EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Charlie Faron

Revealing a twelve month
Symphony of musical exploration

Conducted by Guillaume Jean Lefebvre

1. Your upcoming concert on April 11 at La Boule Noire in Paris is highly anticipated. What can the audience expect from this performance, and how does performing live contribute to your artistic expression?

Firstly, there are going to be some surprises, for sure! Between now and April 11, I'll be releasing 14 tracks, and I'll also be performing the classics that make me tick on stage. I'll also be making room for one or two future exclusive releases. And let's not forget some very special guests... ;)

For me, live shows are one of my favorite aspects of this art. As soon as I make a song, I close my eyes and try to imagine myself playing it. There are four of us on stage (guitarist, bassist, drummer), and we work really hard to come up with something suitable. I see little interest in taking our studio recordings and doing exactly the same thing on stage. You have to know how to adapt and come up with new things.

2. Releasing a new project with one title per week for an entire year is an ambitious undertaking. What inspired you to embark on this unique musical journey, and what themes or stories can listeners anticipate in your upcoming releases?

I think it's my insatiable desire to do new things. I've got dozens of demos I'm proud of, ideas on the side, desires, and I find it hard to understand why I should limit myself to choosing this or that track for an EP or Album. The hardest thing about these 52 tracks will be to find themes/subjects that don't go round in circles. So I'm gradually trying, in addition to the topics that affect me (personally or collectively), to tell stories in the 3rd person. A bit like a mini-novel.

3. The first 8 titles of your year-long project have specified release dates. Can you provide a sneak peek into the musical diversity and emotions that these initial releases will encompass?

I think I started with a really weird song ("Ça va, et toi?") to emphasize the fact that there won't be a definite style, and that as long as I like a song, it'll be released. Of the first 8, it goes from pop to funk, to English, to electro, and finally a folk song, which I recorded for an Instagram video and haven't touched up once since I made it—there's background noise, mouth noise, false notes. But my freedom lies precisely in "doing what I want, whenever I want." There'll even be some rap soon...

Discover the exceptional talent of Charlie Faron in our latest issue of Eclair Magazine (Vol. 51, No. 233). As he gears up for his highly anticipated concert at La Boule Noire in Paris on April 11, Faron unveils his ambitious project of releasing 52 tracks in a year, offering a captivating musical diversity ranging from pop to folk. The visionary and creative artist shares his inspirations, challenges, and long-term dreams, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in his emotionally rich musical universe. A unique journey not to be missed.

Portrait Of The Month
( February 2024)

Talent: Charlie Faron - @Charliefaron
Photographer: Mitchell Sturm - @mitchellsturm
Agence French Lights - @agencefrenchlights

INTERVIEW

4. As an artist committed to releasing 4 titles per month, how do you maintain the creative momentum and keep each piece distinctive within the overarching project?

You have to ask the god of inspiration... Firstly, I've been composing, writing, and singing for almost 15 years without interruption. Secondly, so far, I've been very lucky to feel inspired on this 52-track project, but it's far from over. I think it's a combination, for the moment, of luck and, above all, hard work (which attracts luck, btw...).

5. Collaborating with Bridge Audio for the release of your project, how has this partnership influenced the production and distribution of your music, and what advantages does it offer in connecting with your audience?

To be clear, we don't work in collaboration with Bridge Audio. It's just a platform for private listening (a bit like Soundcloud), but nothing is released on it. On the other hand, we do work via my label Encré.mp3 and in distribution via Idol. Then I have my manager, Ben Fournet, and my publisher, Olivier Linglet, who constantly help and advise me. Finally, I'm surrounded by 3-4 prods and mixers, and Emilie in mastering, for everything artistic. Among all these people, you can't imagine how touching it is to have them follow this crazy project!

6. Your project involves a consistent and frequent release schedule. How does this approach impact your creative process, and what challenges and rewards come with this accelerated timeline?

If you want to reach the maximum number of people, be in playlists on platforms and so on, there's no choice but to anticipate. I upload tracks in batches of 8, 1 month before their release. For example: on December 1, I uploaded the first 8 tracks to be released in January and February. Then, on January 31, I upload the 8 that will be released from March to April. Somehow, it's reassuring because with a bit of advance notice, you can stay calm. But I refuse to release a track just because I've got nothing else and no choice. As a result, 2 months before the release of each batch, I give myself 4 days, with all the productions I've put aside in the meantime, to lock myself away in a homemade studio and come out with as much material as possible. At the moment, we've got more than we need each month, but we're still a long way from 52 ;)

A Prolific DIscourse with vocal virtuoso

7. In your musical journey, are there specific genres or artists that have influenced your style, and how do these influences manifest in your current project?

