SkiP HappEns Podcast
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SkiP HappEns Podcast
Off the Record: Boots, Breakups, and Finding Your Sound
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of Skip Happens. My name is Skip Clark. Let me put it this way she's got the boots, she's got the bangers and a debut album. That's spilling more tea than on a southern porch. That was pretty fancy.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:Charlie Reynolds is in the house and we're going and it's a little play on words here, but off the record talking messy breakups, I got dream collabs and why people think might just be about you. So we're going to dig in. Let's go and, charlie, how are you? It's so nice to meet you.
Speaker 2:I am great. It's so nice to meet you too. I'm so happy to be on here today.
Speaker 1:You know we've been trying to do this since. I looked it up earlier, it was like the end of March or early April and you were out touring and you were doing a lot of shows. I think there was one time where you didn't feel well.
Speaker 2:There was just everything going on, yeah, something every time and I'm like I swear I want to do it, it's not, it's just for some reason I'm going, this chick's blowing me off. This is not working. What's going on? I promise I wasn't. No, I know you. Yes, it's crazy time, but I know, yeah, I'm glad we got it going exactly.
Speaker 1:Um, you're an independent artist doing your own thing, which is great, by the way. I absolutely love that. I'm beginning to believe that's probably the way to go nowadays, but where are you right now?
Speaker 2:I'm in Nashville, tennessee.
Speaker 1:Everybody's in Nashville and we are.
Speaker 2:I know we're always here. Well, at least during the week, always here.
Speaker 1:Let me ask how long have you been in Nashville?
Speaker 2:I just hit my seven year mark here in Nashville.
Speaker 1:Wow, they say it's a 10 year town and look at you already.
Speaker 2:They do, thank you. Thank you so much. I uh. Yeah, it's crazy that it's been seven years. I feel like there's been three different phases throughout those years and just kind of figuring out Nashville. And yeah, I can't believe it's been that long.
Speaker 1:Where are you originally from?
Speaker 2:Orlando Florida.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're a Florida girl.
Speaker 2:I am. I am yes.
Speaker 1:So the heat you're probably somewhat accustomed to.
Speaker 2:Somewhat, but I have to say it is way hotter here than it is in Florida. I think we have like a breeze down there and up here it's just like a valley and it's just steaming all the time.
Speaker 1:The humidity.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, if you look at my hair, it doesn't really do it. Well, if you know what I mean. Yeah, oh my God, yes, it's rough up, do it well, if you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh my God. Yes, it's rough up here, so, but yeah, no, that's good, that's good.
Speaker 1:Seven years in Nashville and already you've put out your debut album Off the Record. Let me just ask you know, with that title, is that a clever way of saying I'm about to spill all the tea, but don't quote me. I mean let's talk about it.
Speaker 2:So actually a lot of people said that and I should have just said, yes, that's exactly what I came up with for it, because that's way better, but really I just thought it was. I'm going to be totally honest, I thought it was a cool name for an album and that's one of the songs on the album and originally I didn't want to name the album one of the songs, um, I wanted to just name it. You know, something that kind of encapsulated the whole album but not a song title. But then once we wrote off the record, I was like that's too cool, it's perfect. I just I love that I had vinyls made. I love that I have a vinyl called Off the Record. How.
Speaker 1:You got the vinyl.
Speaker 2:I do. Yeah, that is so cool.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:So cool yes, it's so awesome, and I just thought it was the perfect name because it was really cool, and I wish that there was more of a story behind it, because there should be, but there's not. Other than I thought it was a cool album. Title.
Speaker 1:Really I mean off the record. You know you would think, okay, here she is, she's going to spill her beans in the way of music. But do you think, just be honest with me how many of your exes do you think are nervously refreshing Spotify like each and every Friday Because they don't know what's going to come out?
Speaker 2:They never know. You know they probably are. I would say at least one of them has to have heard one of my songs, because it's my biggest song. It has almost 3 million views on. Youtube and it is very obviously about him.
Speaker 1:So he definitely probably, is always waiting to see if there's another one coming out. Do you think he knows that's about him? Yes, he does.
Speaker 2:Probably, I would say, because of the time frame and the everything with it. I think he definitely now is this.
Speaker 1:Uh, I'm not digging too deep here and I'm sorry if you think I am, but going back to Orlando, florida. Is that somebody from like back in the day that?
Speaker 2:no, no, from Nashville, okay, never mind. Yeah, yeah, from Nashville, so it's fine, though, honestly, yeah, the song is she Ain't Me. That's the song. It's a cheating song, but honestly, I got a great song out of it and I see where that's going. Yeah, I honestly don't care. I'm like you know what? You gave me a song. It's fine, Whatever.
Speaker 1:It's his loss.
Speaker 2:It is his loss 100%. You are right.
Speaker 1:So he's going to be pissed off when he watches this or listens to this and realizes oh my God, what did I screw up, what was I?
Speaker 2:thinking yeah.
Speaker 1:What was I thinking? The? Name of the song, by the way. I know Exactly. So which song on the album made you cry into your wine glass? I heard about that, wasn't there, didn't some?
Speaker 2:okay, never mind I don't know, maybe not me, but I would say hurt people. Hurt is definitely a crier um for some people. Uh, and if you're just feeling emotional turning that song on, it's really just about how hurt people hurt other people. And Visiting Hours is also obviously a tearjerker. That song's about my brother who passed away when I was little.
