Loud and Quiet presents Midnight Chats.
Yes, good evening, everyone, Welcome to Midnight Chats. It's me again. You might have been expecting Greg this week, as I did last week, but you've got a double dose of me. No fireworks this week. I listened back to that podcast after recording that intro bit and it really did sound shit, didn't it? The fireworks? I mean it really was very, very underwhelming. None of that this week. I'm going to start actually with my plug this week. I'm going to
do that early doors right now. As you know by now, this is a podcast brought to you by Loud and Quiet magazine. As well as doing midnight Chats, we do a monthly music magazine and we've got a new way which we only launched this week, to pay for a subscription for Loud and Quiet. We've set up a PayPal recurring button which means you can just pay monthly for a year's subscription. It's three pounds a month and for that three pounds you will get a copy of the
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It's three pounds a month. I mean, you can't get much more for three pounds these days, and it helps us do this podcast as well, so everyone's winning on this. That's my plug. Early Doors done and dusted. Now. This week's podcast is with Charlie XCX. It's a short and sweet one, partly because well she's a big pop star, and she had a hell of a lot on On the day I met her, I went to her record label, Atlantic Records, which is a very glamorous and seductive part
of the music industry. Charlie had only just flown in from the state. She spends half of her time here in London and half of her time out in la and she was then nipping off to Radio one and she's just been on tour with Taylor Swift. I think that tour continues at the moment. So we didn't have all the time in the world. But I listened back to it and I felt, you know what, we should still be putting this out because there's enough in here
to keep you interested. And there might be a lot of people that say, Stuart, I quite like this podcast, but it's usually too long. So for those people, this is right up your street. So what can I tell you about Charlie XCX that you might not know. Well, she's currently twenty six years old. She grew up in Essex, and I suppose the song that really put her out there was I Love It by Icona Pop in twenty thirteen. Since then, she's released two albums and two more mixtapes.
She's got four mixtapes in total, and a bunch of really big pop tunes which I'm sure you will have heard some of, if not all of them. Iggy Azelia's Fancy. She wrote the hook on that she writes a lot with other people, and four other people including Will I Am a Luna, George, Blondie. We talk a bit about Blondie. Can you tell that I'm reading this off my phone now? She's just very busy, very busy person. So I'm going
to leave you with this. This is Charlie XX. Next week the podcast, I can one hundred percent guarantee will be Greg Cochran. He's got summing up his sleeve. I think it's going to be very good. But in the meantime, please enjoy this short and sharp and sweet episode of Midnight Chats number sixty one with Charlie xxlud and Quiet dot Com Forward Slash Subscribe.
I live half in la half in London, but I've been over in the States a lot, just because I've been on this tour with Taylor Swift Sure and we were doing the US leg, so it's easier for me to be based out of the US right now, and when I write. I tend to write a lot in La r Yeah.
What side of the city do you live in there?
I live in Beechwood Canyon, which is sort of right underneath the Hollywood sign.
Nice.
Yeah, it's very green around there, and you can actually walk a lot and you can do hiking, and there's quite a lot of Europeans who live up there, which is nice, a lot of Swedes.
I was in La this summer on holiday. I stayed in Silver Lake.
Very cool.
But that's the cool side, isn't it the hipside?
Yeah?
But we I'd never been to Beverly Hills, so we drove around Beverly Hills for the first time.
What did you think it's weird?
Right?
Yeah? I mean I don't go there that often, but yeah, it is a bit odd.
I felt it was. It's kind of creepy because there's no pavements, right, because they don't want anyone there, right. No, So it's really I'd always wanted to go and see what it was like, and it actually made me think I wouldn't want to live here. If I could live anywhere, I don't think I would live there.
Yeah, I mean I think the thing with La is like it's a great city when you know a lot of people and when you have a lot of friends there, and when you're actually like doing stuff. But I think if you're not doing anything and you don't really know anyone, it can be quite isolating and lonely, just because you can't really walk around places. There isn't really that much
like history there. I mean, there's a lot of Hollywood history and a lot of very interesting and fun things have happened there, but in terms of like, you know, you're not like walking around and seeing the sites because you can't really walk, and also there aren't that many sites, do you know what I mean?
