WILD CHILD has been one of our favorite albums to come out this year and one that we truly thought showed so much artistic growth! And of course, we have charlieonnafriday to thank for that! We first became aware of Charlie when ‘After Hours’ came out, and the music has only improved tenfold since then, which is indeed high praise.
We got to chat with charlieonnafriday about WILD CHILD, his connection to Seattle, what’s next, and so much more! Let’s jump in!
Listen to WILD CHILD here!
Hi Charlie! Welcome to The Honey POP! Thank you so much for chatting with us today! To start us off, how would you describe the music you make to any of our readers who are tuning in for the first time?
That’s hard to say. My music is definitely genre-bending. I was influenced by the music my parents listened to growing up. My dad listened to a lot of hip hop, my mom listened to more country sounds, and my music is also just generally what I would want to be listening to at this stage in my life. My influences definitely vary, and I try to make music that people who like different genres would also like.
WILD CHILD is officially out into the world! This sixteen-song album, to us, just with the writing alone, feels like a whole different artist than who we saw on ONNAFRIDAY, could you feel the artistic shift while making the album?
I’ve learned a lot about myself in the last couple of years, just natural life stuff that comes with being in your 20s, and that helped me grow a lot as an artist. I think I worked a lot on becoming a better writer in the last couple of years and focusing more on conceptual shit. I think my growth as I age definitely translates into the music and the stuff I write about.
Seven of those 16 songs were released before the record came out, with ‘Enough’ being the oldest track. Did you know when you initially put out ‘Enough’ that it was live on an album in the future?
No, that record really lived a life of its own. I’m really proud of it and so happy that it made it on the album because it defines that specific period of my life. I also appreciate the fact that it acts as a gateway for fans to experience some of my other music and connect the dots, since they may recognize that one most when they first listen.
And on a similar note, what goes into choosing what songs to put forward before the album is out as a whole? How do you make that decision?
Honestly, I make a ton of music every day just based on how I’m feeling at the moment. Obviously, these were the songs I ended up liking the best, but this album also tells a story of my personal journey over the last two years. Some of it was party-heavy, and some of it was from when I chilled out for a bit. They are all written from real experiences and I hope they allow my fans to get to know me a little bit more.
Was there a particular song that while making WILD CHILD you could tell it was going to be a fan favorite?
‘81 Camino’ for sure. It’s the song I like the most and believe in the most, so I hoped that would translate to the fans as well.
When you look back on ‘After Hours’ and how that song took off, was there something you learned from that process that you’ve taken with you as you continue to make music?
The more real the song, the better it will do. That song was so true to me in the moment and I basically just talked about everything I was seeing in front of my eyes when I was writing it. It’s probably the quickest song I ever made, so there’s also something to say about not overthinking the process. Authenticity is the most important thing when writing a song.
We know from past interviews and this record that Seattle plays a special part in your life, that city has such a special music scene, what part would you say the city plays in your music?
Seattle is generally a very artistic place and the music scene is really tight-knit. I was able to learn from my influences and mentors like Macklemore, and the city helped me grow a lot as an artist. Having a strong connection with home is really important to me. It also rains a lot in Seattle, so I had to spend most of my downtime inside, which ended up being me in the studio for hours and hours.
And speaking of Seattle, you were featured on Macklemore’s 2023 album, BEN, how did that partnership come about?
That’s my uncle for real. We share the same audio engineer who made the initial connection, and ever since we met for the first time, he’s become family. I appreciate him always for all the support and for showing me that a kid from Seattle can make it.
Once again, thank you so much, Charlie! Before we let you go, what’s on the horizon? What can fans look forward to as we round out 2024?
Working on new music for sure, and I’m so excited to go back on tour with Tate McRae in Australia and New Zealand in November. I’ve never been there before so I can’t wait to meet fans over there and experience life on the other side of the world.
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We would love to hear from you! What is your favorite song off of the new charlieonnafriday album, WILD CHILD? Let us know by commenting down below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
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