Speaker 2:And it's just basically saying if heaven had visiting hours, here's what I would tell him is going on down here. So those are the two kind of tear jerking jerker songs on the album um, and two of my favorites and two of my audience's favorites as well. Those have done really well um over everything else on the album which?
Speaker 1:which song on the album would make you get up on a bar and dance?
Speaker 2:Probably blame it on my boots Um, a lot of them would, but I think blame it on my boots is really fun and it's just such a vibe. I love that song, so probably that one.
Speaker 1:You shop at boot barn.
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm just saying yes, I do, I love me some boot barn.
Speaker 1:There you go. When you run low on the funds, you can go to a firm and you can go and pay it as you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know. Don't ask me how I know that, but I know that. Yeah, but you know.
Speaker 1:How many pairs of boots do you think you have?
Speaker 2:Ah, this is kind of embarrassing because I have a lot. And I have counted, I have a boot wall over there, two boot walls, there's, like 66. What?
Speaker 1:66 pairs of boots.
Speaker 2:Yes, but I have to say I don't buy them all. I do a lot of deals with a lot of brands like Lane Boots.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And some other brands.
Speaker 2:So I don't really buy boots ever, or a lot so I did and worked in, but I always like to clarify that I'm not out here just shopping every single day, buying boots uncontrollably. But we actually did write that song because we were writing in my living room, which is where my boot walls are, and we just didn't really have an idea and we're like let's write something about boots. Like what can we come up with? And turned into that song. So and it's one of my favorites, yeah, Sixty six pairs of boots. It's ridiculous, it's embarrassing.
Speaker 1:No, I don't think it's embarrassing. I think it's pretty cool, but when do you have time to wear them all?
Speaker 2:I know, you know, there's only one pair that have not been worn and, um, that's because they're a little. They're stiletto heeled boots and they have blue feathers on them. They're really crazy, but really cool, high fashion, I would say, um, but I don't really go anywhere to wear those. But those I did buy because they were on sale, so I did buy those and of course, they're the only ones I've never worn, the ones that I bought.
Speaker 1:You know, I think of boots I and me being in Nashville quite often for radio and different things like that and we had a chance to go see Megan Maroney and she had these boots on that were all sparkly and it just looked like all glitter. They were up over her knees and I'm just it's like wow.
Speaker 2:I love it. I love boots. There's all different sizes, styles, colors, textures, all of them.
Speaker 1:So your album blends Nashville twang this is a little note I made. I listened to a lot of the cuts. By the way, Blends Nashville twang and Texas dance hall energy. Was that your plan to do something like that?
Speaker 2:It was.
Speaker 2:So I've for a long time, um, kind of tried to figure out my sound and who I wanted to be, because when I first moved to town, country pop was really big and that's so I did a little country pop and then, um, I kind of just flowed into whatever was big at the time and I never really knew what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2:And so when we were making the album, we were halfway through and we wrote a song, another man Will, which is the first song on the album, and I was like this is it, this is my sound, this is my whole vibe. I want this to be how I sound going forward. And so that song, shade of Blue and Blame it on my Boots, were made last, and those were the ones that kind of defined my sound going forward and what I've been looking for for seven years that I just hadn't found yet. And so I would say it's a little bit of 90s, like Shania Twain, mixed with a little Carrie Underwood and some modern country in there too. But I really want it to feel country, like 90s, older country.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now this just dropped. What what last month? When did it? When did it drop just recently?
Speaker 2:So off the record, the original album dropped in 2024 in September, but right now we're doing the live acoustic album, so that's what I'm thinking of. Yes, so that's what's been dropping every two weeks. So there's a song coming out on that every two weeks until August, and then the full off the record will be out the live acoustic version. So, that's what we've been working on now. I wanted to have a longer life, so I was like, let's do a good idea yeah.
Speaker 2:One just came out tonight and one of the videos, so oh, I love that.
Speaker 1:So let's uh, let's talk to CMA Fest for a little bit. Did you get a chance to take it in? Do your thing.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was crazy. As always I got. I had bronchitis this year and last year during CMA Fest, which makes it a little tricky.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:I know bad timing, but it was really fun. I played three shows and then also did like a little pop-up event. I was supposed to be out of town for CMA Fest actually this year, and then my plans changed and so I was here and so I had to try to book things last minute and I decided to do a fan pop-up like in the street outside.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was so fun. We gave out 100 T-shirts and played four songs acoustically outside fanfare and it was great. It was really fun, and so I planned that before I had other shows, so it ended up being kind of crazy, but it was very fun. I had a great, great time.
Speaker 1:But this isn't the first time you've done this, though. You've done FanFest or C fan fest or cma fest, but I mean it's been so many different names. But, um, you know, going back what?
Speaker 2:22, 23 yeah, I believe my first cma fest was 22 um, like where I was playing, and then I played official cma fest the last two years, um, and yeah, so I've done it. I guess guess four years, three, four years now, whatever it is.
Speaker 1:It's pretty cool though.
Speaker 2:It's really fun, it is cool and I look forward to that weekend. Every year is my favorite week Just because there's so many different events going on and so many people who actually really want to listen to music and that really makes a difference. Just at shows like playing downtown during CMA Fest, too, is actually fun because people want to be introduced to new artists, they want their original music, whereas usually people just want to get drunk and party and not care you know.
Speaker 1:So it makes all the difference.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it makes all the difference down there for sure, but it was a great time. It always is, and, um, I'm already looking forward to next year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how close to downtown do you live?
