Check out our interview with singer-songwriter Charli Lark, who just released her new single, “Limbo,” today!
Layered lyrics showcase an insightful perspective, rejecting life that tells us what to do instead of the other way around. With a sensual and evocative voice, backed by cutting-edge production, she wades into turbulent emotions and appears fueled by a need for blistering catharsis. Her debut material is an escort through a brutal breakup from her last life and a return to self. “I was trapped in a life that didn’t nourish me. Years of prioritizing people that didn’t lift me up and rules that used me up had me seeking empty rewards. I let people, circumstances, and culture confine me and make me small, bored, and limited.” In this post-pandemic time of reflection and rejection, she is emblematic of the shift to self-liberation.
Follow Charli @charlilarkmusic
Hi Charli, please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a singer-songwriter making electropop music that says something real and that has the feels.
I was living a very different life four years ago. A wife and mother in a tiny dark mountain town, I had left my dream of singing back in New York City years before. A painful and long story short, I realized I was going to have to burn that life down or I was going to have to live in it forever.
Describe your sound in three words.
unapologetic, vulnerable, electro pop.
Who influenced you, and why did you choose to make music?
Big influences for me were Portishead, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Sade, Lauryn Hill, and Joan Osborn. Currently and completely obsessed with Raye, Caroline Polachek and the big intensity of Labrinth.
Making music lets me to walk though my own stuff, and find the most beautifully illuminated bits, the sharp and dirty shards, and to alchemize them through expression. Make them something both tangible and intangible at once. Singing is all I’ve ever really wanted to do. I already spent so many years of my life following rules, centering others, and not listening to myself. I just didn’t see a way that I could ignore that urge anymore and still be happy. And what the fuck are we here for, if not that?
Do you play any instruments?
No, not unless you count eight year old me at piano lessons. My voice and my pen are my instruments.
Do you ever get nervous?
Oh god yes, absolutely. I feel everything very intensely. I’ve done some really scary things in the last few years, things I thought I could never do and that’s really helped me to be able to walk myself through that fear when it shows up. Connecting with nature really helps in those moments too. I’m double Taurus, so very earthy.
Tell us about your new single, “Limbo”
It’s a breakup song but without the heartbreak. A moving on, too little too late song about that tense time right as a relationship runs dry. When you give a thousand wasted chances and finally had enough.
What’s the story behind the song?
I left a long relationship that I struggled so hard to fix while I was still in it. But little by little all these pieces inside me had been dying. My heart had been breaking for a long time, my mind had been closing, and by the time I actually walked out the door, there was nothing left to revive. So for me, when I finally decided to let go and move on, it was just complete freedom, no looking back. But there’s this gap, this limbo, between where you are and where the other person is, and they just can’t get that you’re already gone.
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
Connecting with people. When you hear from someone else that the experience you went through, the feelings you felt and poured into a song, when that resonates with someone else. That “feeling less alone” thing is actually a real thing. But what people don’t talk about as much is the reverberations back and forth. When my music rings true for them and makes them feel less alone, that also makes me feel less alone. Yeah connection is the thing.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
Don’t know about every entrepreneur, but Untamed by Glennon Doyle was really a pivotal book for me when I was in a very tough place in my life. Helped me peel back some layers I was buried under.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
To question every desire, urge and obligation you feel. Are you listening to yourself, or outside voices? Is that thought from you or the culture you’re steeped in? I would also send her some of my (our) music so she can see that, yes, she can be who she wants to, despite what anyone says.
How would your best friend describe you?
Empathetic, sensitive, steady, the one to call when you need advice. Quirky, smart, goofy, and definitely moody. I feel everything intensely so that tracks. My bf says I’m a beautiful mix of fierce and fragile.
If you were a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
I’m Not Finished (like my song)
What’s next for Charli Lark in 2024?
I’m headed to London next month to work on some new music, and a new EP out soon after that.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Does fruit count? I will stop everything I’m doing for a perfectly ripe peach.
And your favorite cheat food?
Warm chocolate anything
How would you explain your fashion style?
Modern with some edge. And I love my Js.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Being in the moment. The future can be really exciting, but it puts me in my head. When I’m in the moment, especially if I’m in flow of creating, experiencing something beautiful, or joyful, or deeply connecting with someone else. That makes me happy.
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
Taylor Swift. Her storytelling, ability to convey emotion and lyrical prowess is inspiring.
What would be your dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I’m a sucker for a beautiful beach, such sensory perfection. Thailand and Australia are definitely on my list. And if the universe is granting, all my friends are coming.
Best advice ever given?
The universe inside you is bigger than the one outside.
Do you support any charities?
Yes, The SAFE Alliance does great work with abuse survivors.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
Making music that makes me feel alive, vibrant and connected.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car or for karaoke?
Happier Than Ever – Billie Eilish
What do you think of social media?
Social media is definitely full of pitfalls, BS beauty standards, mental health risks. And for artists, who have this multi-layered relationship with it, it can be hard to manage a healthy balance. And also, I love that you can find your people, people that you align and connect with, that you never would have found otherwise. I have expanded so much as a result of things I’ve learned and people I’ve met on social and I’m really grateful for that.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram: @charlilarkmusic
YouTube: @charlilark
Spotify: Charli Lark
Apple Music: Charli Lark
TikTok: @charlilark
Book: Untamed, Glennon Doyle
Quote: “The universe buries strange jewels deep within us all, and then stands back to see if we can find them.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
Movie: Classic -> Moulin Rouge, Modern -> Everything Everywhere All at Once
Tv Series: Stranger Things
Favorite Food: Gumbo
Travel Destination: Thailand
Sports Team: New Orleans Saints
