Charlotte Carpenter

Charlotte Carpenter is the perfect embodiment of independence; out there, doing it on her own. This isn’t some ‘strong woman’ cliché, this is a nominative determinism; place a piece of wood in her hand and she will use it to craft something of value to the world around her.

Between 2014-2019, East Midlands singer-songwriter Charlotte Carpenter made her name by releasing a series of heavily championed EPs. Her raw, soulful songwriting was widely heralded with comparisons to the likes of Cat Power, Bonnie Raitt, and PJ Harvey, and coverage from tastemakers from The Line of Best Fit and CLASH, through to rock bible Classic Rock, with support from BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2; and UK-wide tours alongside Marika Hackman, George Ezra, Liz Lawrence, to name just a few.

During 2021, Charlotte received funding for her debut album from Help Musicians UK which she wrote, recorded and produced with Matt de Burgh Daly (Grace Petrie, Maybeshewill) and released ‘A Modern Rage’ in October 2023, winning acclaim from publications such as God Is In The TV, Clout, Guitar.com, New Music Mag, DIVA Mag and BBC Introducing.

The album’s bluesy first single ‘Spinning Plates’ sets the tone for the record and recounts her experiences at the helm of the producer that sparked such an emblazoned cry of defiance and strength. Equally as powerful is the exhilarating chunky riff laden ‘Like A Hurricane’, a song about crippling effects of anxiety.

Amongst the more raw tracks, ‘Not Good Enough’ is a gentle and heart-breaking tale of how toxic people can lessen our own self-worth. Equally vulnerable but utterly beautiful is the self-described “dystopian love song” ‘You’re My Reason Why’, one of several songs influenced by Charlotte’s love of dystopian art. Elsewhere, the focus turns to grief (‘Molly’s Ballad’ and ‘The Call’), on addiction and depression (‘Fine Line’), and on the complexities of female relationships (‘Bigger Than You’), all told through the complex, multi-faceted lens of womanhood.

With newfound expressive freedom each song on A Modern Rage has its own distinctive voice, representing a different aspect of Charlotte’s experience but also her personality. It’s an album that cradles nostalgia with the present day, paying homage to Charlotte’s favourite singer-songwriters and bands of the 70s and 00s in one place, from Elvis to Avril Lavigne, The Killers to Sheryl Crow, accounting for her deft ability to cross genres of rock, pop, blues with subtly country twangs and moments of old soul.