Speaker 2:20 minutes. Okay, it's far enough away Far enough, and but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:My wife and I were there a couple of years ago for the NASCAR race, or maybe it was last year and uh, we got back to the Omni where we were staying and I said come on, honey, we're going to walk down to Broadway. Let's see what's going on today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, mistake, mistake. Oh, I bet it was crazy.
Speaker 1:It was crazy. We went over there and you know the road was closed, it was just wall-to, you know, and there's other things going on that I don't want to mention, I mean, you know, that just was I said. Let's just go back to the hotel We'll sit at the bar and have a glass of wine.
Speaker 2:Yes, I would say if you're going to go to Nashville on Broadway, go in the day like. Do like a Sunday or Friday. Saturday can be fine too, but just go earlier just go early in the daytime? I actually do not. I will not do Broadway at night anymore unless, like, there's something going on and that's why I need to be down there, or it's after a concert or something, but it is crazy down it is if you've never been to Nashville and you have to go you have to go yeah but once you do it, you've done it yes and you know, unless you're, you know, there's bachelorette parties everywhere.
Speaker 1:It was just, it was nuts, so just yeah, but you need to do it if you've never done it. But then, on the other hand, if you've done it before and you're thinking about going back, go. Go during the day, go earlier that's all.
Speaker 2:The music never stops. Someday drinking and bar hopping and see the bands who are playing in the day, and then go to dinner and go home. You know, there you go.
Speaker 1:There you go. That's a good plan. Speaking of dinner, what's your favorite dinner spot in Nashville?
Speaker 2:Oh, my favorite dinner spot. Actually, I have a lot of favorite places, but speaking of Broadway, I love Casa Rosa.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, their food is so good.
Speaker 2:I played there for two years and we would eat dinner right after every time we played, which was usually twice a week or more, and I never get sick of it. I'm still not sick of it, and I ate there for two years twice a week. It's so good, but it's just really elevated Mexican food. It's amazing.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, Charlie, tell me a little bit about your writing style.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you said you've written right there at home and you're looking at your boots getting ideas, but tell me a little bit about how your creativity and how does all that come about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you know I used to be more of a melodies girl. I wasn't as much as a lyrics writer. It was just always hard for me to put into words in a clever way what I was trying to write, and so I draw inspiration from anything. I actually was talking to some fans about songwriting the other day and I was just saying that for practice, what I would do is pick like anything that's in front of you, like a cup or you know pillow or something, and write about it like come up with something silly. That may not make sense, but you're still challenging yourself to write really, you know something, make up a story about this thing, and so that has really helped me a lot with writing. And I really wasn't a very confident writer until up until like a year ago because I always felt like the artist in the room and never like a writer in the room. I did write, but I always felt like I wasn't.
Speaker 1:I get that.
Speaker 2:The main songwriters and now, after just writing more and taking a break writing too, when I did the album, I really took a pretty long break from songwriting at least co-writing and I feel like that was good as well, cause I got a lot of more ideas that were helpful just flooding to mind, rather than writing three or four times a week where you kind of just get overload and you kind of just write to write and you're not writing to get a number one, or writing, writing it's feeling, from your feelings and your heart. You're just kind of writing because you have to write. There's a difference there.
Speaker 1:You know what you just said, for example, taking a cup and telling a story about it. That's exactly what I do in radio with a lot of people, and I'll put my cup down and say, all right, hey, tell me about this cup.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What you know. And then I said that way you get very conversational, you just kind of open up. I mean that's amazing. I didn't realize that you did that with songwriting too, and now I get that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, because with some songs obviously I relate to a lot of them, but I'm not always the main person in the story, like it wasn't my story.
Speaker 1:Right, right.
Speaker 2:Make it up and be an author and like with Shade of Blue, that's not my story, it's my friends. And with Hurt People Hurt that's not my story. Either Just you know figuring out how to write things that maybe you don't have experience on, or it's not your story per se. It definitely helped a lot, just for exercise and practicing, and it paid off because now I feel like an actual songwriter. I feel like I can hold my own, rather than just an artist in the room with songwriters.
Speaker 1:God, I love that. That's so cool With group writes. How often do you write alone or do you with others? Do you do group writing? I?
Speaker 2:mainly do co-writing group writing because I like having different minds, you know like, and I, because I think you know I could say an idea out loud and then we'll all have different ways of how to interpret that or which direction that we want to take it. So I really love co-writing. I have stepped into writing by myself a little bit more lately, just because I get get an idea and then I want to write it immediately. But sometimes I finish them. Sometimes I bring someone else in on it to help me finish it. I'm not always able to finish it myself but yeah, I love co-writing.
Speaker 1:Would you say it's like good therapy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it definitely is, and that's where I think I start writing by myself more. It's usually at night when I'm trying to go to bed and I get an idea and then I kind of just flow all of it out and write it all down. And it definitely is a form of therapy, because I think if you just write something down too and get it out of your head, it's very calming and soothing. Did you ever write a song too, and get it out of your head?
Speaker 1:it's very calming. Did you ever write a song, play it back and then go?
Speaker 2:Hmm, Wow, that's a little too honest.
Speaker 1:Probably yeah, and then release it anyways.
Speaker 2:No, I would say with Love you Long. That one, oh yeah, that one is something that is vulnerable to me, that song, just because it really is honest and it does just share my story and my life, like how I am in relationships, and so that was kind of scary to put on like out for everyone, but in my head I was like, well, whatever they might not know, that it's me like you know. But then I tell them and I have to say, like this is what it was written on and all this stuff you know.
