Hi Chuck, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been with bands The Bigfellas and Leaders In The Clubhouse in San Diego for over 15 years. I was tired of saying to myself, “I can write better songs than that,” so I wanted to put my money where my mouth was. Growing up on a musical diet of songwriters and artists like Steely Dan, Randy Newman and Warren Zevon… our music always wanted to be about things a little more interesting than just love songs. And musically, where Steely Dan was polished and smooth, we wanted to have it both ways with the same musical complexity with more rawness and even sloppiness at times. I think we’ve done that. We aren’t household names, but we’ve gotten our music into many peoples’ ears and we’re greedy for more.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
These days being in a band means everything is D.I.Y. Not only do you have to be a songwriter, musician, stage performer and studio musician, but now you also have to be your show promoter, booking agent, graphic artist, copywriter, lawyer, club promoter, etc. And there isn’t money in it. I’ve seen great bands alongside us eventually give up because they can’t afford it. Luckily music didn’t have to be our primary source of income. So we get to make decisions solely about what we like instead of trying to second-guess an imaginary marketplace. It’s a labor of love and we’re unfortunately addicted to making music.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
On this newest record, the songs are generally about, in order: T.V., shopping, wanderlust, existentialism, Bob Dylan, government surveillance, Wittgenstein philosophy before moving on to heartbreak, ecstasy and pettiness – you know, love. We pride ourselves in making great-sounding music about real things outside of ourselves, not just another acoustic guitarist singing about their journal entries. You’ll hear a lot of manic piano playing and big sounding drums within what should have been an “adult alternative” genre in terms of live energy. On stage picture, The Clash playing Elton John and that’s a start. Also, I used to cook grilled cheese sandwiches or hot dogs on stage next to the piano.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
It’s hard to get people to A) Leave their house to come to see you play music and B) Spend actual money on records. I get it. Everything you need is at home and the expectation for music is that it’s free. We do feel like we give people a good reason to come see us, shows really are fun, and each one is different, that’s for sure. As far as recording goes, we really slave over everything in the sound mix and want to make sure it’s as well produced as anything you’ll hear on any radio station.
Pricing:
- $9.49 Chuck Charles “Hiya” at Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Hiya-Chuck-Charles/dp/B08FSJQLV8
- $40 all 5 albums (Bigfellas) – https://store.bigfellas.net/products/the-bigfellas-collection-5-cds
Contact Info:
- Email: anybody@bigfellas.net
- Website: www.bigfellas.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BigfellasMusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebigfellas
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thebigfellas
Image Credits
Photo © Bigfellas Music, Photo © Bigfellas Music, Photo © Bigfellas Music, Photo © Bigfellas Music, Photo © Bigfellas Music
