Exclusive Interview: Charlotte Sands On ‘Six Feet Under,’ Self Sabotage, And The Importance Of Kindness

Talent, honesty, kindness, drive, and kick-ass music – The recipe for the true stars of our generation! And as luck would have it, it’s also how we’d describe today’s guest! Charlotte Sands, with her angsty pop/rock sound and unabashedly honest lyrics, is a fresh and fierce force in today’s musical landscape. In fact, if you don’t know and love Charlotte Sands, we might not trust you.

After a gap year in Nashville turned into the beginning of her future, Charlotte Sands made her own success. From her 2020 singles released from her lockdown bedroom, Charlotte paved her space and owned every second. Her viral banger ‘Dress’ catapulted Charlotte onto our FYPs, and into our stan lists and hearts. A nod to Harry Styles’ 2020 Vogue cover and in defiant answer to the disappointing response it received from some, ‘Dress’ served as an anthemic celebration of self-expression that the world needed. Her phenomenal 2022 album Love and Other Lies, featuring ‘Dress’ as well as our fan fave ‘Bad Day,’ was met with the deserved acclaim that this angsty-pop rock powerhouse was destined for.

Now, Charlotte Sands is back with her new release ‘Six Feet Under,’ offering us the self-reflective honesty we both love and respect Charlotte for. Stream it right here! We got to chat with Charlotte about her new release, her upcoming festivals and headline tour, her support for mental health causes, and how far it can go if we all just treated each other with a little more kindness. Check it out below! And as for that star recipe we mentioned? It’s serving, and trust us when we say, we have been fed!

Hi Charlotte, welcome to The Honey POP! You need no introduction here, we’re big fans! But for those just jumping on the Charlotte Sands train, tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi thank you for having me! I’m a Pop/Rock artist living in Nashville, TN and I make music that is inspired by artists and bands like Paramore, P!nk, No Doubt, Alanis Morissette and so many others.

Your new single ‘Six Feet Under’ is here and we’re obsessed! We know this song must have a lot of personal meaning for you, so can you tell us about the songwriting process and the journey to release?
I love this song so much and am so happy it’s finally out in the world. It’s about my struggle with self sabotage and creating chaos in my life when it feels stagnant or calm. I had the idea for a song about not being able to be happy until you’ve ruined all of the happy parts of your life and that was how ‘Six Feet Under’ originated! I decided to release it after my previous single ‘Alright’ because it felt like the opposite perspective of the same feeling. One is hopeful and one is hopeless, so that whatever mood you are in, you can pick which feels more relevant to you.

You’ve partnered with the JED Foundation for your January single ‘Alright,’ raising awareness and resources for mental health and suicide prevention. Thank you for continuing to use your platform for so much good. How did you learn about the work JED are doing, and what will this partnership mean?
I learned about the Jed Foundation through some of my friends that had worked with them previously and am so honored to be able to partner with them. My platform will forever be used to raise awareness about mental health, especially in teenagers and young adults, and fighting the stigmas around it. With this partnership we were able to create merch (Available here!) specifically with that message in mind and to remind people that they are not alone, while also donating a portion of the profits directly to the Jed Foundation.

While ‘Six Feet Under’ explores the topic of self-sabotage and breaking your own spirit; ‘Alright’ feels like a beautiful self-care response to this. Was the way these two songs connect, something you intended, and if so, how did that come about in your songwriting process? Can we maybe expect a call and response with these songs together in a future setlist?
I wanted to release them next to each other because of the similarities in their messages. I constantly feel like I am two different people and my moods and outlooks can shift often, so I wanted to have a song for each version of myself. One for the hopeful one that sees the light at the end of the tunnel and one for the person who feels like they’re in a hole and leans more into accepting where they are instead of trying to get somewhere else.