Speaker 2:and then but I think there there's, I used to hate being vulnerable and I used to hate I get it didn't like it and um, now I've gotten used to it and I think there's a definitely a strength in being able to share those things and instead of, you know, being embarrassed by it or whatever, I think it's important so that other people, people know that they're not alone in that too. So I've found a beauty in it.
Speaker 1:I'm definitely still getting used to being vulnerable, but, yeah, trying to be so you know I I'm all over the place when I do these podcasts, but early on you mentioned Orlando being from Orlando. Are you actually from Orlando or from just outside, or?
Speaker 2:from Orlando yeah, downtown.
Speaker 1:Did you work, disney?
Speaker 2:No, I didn't. I always did want to be a Disney princess and work there, but I am too tall and I also have dimples, so the only princess I could be was Rapunzel, and she's supposed to be like five feet tall.
Speaker 1:No, that's not going to work then.
Speaker 2:It didn't work, so I never got to live out that Now the dimples is not a bad thing. Yeah, I have dimples too, but yes, but it limited to me, or limited me to the one princess. But that's okay, wasn't meant to be, I get it.
Speaker 1:So you lived there all your life up until the point that you moved to Nashville.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I was 18.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Tell me about your family a little bit. You've got you told me a little bit about your brother and I'm very sorry but tell me, are you the only other child or no.
Speaker 2:So I have another older brother, kyle, and he's 12 years older than me. And then I have my parents are divorced.
Speaker 2:And so I have a stepmom and a stepdad and then a younger brother who is 12 years younger than me oh wow, one 12 years older, one 12 years younger, named Noah, and yeah, they all still live in Orlando. As of now, my dad and stepmom and little brother are moving to North Carolina this summer. I'm about to go visit them this weekend, so I'm excited to do that, but yeah, they're all still at least most of my family is all still in Orlando.
Speaker 1:So I was used to the heat. I get it, yes, used to it, but not really, not really. What do you do for fun? Do you get out of the house? Do you go for walks, hikes, do you?
Speaker 2:run. So I I like walking, walking my dog, but she's not here right now. So now I've been walking without my dog and that's really weird. I left her in Florida last week cause I'm gone all next month and she loves my mom's pool like addicted. She's in the pool at 9 30 in the morning until nighttime, um, all day. She's a labradoodle, so it's the lab and I love labradoodles.
Speaker 1:We've got lab labrador retrievers, but still I love labradoodles too yeah, yeah, she's the best.
Speaker 2:So anything with dolly. Um, I love taking her to the park and walking with her Dolly. Yeah, Dolly Parton.
Speaker 1:Dolly Parton. Yep oh my God, I love it.
Speaker 2:Right, I love it, but, yeah, anything with her. I really like doing anything. I love watching reality TV, I love going to the movies, going to a place called Putt shack. Here it's like putt putt golf.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Anything fun to get out of the house. But I do think when I'm really busy like I was gone almost all of April, a lot of may once I'm home, then I kind of for at least a week if I'm going to be home. I like to be home, um and just there's no place like home. Yeah, there isn't. And when you're traveling a lot, it's just nice to be home and inside and sitting on the couch watching a show or a movie, and yeah there's two sides to that, though. Yeah right.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's great to be home and doing all that, but doing also what you love, and that is writing, singing, performing. I know you've opened for Lainey and Walker Hayes, maybe Maddie and Tay. You've had that opportunity Out of those who gave you the best advice backstage.
Speaker 2:Oh.
Speaker 1:I can picture Lainey going here. Girl, let's talk. I love Lainey.
Speaker 2:I've had those conversations with her? Yes, I would say I love Lainey.
Speaker 2:Yes, I've had those conversations with her yes, I would say so, actually with Lainey. So I shared the. I played a festival that she was playing and I didn't get to see her at that festival or meet her there, but I met her at the ACMs the next year or so and she, we talked and whatever, and I will text her for advice. And she is so fast to respond and say be so honest.
Speaker 2:Um, just about because I talked to her about just social media and the struggles of just that, just posting and not getting in your head with the numbers and that kind of stuff. And she's like you know you cannot worry about that kind of stuff, like just focus on the music, put out the good music, keep. She's like post five, four or five times a day, like just keep going and don't pay attention, and like this is in your heart, like just keep chasing it. Um, and so I really love her for that, um, um, and so I really love her for that Um. Also, just when I met her, she was literally like the kindest person ever Um.
Speaker 2:I met her with my old publicist and she was like uh, I said you know, you're just an inspiration to me. I love your music, I love your story, whatever. And she's like oh my gosh, I'd love to talk to you sometime about it. Like if you ever need anything, just let me know. Being like that is so amazing.
Speaker 1:So it is amazing and same thing for you know, doing the radio side of things, and we had that opportunity to hang and talk the exact same way I had around my skip happens podcast and, um, I sent her out for coffee mugs and she was playing at the state New York state fair I don't know if it was last year, think it was the year before went on her tour bus and my four mugs were sitting right there and I went and she goes that's right, I still use. I use those on the bus all the time I'm like oh, that is so cool.
Speaker 2:See, that's the type of person she is yes, and I love seeing that there are people like that, you know, in the industry still, because not everyone is like that. So I really really love her for that and Cody Johnson, who I also love Cody me too. I was the first on the lineup at Country Thunder in Florida and it was so hot outside it was like 2pm and he played at like 10pm and so, anyway, we were on stage doing our thing and my band noticed him and his band watching. I didn't notice.
