Charlotte O´Connor is somewhat of a rarity in this day and age; someone who has put in the work to create an album that she truly believes in. “I´ve been singing since I was really young but I started taking it seriously when I was 15,” she explains. “My dad could see how passionate I was about music so he booked guitar lessons behind my back. I definitely owe him one as I got addicted straight away. I became a total music geek.”
Despite her folky, soulful sound, Charlotte admits that her musical influences are far reaching. Growing up in Blackburn with a half-Malawian/half-Indian mum and an Irish father, she was exposed to all kinds of sounds. “My dad was in the Merseybeats for a while and he was even on Top of the Pops. He was very involved in the Liverpool music scene, so he has taught me a lot. And on my mum´s side were the old soul records she used to love playing. I take so many different genres on board, but my own sound is romantic and fun, with a lot of energy. When I´m on stage it´s almost theatrical. My mum took me to my first concert to see Alicia Keys and I was enthralled by her performance – watching her on stage I knew that was where I wanted to be.”
The now 21-year-old has since become a global ambassador for Quiksilver, and last autumn she embarked on a tour which saw her perform at Quiksilver stores across the continent, as well as everywhere from the Quiksilver Pro New York in Long Island to Quiksilver Pro France in Hossegor, South-West France. “I´ve been working with Quiksilver since I was 16 when I became an ambassador for Quiksilver Woman´s. They have seen me grow and they´re so supportive. They´re not trying to make me into something generic.”
As well as performing for Quiksilver worldwide, Charlotte has supported a number of high-profile artists, including Newton Faulkner, James Morrison, The Script and Lissie, and is already a firm favourite with the likes of Radio Two and MTV.