie alternative music. If you like Lana Del Rey, Holly Humberstone or Mazzy Star then I'd say you'll like my music too.
What comes next for you?
I am headed on my first tour and first international shows in the UK in a few weeks where I will play small venues in Glasgow, Merseyside and London over the span of a month (17/02 through to 14/03). I'm also planning to record and release a few more songs this year as well!
Make sure to listen to “Father” on Spotify and keep up with Rae Charlea on Instagram to keep up with what she’s up to!