Speaker 1:I was in my own world performing.
Speaker 2:And so we got off stage and they were like Cody Johnson was watching our set, like blah, blah, blah. And so I was like no way. And later on we were watching from side stage Parker McCollum play and Cody was about to go on and he came over to us and was like you're, charlie, right? I was like yeah, and he's like y'all were amazing, like keep doing what you're doing. Here's some passes to stay on stage while we play.
Speaker 2:Other one like Laney, just very genuine down to earth and people who go out of their way to compliment, you know, those of us who are still up and coming, you know, and trying, because they know how hard it is. So I love that they take time out of their day to just be kind, cause that both of those moments have just meant a lot to me, um, and really keep me motivated when I start getting down or, you know, things start getting hard. So I really appreciate both of them for that.
Speaker 1:Now you've been doing shows with a lot of these great artists, and rightfully so. That's where you need to be, but have, if you could collaborate with any of those who would it be? Or anybody dead or alive?
Speaker 2:OK, if it could be anybody of those who would it be, or anybody dead or alive. Okay, If it could be anybody, I would say Reba. Oh my God, Reba is my favorite.
Speaker 1:I'm literally wearing her merch right, I named one of my dogs after Reba. So I'm just saying and I love it.
Speaker 2:I love that. I was going to name Dolly Reba, but she is blonde and fluffy, so dolly made more sense. Yeah, yeah, but reba is one of my favorites. I would absolutely love to have her on a song, or to sing, does he love you? Or back to god with her. Um, she's incredible, uh, and if there was a guy to collaborate with, it would be alan jackson oh love alan gosh, alan Jackson. Oh love Alan.
Speaker 1:Gosh love Alan. And to see him on the award show here not too long ago was just, oh my, I had tears, seriously, I had tears.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was there and I was like, yeah, I was crying as well, I was just like so amazing and maybe the last time I'm ever going to see this, you know.
Speaker 1:Exactly right, exactly yeah, sitting on my couch thinking the exact same thing. Yes, you know, I don't know if I'll see him do this again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it was amazing, it was amazing it was amazing. I did not disappoint.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's your guilty pleasure?
Speaker 2:Probably watching my trash reality TV, my Housewives of new york actually oh my gosh housewives of new york city is my favorite show and I. It is what it is. You know I I don't care that people hate on trash tv, but I think I love watching other people's drama I.
Speaker 1:I know some other women that say the same thing. They, they love watching that stuff. I don't know why I don't get it. Have you ever watched it, though? Maybe for?
Speaker 2:about five minutes and they picked up the remote and changed the channel. But my dad always said the same thing and my mom my mom was like I don't know why you watch that stuff. And when I had my vocal cord surgery, like two years ago, both of them came up and I couldn't talk, so we only watch TV. And so I made them watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and they got into it and I was like see, even dad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, my dad. I mean not that he went home and started watching it, but no, but he didn't turn it away. Yeah, he was interested, and I'm like. You see. It's not as like stupid as everyone makes out to be. It's actually kind of good. Now the real housewives of new york, though, are on another level. They are extremely dramatic and insane, but some other ones are not.
Speaker 1:I don't get it. I'm sorry, I don't get it. It must be, it's got to be a female thing, I don't know I don't get it.
Speaker 2:it it must be, it's gotta be a female thing. I don't know, I don't get it.
Speaker 1:It definitely is that's okay. Do you binge? Have you binged watched any shows like on Netflix or anything like that?
Speaker 2:Definitely. I mean not lately. I really haven't been home at all, so when I am away. I'm watching housewives on my phone while I'm traveling because I'm trying to finish it, but we I do watch, like I've watched outer banks and yeah, I've watched all that yeah, some short series too there's been. What is that one with kristen bell um?
Speaker 1:I can't remember you know what you gotta watch. Uh, it just started too. Just to give you a heads up the waterfront waterfront waterfront. It's on Netflix.
Speaker 2:Okay, good to know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's really really good.
Speaker 2:Really good, so Waterfront Okay.
Speaker 1:And it takes place at town on the North Carolina shore. Oh, and it has a lot to do with drug smuggling, but I mean the story behind it and from what I understand it's a real story.
Speaker 2:Oh cool.
Speaker 1:And it's not. It gets pretty gruesome at times, but you know it's one of those, it's, it's real life.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'd love to watch that. Okay, I mean it just started, like two weeks ago, so I'm only into the second episode, but it's got me hooked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh, I love that. I love any kind of drama, suspense and comedies too. But yeah, we were recently watching um, what is the big little lies?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, big little lies Yep.
Speaker 2:Great show. I know we're really late. To me I want to say we, me and my roommate, we're like really late on that show. Um, watching it, but so good.
Speaker 1:There you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, great.
Speaker 1:So tell me, charlie. Tell me about a show. If I was to go to your show, I walk in. I'm sitting right up front. What am I going to see and what am I going to hear?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So first you're going to hear Another man, will, because that's the first song I do at every show, okay, and you're going to hear some fiddle. You're going to hear me singing. You're going to hear my bass player singing Chandler um, and we just have a lot of fun.
