Charlie Rogers – Jericho

By starrymag | September 3, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) As an artist I try to pull from all of my influences, the result of which is music with country roots that combines influences of modern pop with 60s & 70s style instrumentation.

 

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I grew up with my dad’s music; The Beatles, The Eagles, Jim Croce, etc. so I think that is the basis of my musical identity. In my teenage years I fell in love with angsty rock music, as most teens do, got really into the likes of Relient K, Green Day and Switchfoot. It was only natural then that my introduction into country music came through the side of rock with Keith Urban. I fell in love with country because I fell in love with the writing, the stories it told. I developed a love for Rascal Flatts and Lady Antebellum, for Eli Young Band and Eric Church. These were the artists that I found myself emulating in high school. In college I dove a little more into pop loving The 1975 and Ed Sheeran. These eventually became all of the building blocks of my current sound!

 

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Jericho.”

 

A) “Jericho,” on the surface, seems like a story directed towards the character of Jericho. She, in the song, has gone through a failed relationship and has come out the other side with defenses raised, shutting herself off from love and the world. In reality, “Jericho” is about me. I went through a pretty bad breakup a few years ago and ended up writing this song with Evan Michael, not even realizing I was telling these things to myself. I needed to move on and I needed to bring down my walls, but I couldn’t see it at the time.

 

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think at one point in our lives we’ve all been Jericho. We’ve all been hurt and built barriers to protect our hearts from future harm. It’s hard to take an honest look at yourself and say, “It’s okay. It’s okay to let go of the past, it’s okay to love again and it’s okay to move on.” We all have our wounds that scar us, but it’s important we move on and learn from these experiences. We can’t let them turn us cold and impregnable.

 

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) I wanted the video for “Jericho” to be simple. The song itself is a tad simple in its production, message and lyrics so I thought the video should reflect that. “Jericho” is a message between two people, despite being introspective, so I wanted the video to feel comfortable yet vulnerable. I wanted to be vulnerable not only with my audience, but with myself really give people something that is an honest look at me.

 

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) The process for songwriting is actually very situational. The factors that contribute to writing a song vary from location to writer. There are times I’ll go into writes with nothing and come out the other end with a completely finished song, other times songs can take years to finish. “Jericho” was one such case of a song taking years to finish. A lot of times I write with a specific tag in mind, winding the song around a central idea. I tend to write melody and lyric simultaneously that way I can really meld lyric and melody together allowing melody to thematically follow the lyrics.

 

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I like to at least always be present in the studio, especially in the early phases of production. I’ve been working with Joshua Gleave for a lot of years now, so he really understands my sound and usually can anticipate where I want to go with something. That being said I’ll send Josh sounds that I like for projects we’re working on or acoustic demos, so we can decide which song to start production on next. He’s very easy to work with and has become like a brother to me over the years.

 

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Charlie Rogers performance?

 

A) I really try to give it my all-in live performance both vocally and physically. I take a lot more liberties with my live arrangements than I do in the studio. I’m also a very connected performer. While I come off rather reserved outside of the stage I tend to go a little wild on it. I always have the thought that if I don’t leave the stage after a set drenched in sweat I didn’t give the best performance I could have. The audience deserves that. They come out to support you as an artist, they deserve to see you give it your all.

 

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) I think for now we’re sticking with singles that eventually, down the line, we’ll package into an EP or album format! With the world of streaming how it is this seems to be the best course of action, spreading out releases across the year, pacing them so they’re not all bunched together. This also allows me to spend amble time on each single and really get them to the place I want them to be!

 

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) The KC Live Stage at the Power & Light District is an absolute favorite! I used to go see concerts there in my late teens since it opened and always dreamed of being up on that same stage. The feeling of looking out over thousands of people that grew up under similar experiences is incredible. There’s nothing quite like playing your hometown and having them cheering you on!

 

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’d be absolutely down to collab with the current king of songwriting, Mr. Ed Sheeran, in any fashion. I’ve also always said that if I ended up doing a “CMT Crossroads” I’d want to do it with Sir Paul McCartney. As far as potential duet partners/features go I’d love to do something with Kehlani or a feature with Chance the Rapper. I’ve always been a fan of reaching across genres to create something cool.

 

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) Unfortunately, I play into the current music industry and invest more in songs than I do artists. Of course, this is a model we need to fix if we’re going to give artists proper credit for their work. Outside of just going song for song, I’m hanging onto everything The 1975 has been releasing lately just out of a love for the group. I’ve also been diving deep back into the complete discography of Dan + Shay. I found that I was sleeping on Shay Mooney, not only as probably the best male vocalist in country music at the moment but also on him as a songwriter. Another group similar to The 1975 is joan; very synth pop but all the songs on their EP Portra are catchy as hell. Aside from that, I really dig the new direction Hunter Hayes is taking with “Dear God” and the catchy grooviness of Charlie Puth’s Voicenotes.

 

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Of course! I’m a huge fan of Instagram and Twitter, but not so much a Facebook-er. I think as far as fan reach goes and interaction, Twitter works better than Instagram. Sure, you can comment on Instagram posts and direct message, but I like the ability to reply, share and comment on day to day thoughts. I think direct messages work better on Twitter as well. I think when it comes to Instagram we all put on a bit of a mask. We get to filter how the world sees us, literally. When it comes to Twitter you can be as raw as you want and I think that’s really how you get to know people, through the intimate details.

 

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you, thank you, thank you! I could not do what I do if you all didn’t believe in me and support my art. I am grateful every day that I get to write music that touches people’s lives, songs they identify with. You give me life every time you show up to a show of mine and come ready to party! Whenever I play a show and have people singing my lyrics back to me I am overjoyed. My job truly is incredible and it’s all thanks to the fans!