When Gold Coast-born singer-songwriter Charley was tossing up between genres for a new single, she decided to leave its fate with her fans. “I couldn’t decide between putting a country song or a bop on my new EP, so I put out an Instagram poll to my fans to choose for me,” says the 25-year-old singer.
A fluid and organic approach is part of the mastery of Charley’s craft. Her lyrics are deeply personal and honest, reflecting on her experiences as she navigates the world. Her songs are inspired by “all the personal stuff. Anything I’m going through, I need to write about it and get it out because I feel like that’s my therapy in a way.”
Lending her voice to her music is something Charley (born Claire Howell) turned to during the making of her first queer single, “Worst Taste in Girls”.
“I realised I was queer at the start of last year,” she says. “During that time I went through a heartbreak and it felt exactly the same as what I’d experienced with guys. I knew I needed to write a song to get that all out. The timing just felt right to release it. I then had to come out to my family. It was hard, but a lot of my family really accepts me. There’s just a few who aren’t fully there yet. It takes time and a lot of patience.”
Her forte might be releasing truthful tracks that resonate with her fans, but the singer doesn’t take herself too seriously.
The music video for “Worst Taste in Girls” is styled like an ’80s slasher film, where Charley goes on a round of speed dates until each of her matches turns into a serial killer. “I’d rather make fun out of the bad things that happen to me.”
Charley’s debut EP, Timebombs, is out June 23.
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