Speaker 2:You're gonna hear me asking you guys to sing along, even if you don't know it, and dance and not be afraid to get up, uh, up in the front, um, and to have a good time, because, honestly, when I do the best as an artist is when the crowd is having fun, because I really depend on their energy for my energy. So, yeah, constantly asking people to dance and have fun and get up and really interact with them and teach part of my song, like rodeo. I always teach a little bit of it because it's easy to catch on to, so you guys can sing along with me through the song. And you're going to hear I Will Survive, because that's one of my favorite covers to play. It's on the album as well, so we always do that song, which gets everyone really excited.
Speaker 1:I was petrified. Yes, yes, the song you shouldn't play at a wedding, but everybody plays at a wedding.
Speaker 2:Yeah, 100%. It's so much fun, though, and everyone loves it and so, yeah, whenever a crowd is like a little nervous or like shy, that song immediately wakes everyone up. So but yeah, we love. That's my favorite part about being an artist, honestly, is performing. I love being on stage and singing my songs and singing cover songs, whatever it is, I just love performing. So, yeah, we try to make it the best show that we can.
Speaker 1:That's cool. That is really cool, really cool.
Speaker 2:Thanks.
Speaker 1:I'm just, I'm just thinking about everything you just told me and going to that show and I can only picture myself that I don't know if I would get up and dance. I mean my wife says you know she goes, you never dance, you just sit there and you, you just. But I'm taking it all in and I think you, as an artist, if you give that energy, you'll get it back totally, you know, if you get the crowd into it yeah, I really try and sometimes they're harder than others.
Speaker 2:You know, like sometimes it's just not the vibe, the crowd is not, doesn't really want that, and that's okay, and then I just, you know, they can go home.
Speaker 1:I'm like, can we get just one?
Speaker 2:person out here, Come on Um.
Speaker 1:I'd be like get off your ass and move. That's all there is to it.
Speaker 2:I really do mess with them sometimes, um, but I think they like that and it's kind of funny. But yeah, I, I love it, it's fun.
Speaker 1:Cool stuff, cool stuff. What do you drive?
Speaker 1:A Kia, a Kia Sportage, yeah, I just got rid of my Sportage. No way, yeah, I had a Kia Sportage. I was always a truck guy and I had. I had the Dodge Ram, I had the Silverado, I had the Ford F-150. I had all that. And I says you know what? Why do I have a truck? I never use it, why, in the way that most people would use a truck. You know I loved it, don't get me wrong. But why the big payment? And blah, blah, blah, so on and so forth. So I said, all right, I'll get a Ford Explorer. So I went to the Ford Explorer, all right. So I went from that to a Kia Telluride.
Speaker 2:Oh, those are so nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh, it was beautiful. It was beautiful. So then I went from tell your ride to a sportage. I said you know what? I still need the downsize. I'm really. I just need something to get me to the radio station and back, and you know, just to do my little things. It was nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But then I started missing the truck. Yeah, so I went and, uh, those that know me know I did this, but uh, maybe you don't, I know you don't. Uh, I went out and got a Chevy Colorado. So it's not a full size truck, but it's a smaller truck, but yet it's got all the features, so it's cool.
Speaker 2:So I'm happy, I'm happy again.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, yeah I but the Kia was a good car.
Speaker 2:It is a good car. I really like it and the gas is really cheap, um, compared to my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Uh, before that was my first car, so I I had that one for a while and um, then it was time for a new car and tried, but the Jeeps were so expensive I was like I can't do another Jeep. Um plus with the gas. The gas was as much as my band van, which is a suburban, so I have that as well. I kind of try to drive.
Speaker 1:Oh, I get it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So compared to my $30 fill up you know my suburban and my Jeep were both like 80 something. So, um yeah, I'll take the Kia. Yeah, I don't blame you, I totally it, totally get it.
Speaker 1:Uh, do you remember the first? Do you remember the first song you ever, ever wrote?
Speaker 2:you know, I know that there was like one when I before I was probably 10 years old, but I don't remember. Um, but I do remember the first song I ever released, because I was like 15. It's called Underneath the Stars and it is. Yeah, it was something.
Speaker 1:It was about a.
Speaker 2:New Year's Eve party that I had in high school or freshman year or something, or eighth grade maybe even and yeah, it was really, it was just called underneath the stars. It wasn't terrible, it just you know, it was my first release ever, so now we've come a long way. I will say, um, then, then that one, but that's since been taken down do you ever?
Speaker 1:okay, do you ever listen to it? Just for the heck of it, do you just go? Oh, my god, do you still have it?
Speaker 2:oh, you do, I do still have it and whoever downloaded it does have it. Um when it came out, so it is still out there in some capacity. I will say um, but it's not like you can't really find it on the internet. Um, but I do listen to it sometimes I.
Speaker 2:I just did the songwriters workshop the other day um that I hosted and showed them that song and the music video just to kind of give a little bit of a showing progression kind of thing, and so, yeah, I look back on that stuff sometimes too, just to remember where I started, I guess.
Speaker 1:You know, what I really love about artists like you, independent artists, even the others too, just country in general is that you're real, you're just. You know you're working. I hate to put it this way. It's like a job, but yet it's a job that you have a lot of passion and a lot of dedication for. And you know, this has probably been your dream since you were a little girl. This is what you wanted to do, and look, you're doing it. You, since you were a little girl, this is what you wanted to do, and look, you're doing it. You're doing it, yes, and it's not easy.
Speaker 2:It is not easy, it is crazy. I have a love-hate relationship with it for sure. Just with the business side, is the hate that part of it? It really is frustrating. Just the politics of the music industry is very frustrating, but it's part of it. So, you know, learning every day and moving every day, and I really do this is all I want to do and I, you know, wouldn't be putting myself through all of that um hard stuff if I really didn't want it.