Self-sabotage is such a close-to-home issue for so many of us, and we can imagine this must be a challenge within the industry too. How does it factor into your professional life as an artist, and how do you remind yourself that it will be ‘alright?’
I think it’s something I have to work on and will continue to work on for the rest of my life. Artists are taught to believe that they need to be interesting or hopeless or surrounded by chaos to be able to make beautiful art and as much as I don’t want to believe that, sometimes I can’t help it. I go through phases of feeling like I have to create messes for inspiration so I’m able to write songs and I can feel myself purposefully making different choices. I try to remind myself that I am not just what I make and that I am how I make people feel, especially outside of the songs and the music.

You’ve gotten to open and tour with some amazing acts. What is something that you’ve learned, either about yourself, the touring world, or from one of the bands you’ve toured with?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned from touring is to just be kind to everyone you meet no matter what their job is. I’ve toured with such wonderful people that were always so joyful and respectful of the staff at every single venue and I make sure to only hire or tour with people who are the same way and reflect those values to everyone they meet. I’ve worked so many different jobs and the effect that general kindness can have on you is massive, I want to leave every venue and every gas station and every person with a positive opinion of me and my team and make sure they feel respected and celebrated by us.

We can’t have this opportunity to chat to you without mentioning, stan to stan, Mr. Harry Styles. We live for your Harry TikToks. You even covered ‘Falling’ in 2021! As two phenomenal songwriters, which Harry song do you wish you’d written? And which of your songs would you love to see Mr. Styles cover?
There are so many songs of his I wish I had written. ‘Falling’ will forever be one of my favorites as well as ‘Kiwi’ and ‘Woman.’ I think he would do an incredible job at covering my songs ‘Keep Me Up All Night’ or ‘Alright!’

Your headlining shows in Germany are in May! How excited are you about that and what can fans expect from the show?
I am so excited for those shows because they’ll be my first ever headline shows in Europe! I had so much fun last time I performed in Germany and couldn’t be happier that I get to come back and see everyone again. I would say that people can expect a high energy show where they can be themselves and feel supported and safe and celebrated.

Festival season is among us and you are booked to perform at some incredible festivals. What tips do you have for first-time festival goers? And what is one item that is always in your festival survival tip?
Make sure to stay hydrated and wear a lot of sunscreen! Take care of your body and your friends so you’re able to enjoy as much music as possible. I definitely make sure to bring sunscreen and chapstick with me if I’m outside for a long period of time and snacks in case I get hungry but don’t want to miss a specific set.

In just a short amount of time, you’ve gotten to do so many incredible things and we know that so much more is in store for you. What has been a memory that you go back to frequently when you reflect on your life over the past few years?
I feel so grateful for the career I’ve been able to have so far and so excited for what is to come. I often think about my headline shows in Boston and in Nashville as some of my favorite memories and moments that I feel really proud of. There were so many people there that I’ve known for years as well as people I had never met and it felt like such a wonderful combination of different energies.

For our last question, we like to circle around and give you the floor. Other than your music and social media, do you have anything you want your fans (new and old) to go and check out?
Right now, I’m partnering with BetterHelp to give away one free month of therapy to anyone who wants it – all they have to do is go to BetterHelp.com/charlottesands! We’re hoping to make therapy more accessible for everyone and make it easier to try it for the first time.

See, what did we say? We have been fed! It was such a joy to chat with Charlotte about this incredible release, and so many of the special things that confirm we chose to stan the right person. Charlotte Sands shines an electric-blue-tinted light, both musically and outside of the music. She is doing good in the world, while sharing her truth through her stunning music. We can’t wait to see what comes next for Charlotte Sands, but in the meantime, we’re streaming ‘Six Feet Under’ and getting ready for tour! Are you?

Love this interview? We have plenty more to sweeten your honey!

Already got your ‘Alright’ merch in support of the JED Foundation? Are you seeing Charlotte Sands live? We want to know it all! Come chat, we basically live on the bird app at @thehoneypop, or pop on over to our Facebook and Instagram!

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