Q&A: Charlie Houston Will Be On All Of Your Playlists With Her 'I Hate Spring' EP
R&B BUT WITH A FUN UNDERTONE MOVING IT ALONG EFFORTLESSLY - Charlie Houston brings just the right amount of emotions and feel good elements to her music. Houstonβs new debut EP I Hate Spring showcases Houstonβs range in vocals and production while allowing the listener to step into a vulnerable space with the artist. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter recently signed with Arts & Crafts records and has built a strong foundation for herself with singles βCallsβ and βThingsβ
Growing up with a love for music, Houstonβs father taught her guitar chords for classic rock tracks like Jimi Hendrixβs βHey Joeβ. Though leading her to create music a bit outside the rock genre, Houstonβs skills with guitar lead her to take a stab at production. After a brief stint at NYU, Houston has allowed herself to pursue music with no distractions and is ready to explore herself and her music more.
Blending R&B and Pop elements to create her smooth flows, Houston explores universal themes like first kisses, messy breakups, summer flings, and feeling misunderstood in I Hate Spring. Thereβs something for everyone in this project, and as a whole the EP is a perfect balance of an emotional release, hitting the highs and lows of being a youth trying to figure it all out. Read below to learn more about the project, Houstonβs love for The Office and more.
LUNA: Congrats on the release of your I Hate Spring EP - so exciting! How does it feel to have your debut body of work out?
HOUSTON: Itβs a pretty weird feeling. Iβve had most of these songs finished for over a year so Iβm just so excited to finally be able to share them with people! Iβve been wanting to release my own music since I was a kid so itβs kinda crazy that Iβm actually getting to do it now.
LUNA: The project touches on the fluidity of your sexual identity and doesnβt include any pronouns, something really cool and inclusive for the listener. Why is it important for you to get vulnerable with your music?
HOUSTON: It has taken me a really long time to finally feel comfortable and confident in my sexuality, and when I was a teenager and sort of started realizing that when it came to romantic partners gender wasnβt going to stop me from liking someone, I had a lot of fears about my future and wasnβt sure if I was ever going to feel comfortable with sharing that part of me with anyone. However, over time I came to the conclusion that as far as I know , I only have one life and I was tired of wasting it hiding such a huge part of myself. And so, when it comes to my music, I obviously want to be as vulnerable and honest as possible in hopes of maybe helping people get through some of the same shit I had to deal with. There are no pronouns in the songs because I didnβt want the use of pronouns to prohibit someone from being able to relate. Also, when I wrote these songs I still wasnβt at a point in my life where I was fully comfortable sharing that side of myself.
LUNA: Can you share a favorite moment from the making of the EP?
HOUSTON: I think one of my favourite moments from making the EP would be going to get burritos or pizza with Chris Younge (my producer) in between takes. I feel like whenever we felt sort of stumped or needed a break, we would go get one of those foods and then come back and thatβs when some of the best stuff would happen. I also brought craft beers into the session one time, but they just made Chris super tired cause heβs an old man lol. (that was a joke)
LUNA: Describe I Hate Spring in three words
HOUSTON: Honest, nostalgic and woozy.
LUNA: Overall, the EP has a really smooth and sweet feel to it. Sonically or not, who/what were some key inspirations shaping the feel of it all?
HOUSTON: To be honest when writing the songs, I was never really thinking of other artists, I was just sort of going with what I thought sounded good. However, I think the production definitely took some inspiration from artists that both Chris and I are fans of. Artists like Dominic Fike, Verzache and Benee.
LUNA: Which track from the project would you recommend to someone that had never listened to you but wants to get a sense of what youβre all about?
HOUSTON: I think βthingsβ would be a good place to start. I think both the writing and production of βthingsβ really encapsulate what I want my sound and artistry to be. The lyrics are inspired by being a young person dealing with the internal struggles of a crush/fling. As a young adult trying to figure who you are, the people around you can be very influential on this process, especially when stronger feelings are involved. I think a lot of people can relate to the experience of trying to morph into what they think the person they like wants. But it just results in you losing touch with yourself. I want my songs to be as blunt as possible, there is way too much fluff put in our heads nowadays with social media. And so, I think βthingsβ does a good job at putting honest lyrics in combination with an enjoyable beat that hopefully helps the lyrics to resonate with the listener.
LUNA: Outside of your music, are there any other creatives avenues youβd like to explore more?
HOUSTON: Honestly, when I was a kid, I really wanted to be a chef. I used to be obsessed with baking and watching the food network. Iβm very jealous of people that can just whip up a 5-star meal with no recipe, or even create oneβs own recipe. So, Iβd love to explore getting better at cooking.
LUNA: A fun one - if you could only watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what are you watching?
HOUSTON: Fuck thatβs hard. I think I would probably say The Office. Iβve watched the entire series so many times but yet when I canβt find anything new to watch I just always go back to it. I donβt know why but itβs almost comforting to watch it, especially when Iβm stressed or anxious.
LUNA: Now that this EP is out, what do you hope the upcoming months bring for you?
HOUSTON: I hope to hear that people are enjoying the EP! And then Iβd really like to find ways to interact with anyone thatβs been listening, whether thatβs Instagram lives or maybe small outdoor shows, I really have no idea. Iβve also got some new music in the works that Iβm super excited to jump into.