Yeah, yeah, sure, That's what I felt was about what I thought was strange about Beverly Hills and bel Air was how isolated those people must fill in their massive houses.
Because they probably don't care though, because they're like, oh, I'm in my nice house. Yeah supposed I think that it's a city where you can really make what you want of it. Like when I started going there when I was sixteen to record, and I was so lonely
when I went there because I couldn't party. There was no uber so everything was such a nightmare to get to and I didn't really know anyone, and now I really really enjoy it there, just because I've built up such an amazing group of friends and most of them work in music, so it's like very collaborative and really fun. And I found like a nice little kind of space
there that feels really homely and creative. And yeah, I think it's really a place where it's like you can make it into something really amazing if you like avoid all the kind of scary scary like Hollywood hell holes, you know, Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What do you miss from each place? When you're in LA? What do you miss about London? And when you're when you're here, what do you miss about La?
When I'm here, I definitely miss being able to go into a restaurant and literally order.
Anything, even if it's off menu.
Yeah. I mean, I think the best thing about America is you can, and especially La is you can go into a restaurant and you can say, can I get the burger please? But can I get it with avocado with bacon? Can I get it with no bun? Can I sub the fries for a salad? And can I get like you just changed the whole thing?
Did it take your while?
To get used to that, because no, because I'm greedy. I was like in there straight away or everything.
The kind of the Brita and me wouldn't do that, right, do you know what I mean? Too polite even if I'm like allergic to nuts and it comes to can I just take the hit on it? Yeah? No, I just got embraced. I didn't realize it was actually a real thing. Yeah, we can do that.
It's really easy to do. So I miss that, And I also this is weird, this is very La of me. I miss that. So in La it's like a genuine conversation people will have that is a real conversation that people really care about. Is talking about restaurants. Like people love to talk about restaurants in LA. But it's like not just small talk, it's like they care. It's like they'll be like, have you been to that restaurant on Blah blah blah or in La La La Lah, And
did you get the thing? Did you get the Brussels sprouts? And they'll be like, no, I haven't tried the Brussels spouts. Oh you should try the Brussels spouts. Did you try the Brussel spouts at this restaurant and it's like a genuine conversation that people really care about and it's so stupid and pointless. But I kind of really like, but if you did that in London, people would be like, what the fuck are they talking?
It's like their equivalent of us talking about the weather all the time.
But it's not because I feel like weather chat is a bit it's a bit like what do we do? Let's talk about the weather. This is like an in depth conversation that can go on for half an hour and it's a real like and people really care about it. People are like, oh, like, that's I will check out
that restaurant. So I kind of miss that it's so stupid and pointless though, But then when I'm in LA, I really you know what, Like I came back yesterday to the UK from New York and I was standing in an elevator this morning and I was just like listening to two guys talking the lift and I just miss like people being really British British accents. I miss like the crispness of the air here. I miss the sarcasm a lot. Like people in la are not sarcastic.
They are so like oh, I hay, like, yeah, it's really annoying, Like I just I miss like a sarcastic British like dark sense of humor, you know.
Yeah. Yeah, and you because you grew up in Essex, yes, as did I?
Whereabouts?
I grew up in South End?
Okay, I grew up in Bishop Stalford. I've been to South End Peter Pan Ride, Yeah, yeah, did.
You go when it was still I think they've changed the name now.
I haven't been for a while, long time time.
What do you think of South End?
I mean I loved it.
It's kind of it's kind of it's gone down here.
I think, has it? I mean when I was younger, so I lived I lived in I lived actually out just outside of Bishop Staltford, but like Bishop Stalford was like my town or whatever. But I couldn't really like walk anywhere from my house, so it was like I was just like in my house until I could like drive. So that's why I really enjoyed like going to South End, going to Brighton and it was fun because you could like walk around and you can do stuff. It was like magical, magical places, you know.
So what were you up to where as you say you were pretty much housebound? Is that when you start making music because you were.