I think I've always had a variety of influences, but I've never been able to define whether they've had an impact on the music I make today.

These influences include Bon Iver, Tchaikovsky, Jungle, Parcels, Feu! Chatterton, Patrick Watson and Anderson Paak, among others. But ironically, I don't listen to a lot of French songs.

8. Looking beyond your current project, what long-term goals or aspirations do you have as a musician, and how do you envision your artistic evolution in the years to come?

I've always been aiming for a gold record, which may sound very silly or pretentious, but I feel it's a bit like our medal at the Olympics - immutable and trans-generational.

I'd also like to be able to tour in a tourbus with my musicians one day, just for the experience, it must be crazy!

And finally, just for fun, I've named our Whatsapp group (with my musicians) Coachella 2025.... Who knows?

9. The link provided offers a glimpse into the first 8 titles. Could you share a bit about the overarching themes or narrative that listeners can discover in these initial releases?

Here, as a gift, all of the pitches ;) :

Anti-Brutal : Kindness transcends me. It surpasses all other qualities and serves them at the same time. Everyone has access to it & it's just as nice to give as it is to receive. The groove of this song sums it up.

Belle, belle, belle : Other people's judgment is just a sign of how little confidence they have in themselves. Freedom is not a genre, but I like to sing about femininity. Belle, belle, belle is a totally uninhibited disco groove track.

Ça va, et toi? : You have to imagine yourself in a nightclub, at a time when drunken souls are mixing and mingling. But there's still a little modesty left, hence the simplicity of the approach: "How are you doing? With a strong beat and a jerky rhythm, we let ourselves be swept up in a late-night party without a single thought.

I could be cool : When we're young, we envy our elders. When we're older, we envy those who are younger. Here, one person questions how to be "cool" when young - to the point of regretting later that he always wanted to be something else and not enjoy the moment. A lo-fi track, in English, showing yet another side of Charlie Faron.

Métaphores : The metaphor of a landscape. A balmy summer on the beach of the island of Paros. "She" is a silhouette in the distance, with whom we only fall in love in summer. A body, the sea, a mountain. It's a metaphor for everyone. The romantic soul will seek her out every summer, to a swaying, highly visual rhythm.

Mirage : An escape, far from everything on winding roads, hair in the wind.

A time to imagine the future, the mirage. An acoustic guitar and minimalist arrangements create an absolutely illusionist track.

The Storm : What we project is not who we are. The story of an orphaned child who, as she enters adolescence, seeks to better understand where she comes from. Unless her inner storm awakens first... Close to Anglo-Saxon songwriting in the style of "The Smile", Charlie Faron offers an intense emotional storm.

Maux Sourds : Léa. She's at a loss, faced with the dilemma of whether to stay in the mental comfort of her current relationship, or move on to other uncertain, but perhaps more exciting, horizons.

Fate or not, 2 months after writing this track Charlie Faron met (in real life) a woman called Léa, with whom he fell madly in love, and for whom this song took on a great deal of meaning. The songwriter's tenderness shines through in this intense song.

10. Given the current state of the music industry, how do you navigate challenges and find opportunities to connect with your audience, and what message would you like to convey to your fans as you embark on this musical journey?

With so many talented artists today, it becomes challenging to stand out. Making a difference isn't necessarily my primary goal. I just want to showcase what I do and what I can do, share what I like, and we'll see how it goes!

11. Considering the innovative nature of your project, how do you hope it will impact the music industry, and what experience or emotion do you most want your audience to take away from this year-long musical venture?

Oh dear, I'd like to make a change in this old-fashioned industry, but it's very unlikely I will ;) I find it crazy that everything has changed in the way we listen to music (via our phones, headsets, streaming platforms, etc.), the way we make music (all you need literally is a computer and a microphone, even the cheapest), but not the process of releasing/promoting it. You still need to follow rules, make an EP, find a record label, then maybe release an Album, find a meaning to everything, and wait (A LOT). I mean, on my first two EPs (and we went fast), it took more than a year and a half each time. What's the point? I find it so frustrating, and that's probably why I've decided to release these 52 songs as well!