Immersing us in a wave of soft electric guitars, Charlie Steady opens his double single Club 27/Cutting Contest and Sticks with the prophetic lyrics, “I thought it’d be fun to live only once…”
This sets the stage for the story that is to come of a protagonist, Magpie, the album’s main character, as they journey to become a musical star in the Big City; the place where all dreams of fame come true.
The first song is called Club 27, which is an elegant indie rock/pop punk song that focuses on Magpie’s questioning and idolization of famous musicians who died young. The music incorporates indie rock rhythms with a pop punk attitude. The lyrics describe Magpie’s internal conflict with wanting to be famous to the point of self-destruction regardless of the negative outcomes that come with said decision.
We are obsessed with the intricacy of Charlie Steady‘s mind and we love the textures and stings that immerse us on this expansive journey though a conceptual universe and “mythic fame”.
The side B song, Cutting Contest and Sticks is a rock song about Magpie’s guitar face off with another well-known guitarist in the Big City. The song is characterized by a variety of guitar tones and dynamic rhythmic sections that culminate in an epic showdown between the guitar players.
We feel so immersed by this narrative and love the concept and fundamental understanding that we are one and can manifest our dreams. The layered guitars and instrumentation evolution and expansion towards the end give a sense of fused dimensionality and the bass and bright notes feel like enlightenment.
Speaking on the creation of the double release, Charlie Steady says, “These two songs were started with the idea of making the type of record that got me initially excited to make music. From the art rock records of the late 60’s like The Beatles Sgt. Pepper and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds to late 90’s/early 2000’s indie albums like Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane over the Sea and Sufjan Stevens Illinois. Albums that were big on concept. These two songs also emphasize the versatile influences I incorporate into my sound while still retaining that indie/art music identity.”
Speaking on their purpose, Charlie Steady says, “The intention with releasing these two songs was to reinforce the creative adventure I am emphasizing on this album. While this second album is expansive and big sounding, these two songs share those qualities but also represent the versatility of my songwriting. Much of my music is influenced by many different genres, and because of that, each song on my albums are unique and not homogenous.”
We are completely hooked and both tracks have been added to our New Music Spotlight playlist!
Charlie Steady is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. After performing as a bass player and backing vocalist in multiple bands in his hometown, Charlie Steady started his official solo career with an emphasis on narrative driven music that spans different genres including Indie, Alternative, Rock, and Alt-pop.
With the help of songwriter Seth Craig, Steady recorded his debut album Tenderfoot (2018) and is currently releasing singles for his 2nd album, Magpie (September 2022).
Charlie Steady is known for his odd music videos, red, yellow, and blue color scheme, and eclectic live performances. In between records he has released the surf rock/indie song “106 Degree Ground,” the folk/singer-songwriter EP “Long Night’s Moon,” rock and roll EP “M PARTY,” and Xmas electro-pop single “A Very Steady Christmas.”