I did, you know? I started making music not because I couldn't like go out, but more because I think I just wanted to, Like I just wanted a creative outlet, and this felt most natural. And music was a way of me being cool, kind of like I made music because it was like escapism and I felt cool doing it. And I wasn't really that cool, you know, so making music was like wow, like it's cool, I can do this,
you know. And I think when I was younger, I was really just trying to like emulate people who I admired, which I think, you know, I think we do a lot when we were younger, in any sort of field or walk of life. But yeah, it just felt like escapism and it felt good.
Because you also went to Slade Fine Art College.
I did.
That's a hard college to get into, right, Yes, what was your what was your medium? Your art medium?
So my time at Slade was very it was it was hard, like I because I didn't do a foundation, so I didn't really understand art school at all. I didn't have the language, I didn't really have the skill set. I didn't know how to talk about art, and I also didn't really understand any of the bullshit, like art is so much bullshit and chat, you know. And now knowing that, now I think I would have had I
would have so much more fun there. But honestly, when I was younger, I was just very intimidated by people and scared. And that is like number one red flag of art school. You can't show your fear, you know, because then they just you alive. So I didn't really understand that it was all just one big game. So I went and I dropped out after like a year and a half actually because my music started happening for me.
Were you painting or were you a.
Sculpt I was sort of so when I went and I interviewed them, my portfolio was really heavy on video art and installations and photography not really that I'd done, but the pictures pictures of me, and it was mainly like it was mainly I was making a lot of videos and I was making installations, but it was funny like I did this photo shoot with Rankin and supposed with you with David Bailey, and I put it in my portfolio, which was like really stupid and they were like,
oh wow, and yeah, it was like it's but I said it was them. I was like, this is a collaboration that I'd done with David Bailey. Like I totally lied. But then the video, art and the installation were all made by me. But then when I got in, I just sort of like suddenly decided that I wanted to paint, which I'd never done before. I was terrible at I
didn't know anything about painting. I didn't know how to stretch a canvas, I didn't know how to didn't know what primer was like the whole I was just such a rookie and so I'm not really sure why I didn't. I think it's because I had a friend in who was doing painting, and I was like, oh, okay, I'm really afraid of everyone. I'm just going to stick with you, which wasn't really the best idea. In hindsight, I think if I'd gone and done video and installations, I probably
would have had more fun. But yeah, I didn't.
Say, how did you set up a shoot with Rankin and David Bailey? How does that come about?
Oh? Well that was because I was so I went to Slade when I was like nineteen eighteen maybe, and so I'd been making music since I was sixteen, so I was already doing shoots and I'd signed my deal, so I was always already doing like press and things,
you know. So it was just the David Bailey the Ranking shoot was the first shoot I ever did, and that just came about his team or whatever contacted me directly, and he was making this book called Destroy where he basically shot a load of artists and then we had to destroy the image, whether that was like cutting it up or editing it or burning it or whatever. I made mine into a collage and then it got printed in the book alongside the original. So that was so
that kind of was a collaboration. So I kind of didn't lie about that one counts. And then the David Bailey one was just a shoot for Interview magazine and Vogue that was sort of a lie. God, yeah, yeah, I mean it was. I mean I guess if I hadn't been there, that image wouldn't ever happened. So it's a collaboration in that sort of way.
That counts true That you were playing warehouse parties from like fourteen, Yes, is that true?
It's true?
Wow, what can you remember from that? That must have been intense, because I raised intense when you're twenty four.
I mean, it was like the coolest thing that had ever happened to me. Like I was so like excited to go and play, and I was so kind of awe struck by all of the people there and the clothes they were wearing, and the drugs they were taking and the music that was being played, Like it was so exciting and so cool. I honestly like Mike, because you know, this was happening when I was fourteen. My main reference point was Skins, so I was like, I'm in an episode of Skins. This is crazy, you know.
And my other reference point was sort of watching MySpace and looking at all of the profiles of artists I liked, particularly like a lot of artists signed ed Banger, and like looking at like pictures of ed Banger parties and stuff. I was like, whoa, Like I'm in that in London. But the only thing that was sort of like getting my buzz was like my parents would come with me, right sore.
