We pleasantly met Charlie Cunningham who, with his success story, has managed to conquer thousands of people all over the world. His music has in fact exceeded half a billion streams and, in the United Kingdom, he has performed in the iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The singer returns today with the highly anticipated third album Frame, in anticipation of the 2023 World Tour which will take place throughout Europe.
The undisputed protagonist of your music is undoubtedly the guitar: what is the first memory you have with this instrument and when did you realize that music would be your path?
We had a piano in our house growing up and I would spend a lot of my time sitting in front of it, it always felt very welcoming and friendly. The guitar came along when I was about 12 years old, my next-door neighbour gave me his old acoustic that was in his garage, it had rusty strings and was bigger than me – but I loved it! I think I always knew music was going to be a constant part of my life as, even from very small, it was the thing that connected with me the most, above anything else. I never for a moment thought that it could ever be something I did for a living though.
Your new album Frame will be out soon: what are your expectations and, in your opinion, what will be the reaction of the listeners?
For my own self-preservation, I try not to have any expectations. Whilst I respect my listeners hugely, it’s pretty dangerous to be considering how people might react to things, I think it can be an unhealthy distraction. I try and do things as truthfully as possible, and hopefully that resonates with people in the longer term.
I was very struck by your single So it seems and, listening to this song, all your sensitivity is perceived. Where did the idea for this project come from?
Thank you very much for saying so, it’s a very particular song and I’m happy to hear you took those things from it. Strangely enough, I find it quite difficult to identify how that song was written – I know it started with the guitar, as my songs usually do – the ‘riff ’of the intro and the verses had a sense of momentum and purpose, like it really knew what it was. I let that dictate how approached the lyrics.
In 2023 your World Tour will start, which will make you perform in various countries of the world. What would you like to say to those who will come to listen to you?
I would like to say thank you for coming! It’s incredibly humbling for me to know that people have chosen to give up their time and hard-earned money to come and listen to me play music, I try my best to be as present and connected to the music and the audience as I can – it’s the least I can do!