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Artist Of The Week // CHARLIE STRAW

Speaking about his sofa surfing experiences and offering advice for anyone who plans on trying their hand at it, our artist of the week Charlie Straw charms you with not only his practical wisdom, but also his newest video for Light Up For Me.

Charlie Straw 2019

There’s nothing quite like a rollicking guitar anthem, and that’s what the newest Charlie Straw track brings to the table. Having supported the likes of James Bay, there’s a clear authentic charm that oozes through his songwriting capabilities. His latest single and video Light Up For Me brings an optimistic tone through feel-good guitars and uplifting percussion, and you can’t help but feel a bit amused at Charlie’s use of sticks as instruments in the video.

Talking about the single, Charlie says:

Light Up For Me is about that moment when you allow yourself to fall in love with someone. I had never fully given myself over to love and I wrestled with it for a while, but this song is me letting go and moving away from that place of isolation.

With this in mind, we asked Charlie about his inspirations, the track, and his sofa surfing experiences after he completed a tour of the UK all whilst staying on people’s sofas.

What’s a motto you live by?

Weak minds talk about other people. Average minds talk about past events. Great minds talk about ideas.

If your sound had a colour, what colour would it be?

I’m a graphic designer as well as musician, so I do all my own artwork. Without really planning it, nearly all the artwork seems to be shades blue – so that’s got to be the colour! I tend to be more inspired by the cold so that’s probably why.

If you could set Light Up For Me to a movie, what movie would it be the soundtrack to and why?

Silver Linings Playbook. The sentiments of the film are vaguely linked to the song, but the big dance scene would be epic with Light Up For Me! Step aside Jack White…

Can you explain how you came up with the concept for the Light Up For Me music video?

I tried to find a way to bring the photo I took for the main artwork to life. The song and artwork are centred around isolation, but also the song is meant to be uplifting, so I didn’t want to be sad. Therefore the idea of going mad having been on the island too long and thinking I was playing the song on instruments felt like a great way to bring those contrasting emotions together.

How did the idea of a sofa surfing tour come about?

I wrote St. Ives and it seemed like a great way to bring the song to life; to help the song resonate with its meaning. I was also new to doing music properly and it was a great way to get the experience from doing loads of shows/make new fans.

What are your best tips for sofa surfing?

Bring an eye mask – it’s amazing how many lounges don’t have curtains.

Are there any particularly memorable sofas you’ve surfed?

Last year in Glasgow (it happened to be on Burns Night) I stayed with some guys at Glasgow School of Art. I was given vegan haggis before heading the venue and came back to an evening of “ceilidh dancing” with plenty of whiskey. A particularly funny night.