They cool though, yeah, they didn't like kind of no, they.
I mean they were around, but they weren't like smothering. You know. They were very supportive, and I think they also really enjoyed it as well, because my dad was kind of reliving his youth and my mum was just sort of like, what the fuck is going on? But it was cool. Yeah, they were they were supportive.
Yeah, and we.
Would stay till late. Weould stay at all, like six am. It was kind of wild.
Actually you were trying to drag them home.
You're like, yeah, I was like, guys, gone on, We've.
Got to go now. Yeah, ha, do you always? I mean that kind of all makes sense with what your your music is now and like ed banger and that you can hear that in your in your music, but your music is also kind of unapologetically pop music. The fact that you're definitely a pop star, but you're you've been embraced by the pitchforks of the world who wouldn't necessarily write about Taylor Swift, but they will write about you.
Why do you think that is that that hip for want of a better word, world has kind of love loves your music.
I don't know really, honestly. I mean, I think I'm a very good creator and I always try my best to work with people who are you know, new and exciting and people who are really pushing the sounds in the field that they work in, you know. And I never want to work with anybody just because somebody's telling me there the newest, coolest thing, or they've got a number one or anything like. I'm not interested in that.
I'm really interested in building like a community of people around me who are all very like minded in the way that we think about music and way that we create things. And I've always, I don't know, I've just been true to myself in that sense, especially over the past three years. And I think that audiences now more than ever, really love authenticity, and I'm always very authentic to myself. So maybe that's why some people gravitate towards it.
I don't really know, like, but I think also like in general, like pop.
Is cool, yeah it is now.
Yeah it wasn't. It wasn't like ten years ago or whatever, but like pop's cool now. Like Taylor Swift is cool, you know, Like nineteen eighty nine is, like I would say, like a very cool record. Like a lot of my friends who make like very weird like electronic noise music love that love Taylor Swift and love that album so
much because I think it's great. It's excellent pop music with great production and great lyrics and yeah, so I think pops just considered cool now as well, you know, so people are less afraid to attach themselves to it.
How was the Taylor Swift tour? Is it finished? Now?
It's not finished. It's actually the US leg is finished and the UK leg is done. So we go to Australia for like a couple of weeks, three weeks, and New Zealand and then Japan and then we're done.
And then you're done. How's it been.
It's been long.
Yeah.
We started in May and we end at the end of November. It's been really good though. You know, it's like she's very welcoming and we knew each other beforehand, and Kamila and I are close and have written together and know each other quite well. So it feels it feels like, you know, sometimes you do big tours where you don't really like see each other and you don't really speak. You just kind of like do the show and that's it. But it feels like a kind of group of friends like on tour, which.
Is nice because you've done other big ones like you, you know, did you tour with cold Play or you opened a show.
I did a tour with them a long time ago.
Because I mean that's as big. I mean, that's big. Yeah, that's big, Katie Perry, that's big. Do you like the big ones?
Honestly? Like A no? I actually, I mean I don't not like them, otherwise I wouldn't do it. But I do prefer you know, I think anyone prefers playing their own show.
Sure.
So I actually have sort of decided now after this tour with Taylor, I won't open for anyone again.
Really, this is the last one.
This is the last one. And it's not because any of the tours I've opened for people and have been bad experiences. They've actually all been really great experiences. It's just like I'm I feel like I'm that's just I'm done with that now, you know, I'm ready. Whilst I've been on Taylor's tour, I've also done some of my own shows and and they felt more exciting than ever, and I feel like I really just want to put the time into that now.
That's the thing. I guess if you're going on tour for the whole year with somebody else. It's taking time, isn't it.
It takes time. It really does take time, and it's hard to be motivated to do other things because you're very tired, and you're often in like Buffalo or like Minneapolis where they're maybe aren't like the best studios. They are a great There are good studios, but it's not like the same and the producers are in la or in Sweden, and you're sending stuff back and forth, which I'm into, like I've made a lot of pop two
like that. But yeah, it's hard to sometimes it's hard to be like creative when you're kind of like moving around the middle of America.
