What’s your stage name and where are you from?
I’m Charles At Work, and I’m from Lafayette, LA, now based in Nashville, TN.
What’s the story behind your stage name?
Back when I worked at a furniture store in college, my coworker and friend (talented pop artist, LeTrainiump) would take artsy pictures of my when we would deliver furniture to aesthetic locations. He would hashtag them #charlesatwork, and it got to the point where he and a few other friends just started calling me that. So when I needed a stage name, it was the obvious choice.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
I left my job and religion suddenly. I finally realized and accepted that I could do whatever I wanted. I’ve spent the last five years pursuing music as best as I can, which is what I’ve always wanted to do.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
I made a song called “Pinecone” with a friend of mine who goes by FRONDE (I have no idea when that will be out yet). We got together with the intention of making SOMETHING, and just tried to make and commit to every decision as fast as possible. We created a fun instrumental, and then he sang “I fell down like a pinecone,” and a whole song flowed from that silly little line. It’s something that neither of us would have made by ourselves, and it was so fun to create.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
I’m hoping I can write songs from whatever emotional place I’m at at the time of writing them. I hope those moments represented by the songs are something that people can connect to when they need it. I want an honest snapshot of my life at a particular time to be cemented into music, whether that message is “positive” or “negative.”
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
I’m new to music production in general (I started learning how to produce music in 2020), so I’m constantly facing challenges. If I come up against something I don’t understand or can’t figure out, I mostly just YouTube it or call a friend who may know how to help. But the problems and the road blocks are opportunities to learn new skills. It’s the best way to learn.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
Wax, because he’s one of my favorite artists of all time, and every verse of his is phenomenal no matter the beat or style. That dude can get on any song and kill it every time.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
I just want to collaborate with other artists I enjoy and make stuff that’s fun to make. I’m hoping to garner a big enough audience that playing live shows with a full band is feasible, and I’d love to pay my bills with music as well.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
Promote my debut album, Profoundly Uncomfortable, as well as I can, and continue to write the best songs I can write.
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
I go by Charles At Work on every platform (except IG @thecharlesatwork). I have music videos on YouTube, and my songs are on all streaming platforms.
