I remember the first time I came across Emma Charles. It was another day of letting my eyes glaze over while scrolling through Facebook (like all of 2020), until a video brought me out of my daze: Charles’ “25 At Home” performance.
Everything about her was sunshine—from her bright yellow blouse, to her golden hair, to the warmth of her voice—she was this shining light during a dark year. And the song itself was brilliant: Not only did she manage to make each line a catchy hook, but she did it in a way that preserved a timelessness, making it repeat-friendly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve belted out the word “MOMENT!” alone in my car with her backing singers.
I became an instant fan.
“A lot of people know my music through ‘25,’ which is so interesting,” Charles said. “But I was so hesitant. It was a dark horse.” Prior to her breakout track, Charles was attached to the downtempo, emotional writing she’d mastered while sitting at the piano or fooling around on the guitar. But her producer encouraged to try something new, and while the funky bass line wasn’t typical to her folky soundscape, she agreed. That decision led her to her first placement on Spotify editorial playlists: “Fresh Finds” and “Indie Fresh Finds.” To date, “25” has over 220K streams and counting, causing new listeners to trickle down to her old discography, securing lifelong fans.
Charles is in between touring, photoshoots, and writing her debut album, frequently bouncing between New York and Nashville for recording sessions. I managed to catch her during one of the few times she was home in Los Angeles. I decided to stay on-brand and ask her “25” questions, which ended up turning into 26, 27, then 28.
Immediately, Charles was down to earth and silly, bonding with me about being a Berklee College of Music alumna, using cartoonish voices to say, “Ohhhhh, good queshtun!” or just being candid in her blunt opinions of Hollywood. “It’s like all the bad parts of Times Square, reduced and put onto Hollywood Boulevard,” she laughed.
While she’s hit every major music city in the country, her love of music started back home in Connecticut. Coming from a family of musicians, Charles said she had no choice but to follow in their footsteps. Her grandparents passed down the music gene to her mother and uncle, and in turn, it was passed down to her. Even her father was an avid listener, often playing classic rock of the 60s and 70s around the house, despite being—she looks around and whispers—“tone deaf.” (His support makes up for it, though).
Charles got involved in music in as many ways as she could. As early as four years old, she played violin, and then piano shortly thereafter. At age 12, her affinity for Sara Bareillis caused her to stop playing others’ music and start songwriting. And by high school, Charles got involved in the musical theater scene, which made her believe Broadway was her path. But after getting rejected from several college programs, she realized she wasn’t meant to tell other peoples’ stories. She was meant to tell her own. This realization came to her during her studies at Berklee College of Music, where she learned songwriting techniques that she implements today.
Her college career was overflowing with opportunity, and in 2018, she released her first song with Doug Schadt, who’s also behind major artists like Ashe and Maggie Rogers.
“Yeah we love Doug,” Charles said, “His sensibility is so good, and he’s very tasteful.” Schadt has produced her three most popular songs to date (“Comfort in the Chaos,” “Scorpio,” and the aforementioned “25”), as well as eight songs in her upcoming album.
As time went on, she also won over the folks at Wonderland Magazine, Ones To Watch, LA Weekly, and American Songwriter, landing features in each publication.
Now, after two successful EP’s, Charles released “Get To Me” this year, the leading single off her upcoming album. “A lot of the words in ‘Get To Me’ make me giggle,” Charles said. “‘Silence became my habit/November, year of the rabbit’ doesn’t make any sense, but it makes me laugh.” But fans hopefully won’t have to wait for the year of the rabbit for the album release, as Charles hopes to complete all of the songs by January. Other new year’s resolutions include headlining her own show, landing more Spotify placements, opening for one of her favorite artists, and finding a manager who she loves and trusts.
Until then, Charles left me with a lyrical Easter Egg that will appear on her new album:
“I’m a violet pressed in cellophane/I’m constantly wondering what I should change.”