Charles Connolly has been writing and producing songs since 2003 in his hometown of London - but only decided to go public with it all in 2020, having had critical acclaim from various renowned songwriters such as Mike Batt among many others. Charles manages to perfectly blend the old with the new, but with a freshness that leaves one wanting more. Originality is his key attribute, whilst not alienating anyone with anything close to avant-garde or ‘weird’ music - he keeps within the realm of pop but shifts it to the side. In a world of strict genres, Charles breaks barriers and conformity, managing to mix things up a bit, but in a way that feels so right and so natural. There is something different and something classic with every song.

 

“Truly interesting and exciting melody, I feel, is something really lacking from most modern pop music, and I really wanted to bring that back - to feel excitement in music again”, says Charles.

 

Charles Connolly - popularly known as CC - has been influenced by so many artists, right from The Beatles and before, to Disclosure and beyond. “The Beatles were my first love, and I noticed early on how they didn’t really have one particular style or genre. The only things each song had in common was brilliance and originality”, said CC. As of 2020, Charles finally was ready for the world to hear his music, after years of it all being locked away. He started his public music career by releasing four brand new songs in quick succession. The first of which being Never Said Goodbye is a story about a man - the narrator - leaving a woman, but she doesn’t understand why. The waltz is crooked and unique, in style, vibe and voice. It is orchestrated with the utmost precision, taste and sensitivity - complete with horns and choir - but with a consistent deep beat and scrawny vocal line.

 

CHARLES DOES EVERYTHING HIMSELF

- INCLUDING THE FEMALE VOCALS…!

 

CC is a man of many voices. “I think of the voice as the most versatile instrument in the world. Artists don’t use the same presets on synths, so why should we always have the same voice? For my first official track I wanted the lead vocal to suit the darkness of the music, so I put on a creepy, sort of scrawny voice for the verse. I then realised it had to have a female chorus - so I sang it in a weird way and messed around with some settings, Et voila! I sound like a girl!” - bear in mind, this was long before the A.I. devil reared its ugly head. Charles’ single  - You Tap and Unwrap Me - is his unofficial James Bond song. It is a haunting ballad about a woman who is lost and unhappy but finds solace in one man only. Although at heart this is a ballad subtly orchestrated with Chinese violin and saxophone, the song explodes towards the latter end with a euphoric almost dubstep-meets-breakbeat quality. Again, Charles chose to sing the female vocal lead line.

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Other big hits for CC include Spotlight (an upbeat McCartney-esque singalong number)​, This is How the Story Begins (the most aggressive ballad collab with the Northern rapper Wilko Wilkes), and perhaps his most successful song so far, Europe in the Summertime. This one took the summer by storm (as it were). It still deserves to have changed the face of the pop charts. Listen, and you'll understand.

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His current venture is his Hands Up! LP. His debut album. This is beyond just a collection of songs. For more info, tap HERE!

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There is so much more music to come from CC, and he is sure to be on your radar as his music really is fast turning heads and making people pay attention.