ATLAS FLUX MEETS: Charlie Smith
This week, we chatted with rising multi-musician Charlie Smith of Southampton. His work makes for a refreshing and authentic vintage listening experience, with unmistakable tinges of Elliot Smith and Cobain from a vocal perspective, while his excellence at finding a wistful groove on the guitar evinces someone that’s clearly well-versed in his 90s indie.
Take heed from this article and invest in Charlie Smith early. Many have tried to emulate the magic-in-a-bottle sound of the 90s indie scene that was so unmatchably authentic and sombre - most have failed. There’s a sort of unquantifiable “X factor” to his 2022 album Not a demo anymore that sets him apart from his contemporaries and makes it hard to imagine a ceiling for his potential. The tenebrous “Have it all” or raw “As you were” are the standout picks, and act as a good entry point for dipping your toes in before committing to the full listen.
Smith leaves the lofty comparisons to genre-defining artists to the journalists, though - when I asked him to pinpoint his musical influences, he rejected the temptation to emulate “mega-famous rock stars”, and instead gave credit to the independent artists he’d gotten to know over the last couple of years. “Just to see people following their passion no matter what, that’s what’s really inspiring”, he added.
Given his obvious proficiency at a number of instruments, it’s an unusual turn to forge a solo career, and indeed, Smith labels this decision as
“a bit of an accident… I just wanted to be in a band, but no, I play solo, and I really didn’t expect that to be fair”.
Perhaps it’s a mark of fate - Smith’s acoustic talent, instantly-apparent ear for melody and authentic voice deserves to sweep up as much credit as possible, and forging a path on his own may be a fitting way to do so.
Live EP Southampton Sessions dropped last month, which I had a foray into. It reveals a personal side to Smith, who interacts playfully with his audience and pauses for brief interludes of chitchat about “smoking 20 fags before coming on” and a rallying call of “who likes drugs here?”, met with a cheer. His guitar work shows no sign of rustiness on a live stage, with standout track “I’ve got the method I’ve got the means” delivered with the cleanness you would expect from an elder statesman of the genre. He’s taken a short break from performing to focus on his upcoming short-release in April/May, but he hopes to return to venues soon once that comes to fruition.
When I asked him where he sees Charlie Smith in five years, his response was simple;
“Hopefully just happy! I don’t tend to plan too much into the future. But if I’m happy enough I won’t complain”.
I would opt to disagree on that front - if he carries on the same vein and releases on a regular enough basis, I see no feasible ceiling to the scope of his ability. His is a name you can expect to get accustomed to as the next few months and years play out.