Charlotte Stevens: I'm going for the wow factor
Monday, 08 Oct 2007 14:42
Charlotte Stevens says Gimme The Beat
Charlotte Stevens is an up-and-coming British pop singer-songwriter currently touring the UK as she eagerly awaits the release of her debut single Gimme The Beat later this month.
Who's Next caught up with Charlotte at London's Pineapple dance studios for a chat. Ensconced in one of the studios of the maze-like Pineapple building, with the sounds of dancing reverberating all around, you're struck by her infectious enthusiasm, determination and bubbly personality.
Charlotte's Gimme The Beat UK tour kicked off in September and has seen her performing at venues up and down the country although as a new artist Charlotte faces a challenge, as she says: "Audiences say 'Who is that?' but it's going really great. I'm going for the wow factor!"
On stage, Charlotte really sparkles with sultry vocals and dynamic dance moves and her performances have been lapped up by 1,000-plus crowds at the various venues she's played on the tour.
She said playing DV8 in Birmingham was "really cool" and praised under-18 crowds as being "wicked", however, one of the biggest highlights of the tour was performing for university students in Liverpool at the FreshersFest, for which she was on the same bill as The Hoosiers and Wheatus.
"It was the best gig. As I was dancing, more people came in. At the end of my gig, the crowd was shouting 'More! More!' I felt like 'Yeah!' It was such a buzz," she said.
Originally from Girton in Cambridgeshire, Charlotte now lives in east London and she's made the transition from renowned dancer and choreographer to a brilliant solo artist set to ignite the UK pop scene.
After completing a three-year performing arts course at Bodywork Dance Studios in Cambridge, Charlotte went on to work as a dancer and choreographer in videos and live performances for stars such as Lionel Ritchie, Blue and Geri Halliwell.
Charlotte's always had a passion to sing and a conversation with her friend and creative partner Stuart Bishop provided the spark to enable her to embark on her new career.
"I built up a little home studio and when I first started performing, it was out of my home studio," she explained.
This led on to Charlotte working with producers Mark and Sheryl Barnes, whose input she cited as being very inspiring in terms of her vocals.
Now Charlotte's working with a producer from Phase and she said: "It's very exciting but all hush-hush!"
Her debut single Gimme The Beat is released on October 15th and will be available from iTunes, Napstar and Sony Connect, with an album to follow in 2008. It's entered the Music Week Commercial Pop Chart at number 23.
The single, a superb slice of dance-pop with sexy r 'n' b undertones, is about a group of girls getting ready for a night out, and tells a story. Charlotte reckons that good pop music is all about storytelling.
As for the forthcoming album, Charlotte said: "It's really funky. I'm going for pure wow with stomping songs to get people going ‘Yeah, she’s a brilliant UK pop artist.’ "
A determined Gemini, Charlotte writes her own material, however, as she says: "Stuart does write with me quite a bit. We really bounce off each other."
When Charlotte has some time to herself from touring and a whirl of media appearances she likes to swim, go to the gym, and shop with mates. "I like to be active," she adds with a smile.
Returning to music, I asked Charlotte who inspires her and she said when it comes to vocals she admires Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey.
For vibes and funkiness Charlotte said Kelis, TLC, Michael and Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk and The Prodigy.
And the King of Pop features in Charlotte’s ambitions for the future as she said: "I'd love to perform with Michael Jackson."
However, for now, she's focusing on the debut single, building up a fan-base from the tour and the single, and gearing up for the release of her album next year.
*Gimme The Beat is released on October 15th.
Lee Davis
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