Do you find because you write a lot for a lot of people as well, is that something you can do on the road.
It depends really, If it depends if someone was like sending you a track to write over, then yes. But if it's like it's I mean, yeah, you need to sort of go into the studio sometimes for that kind of thing. So it is, it's not always easy.
He wrote two songs for the last Blondie record. Yes, what was that like?
Well?
Is that entailed? Does that entail? Like you just submitting a song?
Well, yeah. Actually, basically Chris reached out to me and was like, we love you and your stuff and we're making this album and sent me this like list of like mad references and was like, do you have anything, and I sent two songs. It was honestly so broad. It was like the most broad list of references ever.
It was like they were like, we're working with CEA, but we're also interested in like Latin songs and like Debbie's favorite song is lean On by Major Laser, and then like you know, referencing what some of their stuff. It was like just really crazy and I was like, ah, like what is happening? And so I just sent these two songs that i'd actually made when I was fourteen, and I just sent them through and they were like, we really like these and we want to kind of
mess with them and make them our own. So they did that. We never actually went to the studio together, but I've met Debbie and Chris numerous times and they've always been really supportive of me, and I was just really happy when they did their thing with the songs, and I went to their show at the Roundhouse in London with my mum and dad and my mom was like freaking out. Oh my god, you know what. Debbie actually came to my Pop two show in New York
and she came backstage. She met my parents and my dad was like freaking out. It was really funny because my dad's met like a lot of artists through me, but I've never seen him really kind of like losing shit before. And he was like, oh my god, like I'm such a huge fan. I was like, all right, Dad, play it.
Cool man, come on, you like stuff embarrassing me.
Yeah.
That's amazing though, that they've got a song on the record that you wrote when you were fourteen.
Yeah, that's nuts. It's cool.
And the other thing I just wanted to quickly ask you about was you have synesthesia, which, for listeners who might not know what that is, it's seeing music in colors.
Correct.
And there are some colors that you that you like more than others. Right, Yes, so you like songs that are like pinks and purples, yes, but you hate greens and browns.
Yeah.
I've changed my opinion on green though, Okay, just because my whole new single is like based around the color green.
So what for reference? What is what? To you? Is a what is A A, what is a pink and purple song? Then what what kind.
Of Okay, So pink and purple song to me is like the Cure, Okay, like Boys Don't Cry, it would be very like pinky purple song or Pictures of You. Also, like Blackout by Britney Spears, that whole album is kind of like pink and purple, right, But then like brown and green, And this is like tough because I've kind of changed my opinion on this, but like Pitbull would be brown and green. But I actually really love Pitbull now, I kind of think he's great. Ag Cook really like
turned me onto pit Bull. He was like, you need to like get over this and like really think about how good Pitbull is, and I kind of agree. So yeah, I guess.
It's really hard for you because it's probably impossible to describe this. But what is it that makes Pitbull green and brown?
I think it's like the tonality and like there's certain like production choices and the chords. Okay, it's hard for me to explain because I'm actually not that good at music theory. So there probably is like a very like obvious reason to what I see and hear, But I just don't know how to explain it.
Yeah, how's your year been? Have you had a good year? We're at the end of the year pretty much.
Yeah, this year has gone so fast it feels like honestly, yeah, I have had a good year. I mean, I've been on tour from May. It's been good. I just I'm I'm excited to like release music with like the support of everybody around me, which is cool, and I really just want to be in the studio. Yeah. Like it's been fun. Don't get me wrong, But I think, you know, like anything, you have too much of something and then you want something else. So that's how I feel right now.
I feel like I want to be writing, you know, and then I'll write for like three months and they'll be like, I want to be on tour, you know. So I'm ready for that transition.
Midnight Chats is a loud and quiet podcast production by Emma Snook Music courtesy of gold Panda. Search Midnight Chats on iTunes for more episodes and to subscribe. For more information, visit loudanquiet dot com.