Charli Lark on Burning It Down, Rewilding Herself, and Building Her Musical Palace
Hi Charli!! We are SO excited to have you at Pop Palace! How are you, what have you been up to lately?
Hi! Happy to be in the palace! I’m releasing “Burn It Down,” my first song off my upcoming EP and so doing lots of things to launch the song into the world. This music has been in the vault for months and I've been dying for it to come out so it's been a little bit of an emotional roller coaster for me too. I went to London to write and record it all. Went over there with stacks and stacks of songs I had saved up and worked with some amazing producers, and distilled everything I wanted to say and all that emotion into the songs. It was an intense and gorgeous experience, and I think you can feel that energy in the music.
Your newest single “Burn It Down” reflects personal breakthrough and resilience, what feeling do you want the listeners to experience?
Power and confidence. I want this to be one of those songs that you listen to when you're getting up the nerve to leave a shitty job, or a relationship that's taking you for granted, or you're just pissed off at the culture we live in for having to do what you have to do just to be ok. It’s about coming out of survival mode and finally recognizing just how much power you actually have. That maybe someone else has been using your power and it's time to take it back. We get pushed and pushed and eventually something has to give. To burn down whatever is not working for you in your life and put that stuff in the rearview is such an satisfying part of being human. So I definitely want people to feel powerful, but the song is playful too. Kind of a middle finger with a wink sort of vibe.
If you could describe this single in three words what would you choose?
Fierce, sly and powerful
Louisiana to New York is a big move! With a new start in a new city did you use music to help during this transition? Were there any specific songs that define that moment in your life?
Music has always helped me through every transition. One of the things I love is how essential it is helping us get through hard shit or just being a soundtrack for life. It help us understand ourselves better, say things to us in ways that we can't say to ourselves, makes us feel deeply exactly when we need to. Moving to New York was such a leap for me at the time. Everyone thought I was crazy or stupid. I loved the mix of so many cultures in New York, language, food, everything…and it was the same with music. One night I would be at Joe’s Pub listening to an acoustic set and the next watching a horn section at S.O.Bs or dancing at a rave. It opened me up a lot.
How has your experience as a woman shaped your music and creative voice? Are there aspects of female identity or empowerment that you aim to explore through your songs?
Being a woman is such an essential part of who I am as a person living in this culture. It really colors everything. And a big part of what I'm doing now is deconstructing, peeling back all the layers of things that have been piled on top of me throughout my life. The rules that I have followed, the expectations that have trapped me, the ways I thought I was supposed to be, prioritizing the parts of me that others valued, and hiding things that weren’t “presentable.” We are taught so much that is limiting, and boring, and toxic. I’m rediscovering myself, re-wilding myself, and all of that ends up in my music.
So I have to know… what is coming next!? Can you give us a little peek into your plans?
Well this is just the beginning for the EP. I'm so excited to roll out all the new music, and that’s coming early 2025.
Finally, here at Pop Palace, we all have our own little 'Royal Court' of artists who inspire us and keep us going. So, if you could build your own musical palace, who would be sitting on your throne, and who would be in your royal court of all-time favorite artists?
Look, I’m gonna have a big court, I hope that’s not a problem. Lady Gaga, Portishead, Sade, Tori Amos, Rihanna and of course, Brittney are my foundational icons. They get the best chairs. And right now I’m massively inspired by artists like Caroline Polachek, Raye, Labrinth, and Billie Eilish.
