Issue 99 / May 2019

CHARLIE
McKEON
The folk-inflected songwriter’s
“cabinet of curiosities” has
enough soul and flair to satisfy
music fans of all different stripes.
“I spent my A-levels
trying to work
out what The Red
Telephone from
Forever Changes
is about”
If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you
say?
If Bert Jansch formed a doo-wop trio with himself and his subconscious;
or if Paul Simon had no mates.
Have you always wanted to create music?
I got into playing music at the age of about eight when I got
my first guitar. Before that I was really into stationery for some
reason. I’m not even messing, I used to ask for things like Post-its
and staples for my birthday, which is weird because these days I
can’t even find a pen.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
A Yellow Submarine cassette I picked up from a French
supermarket when I was seven. My dad said I should listen to it. I
said, ‘Aren’t they horrible people though?’ or something like that,
to which he replied: ‘No, that’s Oasis’. So I got it and spent about
two years wearing it out.
Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform?
What does it say about you?
I like to play an instrumental I wrote called August 23. The
melody has an irregular amount of bar lengths and it creates this
sort of circular pull, and I find it meditative.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture
of all of these?
A confusion about anything practical. Everyone’s always telling
you to concentrate and stop looking out the window and I have
no idea why.
Why is music important to you?
Music is important to me because without it I would still be waiting
for the dishwasher light to turn green in Costa Coffee while I
wonder when I might finally lose that darned virginity of mine. I
have no education because I spent my A-levels trying to work out
what The Red Telephone from Forever Changes is about.
Can you recommend an artist, band or album that Bido Lito!
readers might not have heard?
Karen Dalton. She’s called the folk Billie Holliday, but she’s more
than that. Most of her recordings are just these crackly tape
demos, but they’re haunting and really beautiful at the same time.
They sort of represent all that’s important about music, if you just
distilled it down to the essentials.
charliemckeon.bandcamp.com
Charlie McKeon’s new single I Wanna Make Your Garden Nice
Charlie (Home Oddities) is released on 2nd May.
TABITHA
JADE
From National Songwriting
champion at 16 to Oyé Introduces
act this year – where next for this
rising urban pop act?
“Whatever happens
in my life, whatever
mood I am in, it
inspires me to
write. It’s part of the
healing process”
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
I feel my music is quite bold and relatable. Sonically, it’s a fusion
of Afro, hip hop and RnB with a narrative. Right now the music I
mostly listen to is American trap and UK Afro swing, where my
music is at the moment; that’s not to say I might not experiment
with other vibes in the future.
How did you get into music?
I get asked a lot if my parents are musicians: actually they’re not,
they’re mostly into business and I’ve become generally interested
in that side as well from being around them. In terms of music,
it started when I was 11 when I received my first guitar and
singing lessons. After a couple of months I was learning covers
off YouTube and then my parents encouraged me to try writing
my own songs – very quickly it developed into a passion. From
that point on I knew that I wanted to pursue music as a career.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
I grew up listening to my dad’s eclectic vinyl collection –
mainly US soul, RnB, jazz, funk, reggae and hip hop. One of my
favourite records was a track he would blast out in the car called I
Blame You by the jazz artist Ledisi. I admire her vocal control and
flexibility, so silky and soulful. No matter how you were feeling,
the song would make you happy. It never fails to get the family
dancing around, either.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture
of all of these?
I’ve been writing for more than seven years. At the beginning
I wrote mainly about imagined relationships, even though at
that time I hadn’t really experienced much. I’ve developed so
much more since then, and now all my songs are about my own
personal experiences and relationships. I find that whatever
happens in my life, whatever mood I am in – especially if I have
a negative experience – it inspires me to write. It’s part of the
healing process.
If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be?
Stefflon Don and Dave. Both of these artists have inspired my
music, and I love how they’ve both achieved amazing commercial
success without selling out or compromising their sound.
Why is music important to you?
Outside of health and my family, music is the next most important
thing in my life. I still love the feeling of creating a new song, it’s
addictive. I just love taking the initial idea of putting a beat down
on my Mac and seeing where it goes, bringing it to life. I guess
the best bit is still the live shows. I’ve been playing with my band
– Lewis, Jamie and my sister Eliza – for the past five years and
we’ve got a really good connection going. At the moment I am at
university studying music, so there is no plan B!
tabithajade.com
Tabitha Jade performs at Africa Oyé on 23rd June as one of the
festival Oyé Introduces artists. Her new single Caught Up is out
now.
SPOTLIGHT 31