charlton is my solo project after a 10 year experience playing with local bands as a guitarist/singer. In 2002, I started to write and record music on my own, liking the idea that I would write all parts that come on a given song and control the creative process from one end to the other.
In 2005, I completed a first series of 10 songs in English (charlton I), all recorded with very limited means. The mood of these songs is intimate and is built around the classic acoustic guitar/vocal combination, with a bit of electric guitar and Wurlitzer piano to enrich the arrangements. Already with this first series I have been trying to mix my fondness for immediate British pop melodies with rather complex chords and structures.
During the 3 following years, I wrote French texts that were representative of whom I was at the time. The result is a collection of 15 personal songs (charlton II) with a fuller and rounder sound, with a greater variety of rhythms and worked-out arrangements; I also invited some friends to contribute on certain songs to add some colours (violin, trumpet, flute drums and keyboards).
Since then, I work again mostly on English texts and use computers to create rhythms and keyboard parts. I’ve just completed a series of 7 songs for which recording techniques remain elementary, but with a much fuller sound (charlton III). On a few songs, I get to reach what I feel is the right balance between lo-fi sound and rich arrangements, between immediate pop and crooner/songwriter sensitivity; that is the balance that I’ve been looking for ever since I started.
Starting in 2008, I’ve been producing myself live solo in small venues, rearranging my songs for an acoustic guitar/sampler based show. I am currently looking for a second guitarist to complete the live arrangements.
I am of course interested in getting my music as known as possible, but I am also eager to meet artists and musicians to discuss collaborations.
Thanks for stopping by, Loïc
The complete collection of my songs can be downloaded here: charlton songs .
All landscapes photos accompanying the songs are by Anna Halm-Schudel
