Charles Copley for Movo Sessions: In Season

 Here at Movo HQ, we’re always looking for new ways to engage with creators and to showcase exciting new artists . So, suffice to say we’ve been excited as out Movo Sessions series continue to evolve and grow.  

This past week, we invited singer-songwriter and producer Charles Copley to record a few tunes. Originally from Boston, Charles ended up in Los Angeles by way of New York. His songs often blend genres, with acoustic guitars melding with electronic drums and textures, synthesizers interlacing with live percussion.  

We sat down with Charles while he was in-studio recording his Movo Session to get a little background on his journey as a creator and the meaning behind a few of the songs he played for us. 

Movo: Hey Charles, thanks for joining us.  Can you introduce yourself and give us a little background on your musical journey?

Charles: Sure, well, I’m Charles Copley.  I’ve been playing guitar since I was a little kid, and, I guess, making up songs about as long. I started writing and recording music in earnest after I graduated from college.  I’ve always loved folk music, blues, and soul, and a lot  of the early things I wrote were inspired by that. When I moved to New York and started producing my own music, I fell in love with house and electronic music and DJing.  So a lot of those sounds crept into my recordings, and I guess ever since, I’ve been trying to create songs that express the sound that lives in my head in between the electronic and the organic. 

Movo: We can definitely hear that in your recordings.  Can you tell us a bit about “In Season,” the first song you played for us?

Charles: “In Season” was one of those songs that came to me pretty quickly. I had been playing around with a few chords and the theme and lyrics seemed to fit that. I was sort of looking back at several failed romances, as well as an ongoing one that looked headed for failure and I started thinking about time passing and relationships and what we learn form them as seasons of the year. I had been heavy into electronic music at the time and was looking to get back to basics and get back in touch with the joy I used to feel playing guitar and singing, so that tune ended up as one of the first songs for an acoustic EP I release in 2019, called “Slept Thru Summer.”

Movo: Since you mentioned recording and songwriting, could you elaborate a bit on your process there?

Charles:  Every time is a little different for me. As in the case of “In Season,” sometimes it will start with an idea on guitar or piano that lyrics and melody take shape around.  Sometimes, I’ll start with recording, maybe I discover something that I like with drums or synthesizers, and that inspires a vocal idea.  Occasionally, everything will come all at once, I pick up the guitar, play some chords and immediately know where the song is going to go. Those are the best ones, I think. It can feel magical, as if you’ve suddenly tapped into something bigger than yourself. 

Movo: Speaking of tapping into something bigger than yourself, any advice for young creators out there?

Charles:  Honestly, it’s a total cliche, but you have to learn to enjoy the journey.  Social media and the grind of trying to get attention for your work can be really demoralizing.  One thing that has helped me is to try to remind myself that it’s supposed to be fun, right?  If you try to focus on the reward of making the work itself, and remember that everything else is just gravy, you’ll develop an attitude that will allow you to keep at it, whether or not the rewards come immediately. 

Movo: Thanks for sharing!  What’s on the horizon for you?

Charles: I have a few singles coming in the new year, and in the spring I’m gearing up to record a full length EP. I hope to get back to playing live again soon.

Check out Charles’s Movo Sessions Performance.