Speaker 2:Um, right, right, so yeah always playing more shows and um just really getting people with my music how do you?
Speaker 1:who books the shows? Do you do it? Do you do it all? Do you have a team?
Speaker 2:I have a booking team um some of it, I do some of it, so'd say it's probably 50-50. I got you, I also go. Do you know Bells? She's an artist as well. Sounds familiar.
Speaker 1:I can't yeah Bells.
Speaker 2:Bells. She is an artist as well in Nashville and we back in the spring did a behind the guitar-guitar tour, an acoustic tour where just me and her went and we kind of double-headlined but one of us will go first and then the next one of us, and then we'll swap, but anyway. So we're doing that again in the fall.
Speaker 1:I love that idea.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we've booked, I think, 15 shows from September to November. We're so excited to go do all of that. So, yeah, just kind of booking as much as I can everywhere, whether it's me, her or my booking agents or her booking agents Just kind of really the goals.
Speaker 1:That's cool. Yeah, that's cool. Are you happy doing it at this level?
Speaker 2:Yes, I am. I would like there to be some more money.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, and I don't blame you.
Speaker 2:That would be nice, but it really I love it. You know, if this is me for the rest of my life, then that's fine.
Speaker 1:I just want to be able to do music and at the end of the day, I would love to be doing big tours and stadiums, and all of those things is the real goal. But if I just get to sing and little, bit of time, I mean you know we all joke about it and I said it in the beginning that Nashville's a 10-year town.
Speaker 2:It is, but it's so true.
Speaker 1:It's so true. Everybody I've talked to actually took McGraw like 13 years.
Speaker 2:Yes, so you know and I feel like too, is you know those first five, four years? You're really kind of figuring out who you are. Also, you know I was 18 years old. So it's kind of like you're figuring out what you're even doing here Not really you know and how to get your music career going, but you don't know exactly how. You might not have those connections. I mean, I worked at Chick-fil-A the first year I lived here.
Speaker 1:I was going to ask what your first job was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't really do anything else, so it was kind of like Well, you had Sundays off. I did have Sundays off. It was nice. I worked Monday through Friday full time at Chick-fil-A for quite some time.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I loved it. It was great. I actually you know those first couple of years are for building. So, yeah, it's going to take 10 years because you're you're not like the artist that you want to be yet You're going to be yet. So it takes, takes some time.
Speaker 1:Right yeah, what was you talking about? Jobs? What was the worst job you ever had?
Speaker 2:Oh, you know, I've never really had a bad job. I've honestly loved all the jobs that I've done.
Speaker 1:What was the funnest? Let me ask you that.
Speaker 2:Probably being a hostess at a golf club. I had a lot of fun there. I worked at the West Haven Golf Club in Franklin Tennessee during COVID, because all the shows stopped. Franklin Tennessee during COVID, because all the shows stopped.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So I started working there and became friends with everybody and it was just really fun. We had a good time. I looked forward to going to work every day. Chick-fil-a was really fun though, too. I enjoyed that a lot. It was because it was fast paced and it went by really fast, because everybody you know Chick-fil-A is packed like 24-7 a day.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was always very fast and I didn't really like when I got the 5 am shift to 4 pm, but you know that's okay.
Speaker 1:That's a long day, holy cow. They have a 5 am to 4 pm shift. That's crazy. So that means you're up at what?
Speaker 2:3, 30, four o'clock I mean you have to, I would roll out of bed, I I would get up at like 4, 45 and then throw the hoodie on and out the door yes, yes, but you get a break um during the day like pretty good break um oh good but yeah, so I was working there and it was fun. I really liked both of those jobs, but West Haven was probably my favorite because I had a group of friends there that I really loved hanging out with on the job, so it was fun.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. That's awesome. How do you, um, how would you say you handle criticism? Because you know, being in Nashville, you get a lot of you get a lot of negative, get a lot of positive and some people can be pretty mean. How do you handle the negative?
Speaker 2:So I well, criticism, I would say if it's constructive criticism, I take it good, because I feel like I know when it's good and good criticism, when it's not. So I kind of feel like I can take that as I need it. But also just people on the internet, like I don't even care, like people that say stuff I've had bad comments, you know, just like that the song sucks or to lose weight, things like that, and I just don't care. Which kind of goes into the people think that song and why I wrote it was because I was so tired of people making assumptions of me when they don't even know me, like from the internet. And, and you know, people thinking that I'm rich but really I just have fake purses. You know I don't have all these gucci bags and movie bags. They're like they're fake, um, and so I my wife's the same way, so yeah, I love fake bags.
Speaker 2:I think they're. Why would you buy a real one if you can just buy a fake one?
Speaker 1:um nobody's gonna know.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't know the difference, so, but anyways, half the time yeah, okay, but, um, yeah, I just really got so sick of people um commenting stuff and that's where people think came from, and and I do care what people think it's not, as, like you know, I try to be more and more like that song all the time. Um, but I definitely do care a little bit, but I really don't let the trolls and don't let it.
Speaker 1:Don't let it get to you. I know, yeah, yeah, it's easy for me to say, but you know, people are people and everybody's going to have an opinion. Good, bad, indifferent, bad, indifferent. You know what? Just if it's constructive or they say something, you may think about it a little bit and say, yeah, maybe I could do you know whatever a little bit better. But you know what? There's people out there just looking to piss you off.
