After releasing brand new single ‘Lucifer’ last month, we asked soulful Sheffield singer Charlotte Branson to take us on a stroll down musical memory lane…
The first record I bought…
Paramore’s Brand New Eyes album is one of the first albums I bought. However, I listened to so many albums before that; my mum brought me up on artists like Sinéad O’Connor, Nirvana, ACDC, plus many more. It could be anything from opera to heavy rock.
My first gig…
I started off doing open mic nights. I remember one of the first times I performed live was at a singing competition, aged 15. I then didn’t perform again until I attended an open mic night at Yellow Arch Studios in Sheffield. I was so nervous, but as soon as I went on stage and started singing, my love for performing grew from there. Over time, my fear has faded and now I just look forward to performing the songs I have written to a crowd of people.
The first song I performed…
The first song I performed was ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ by James Brown. When I started singing, I fell in love with music from the likes of Etta James, Aretha Franklin and James Brown. Along with learning that song, I learnt ‘At Last’ by Etta James. That song will always be one of my favourite love songs.
One song I can’t get out of my head at the minute…
I have recently discovered a band called Bad Wolves. I’m a rocker at heart and Bad Wolves’ song called ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ is definitely one or my favourites at the moment. That said, I actually can’t get my new song ‘Lucifer’ out of my head! Not only do I love it, but I’ve shot a music video and filmed content for it recently, so I’ve sung it over and over again to the point where myself and the film crew have had the chorus stuck in our heads for a while.
A record that reminds me of a specific time and place…
One of the most important people to me is my mum. I remember one day years ago being in the car with her and she played one of her favourite songs by Clannad, ‘Theme from Harry’s Game’. From then, whenever I hear the song, I always think of one of the most inspirational and incredible people I know: my mum.
I first fell in love with music when…
It’s hard to pinpoint a specific time as I was brought up to listening to music daily from when I was born. I do feel Sinéad O’Connor’s Lion and the Cobra album was a big part of my upbringing. The first gig I went to was to AC/DC. I loved seeing the energy live, the crowd bouncing off it. My grandad was an opera singer and I feel he is a big inspiration to me. He died when I was six-weeks-old, but his spirit and incredible musical talent will always be an inspiration to me.
A song I wish I’d written…
Lana Del Rey is a big influence when it comes to songwriting, so I would pick one of her songs. ‘Video Games’ and ‘Born to Die’ by Lana Del Rey are both songs that are lyrically amazing.
Charlotte’s latest single Lucifer is out now, with the official music video to follow soon. Head to the artist’s socials below for more.
