Photo Credit: Gaëlle Leroyer (@gaelleleroyerphotography)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // April 30, 2021
It’s no secret that we’re totally obsessed with Charlie Houston’s downtempo R&B ballads. Whether she’s focusing on mental health issues or sexual identities, Houston makes room for everything in her stellar debut EP, I Hate Spring. With a relatability score of 100, I Hate Spring is just one reason why Houston deserves to be on your radar.
On I Hate Spring, Charlie Houston reflected,
“I’ve had most of these songs finished for over a year so I’m just so excited to finally be able to share them with people! I’ve been wanting to release my own music since I was a kid so it’s kinda crazy that I’m actually getting to do it now.”
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with Charlie Houston about sexism, social media, and of course, I Hate Spring.
HH: Rumor has it you started experimenting with production before you were even a teenager. What would you say to young girls who feel like they can’t make it in the music industry as producers?
CH: I would say surround yourself with people that make you feel confident and proud about what you’re doing. Anyone that tries to put you down based off your gender does not deserve an ounce of your time or energy, so just focus on the people that do want you to succeed. At the end of the day, there is always going to be people that try to drag you down, but personally, I just use that negative energy to fuel my own desire to succeed and prove them wrong.
HH: How does it feel to know that thousands of people around the world will soon hear your debut EP?!
CH: It’s definitely an odd but also extremely exciting feeling. I’m really proud of all the songs on the EP and the fact that I finally get to let people hear them is a really rewarding feeling.
HH: What inspired the EP name?
CH: It’s honestly a pretty self-explanatory title, because I really do hate spring, it is my least favorite season by far. For me, it just feels like a season that can’t decide what it wants to be – some days it’s hot, some days it’s cold or rainy. And sometimes, I feel like spring is mocking me in regard to me being a young person that has no idea who or what I want to be yet.
HH: I Hate Spring is basically a coming-of-age story told through five impeccable tracks. If you were to pick a teen movie this EP would be the soundtrack to, which film would it be?
CH: I think I would pick Eighth Grade. That movie for me was one of the most relatable coming-of-age films I think I’ve ever seen. It was just so raw and blunt in depicting the struggles and awkwardness of being a 13-year-old girl, especially in the world of social media and I really saw myself in it. And I try to make my music as honest as possible and convey my own life experiences in a way the hopefully someone else can relate too.
HH: Whether it’s drunk phone calls or infatuation, I Hate Spring focuses on issues that plenty of us have faced. Are these tracks written directly from your personal experiences?
CH: For the most part – yes, all of the songs are either inspired or directly about my own personal experiences. Songwriting and music, in general, is my method of coping and understanding my own thoughts and feelings and then working with my producer to develop the ideas in a hopefully good sounding song. As a 21-year-old growing up in the 21st century – an era of just absurd amounts of content, social media, fake news, insecurities, etc., I want my music to cut through all that bullshit and just be honest about the things young people are going through – drunk calling and missing an ex, mental health and anxiety, relationships.
HH: Overall, what do you want listeners to take away or learn from I Hate Spring?
CH: I want people to take away whatever they need to take away. If that’s jamming to “Things” in the car with their friends, I hope people do that. If it’s maybe shedding a tear to “Calls” while they talk themselves out of calling their ex, then I hope they do that. I don’t want to restrict anyone by saying I want them to feel a certain way after listening to my music – I think the fact that as a listener you have the power to make a song whatever you want it to be for you is one of the coolest things about music.
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would you pick?
CH: Probably either Kenny Beats or Labrinth. I have been so obsessed with Euphoria recently and Labrinth’s beats give me insane goosebumps and I really just think he is a genius.
HH: What are your hidden hits?
CH: “Confetti” – The Blossom
“Count Me Out” – Chiiild
“Daddy” – Charlotte Cardin
The Hidden Hits 