Speaker 2:Totally and that's why and it took me a few years to learn that you know, as social media, got bigger and bigger, and kind of just seeing that and getting used to that, because social media wasn't always around. Having, like those outside opinions come in from nowhere was something to get used to. So yeah, but I really don't care anymore, don't? The way I look at it now is that they're just boosting my engagement every time.
Speaker 1:Hey, you made it on Skip Happens.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:I don't even know it.
Speaker 2:It is what it is.
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding. Skip Happens, because it does happen. We all know that.
Speaker 2:Yep, it's true, it's what it's about. It's what it's about you know.
Speaker 1:if somebody wanted to jump on and find out more about you the website or just Google your name, what can we do?
Speaker 2:Yes, so you can go to my website, charliereynoldscom. There's no E in there, just L-Y and my Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. All the things are charliereynoldsmusic.
Speaker 1:I'm always posted on TikTok and Instagram and Facebook a lot every day. So, yeah, how important, charlie, how important is it to be involved in social media.
Speaker 2:For you as an artist, crucial. I think it is probably the biggest part now of being the artist, which, I hate to say, I think a lot of us really wish that it was more focused on the creativity process and the songwriting and the songs and the performances more than social media. But now social media is the biggest aspect of it. Having a great song is too, but really you never know what's going to take off on TikTok and sometimes it is not the great song, you know, it's just you never know. So I do wish that that wasn't the biggest part of being an artist now and I enjoy doing it, but I wish that I could have a little bit more focus on the art of it, you know.
Speaker 1:No, exactly, exactly. Take a look at the chart, though, and I see it every day in radio that a lot of these people, if it wasn't for social media, would not be on that chart. Yes, it's like wow.
Speaker 2:And I mean even for me. I, I wouldn't have the audience that I have listeners, so I am very grateful for it. Um, but I know there is a part and I do love doing it. I make like four videos a day on Tik TOK. So, um, I obviously have to love it and I do. I just think sometimes it can cause a lot of like burnout, in a way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a lot of work.
Speaker 2:I mean it is a lot of work. That is a big part of my job and you know being glued to your phone because you're having to post and edit and do all these things. There's just ups and downs, pros and cons to everything into that, but I am very grateful for it, just for expanding my music to new audiences that, like I would have forgotten it to.
Speaker 2:So yeah, but I'm always on there and I try to really make it like a community on there rather than just posting, posting, posting like my songs. But I try to at least share some personality and respond to the comments.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Because these are people, you know. We always have to remember like that the numbers are people, you know, the views are people, the comments are people, not just numbers, absolutely Big time, yeah, yeah, big time, yeah Means a lot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely means a lot. You know you're wonderful. I know we've never met before and I told you. I said you know, by the time we get done with this podcast, we're going to be like best friends.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I feel like that happened. I think so too.
Speaker 1:You know I love doing this and I love talking to people like yourself. I've been doing this a long time and the young, the energy, the passion, the dedication I have a firm belief in independent artists that need to be seen, they need to be heard. Thank you, just getting you out there and I would love man, I'll just have to. I go to Nashville every so often and I'll have to let you know when I come out, or I'd love to see a show.
Speaker 2:Yes, please do. That would be so awesome.
Speaker 1:I'll take you to lunch. We'll have a good time. You know what I mean. We'll talk about business.
Speaker 2:Totally, that would be, so fun. I would appreciate that You're so sweet I appreciate you having me really, and I'm so glad that we got to do this finally.
Speaker 1:Yes, finally. Hopefully we'll do it again soon. Um, we skip happens and and you know it's my thing Um, my door is always open, just an email away, phone call away, and anybody that's watching this, if you've got something you'd like to bring out. I mean another artist. That that's what I do. Yeah, you know, yeah, I do the radio thing, but still it's, this is what I do, I believe.
Speaker 2:I believe I love that. Well, thank you for your belief in an independent artist.
Speaker 1:Absolutely that is so special and sometimes hard to find, so we appreciate people who really believe in us. I do 100%.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, thank you.
Speaker 1:Charlie, I almost said Charlie for the first time today, I don't know, do people do that they say Charlie? Or because, just because they're not used to calling a woman Charlie? Yes, and you know I also get Carly and I'm like how do you get Carly? There's an H there.
Speaker 2:I get it all the time I know.
Speaker 1:My daughter is Carly but, she doesn't have an H in her name.
Speaker 2:I know I don't understand it either. I get it all the time.
Speaker 1:Hey, Carly, how's it going? No, no, it's.
Speaker 2:Charlie, yeah, I just say good.
Speaker 1:Whatever?
Speaker 2:That's it, I love it.
Speaker 1:Charlie Reynolds, Nashville independent artist, Got the new album out off the record. This is pretty cool. It is very, very cool. Well, now we put that one out in 24, you said and now it's the live.
Speaker 2:The live acoustic version.
Speaker 1:God, that's got to be so good and we can get. We can buy that offline right.
Speaker 2:Yes, yep, yes, and there's live videos to all of that I love that.
Speaker 1:Charlie Reynolds, thank you for being a part of skip happens tonight. Like I said, it's always a pleasure to talk to people like you. Um, you're beautiful. I love what you're doing. Uh, just keep doing it. And thank you so much for being a part of skip happens. We're going to sign off, but I want you to stay right there. Yeah, all right, good night everybody and thank you. Oh, I can't hit find the button.
Speaker 2:It's okay.
Speaker 1:There, it is right there. Thanks for watching everybody.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
