If you've been following along in our Searchlight competition, you may have already discovered Nuela Charles. If you haven't, now's your chance. As CBC Music writer Andrea Warner pointed out, "I had no idea that Edmonton was secretly harbouring the future queen of Canadian soul."
The 28-year-old singer-songwriter recently released her sophomore record, Aware, to great acclaim. We checked in with the rising star of Canadian soul to find out a little more about her cross-continent upbringing, her musical craft and her future plans.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in several different countries. I was born in Kenya, and then lived in Switzerland until after kindergarten. Then my family moved to Williams Lake, B.C., and I lived there up until Grade 8 when we moved to the Bahamas. I was there until Grade 11 and moved back to Canada for my Grade 12 year.
What’s your earliest memory of being moved by music?
Our house always had music in it. I wanted to be a dancer before I wanted to be a singer. I did ballet, tap and jazz at a young age and from there I transitioned into singing in school choirs.
How and why did you start singing?
I started in the Bahamas when I was 13. I was a part of a church youth group and we formed our own band. I taught myself how to play the guitar and started writing songs there.
How would you describe your sound?
I call my sound alternative soul. It’s not your typical old school soul or even what you would expect from an R&B record. It pulls in all of my influences, from rock, jazz, pop, hip-hop and soul.
Tell me about your experience making your second album, Aware.
I really enjoyed making Aware. The process was different from my first album because I already had songs written that I gathered together for it and the recording of it was spread out over about a year and a half. But for Aware I got to write specifically for that album. It made me really want to focus my thoughts and it pushed me to write songs that reflected where I was at that point in my life and allowed me to create individually unique songs, but still a very cohesive body of work. We ended up recording the album in May 2012. That was a different experience as well, because we did five-day work weeks with eight hours a day (sometimes more). I think I like that a bit more, because it allowed us to focus on one song at a time, instead of trying to race the clock all the time.
You have some vintage sounds like horns mixed in with some modern production. How do you balance the classic and contemporary?
For this record I worked with two amazing producers from Edmonton — Mr. Smith and Freddy B. They understood the sound that I was trying to achieve but also helped me to step out of my comfort zone a little. We weren’t afraid to experiment with different sounds and technologies, but it was important to me that it sounded real and that it had those real live sounding elements like horns, and electric guitars.
What do you love to sing about?
I love to sing about life and experiences. Because I write everything I sing, it’s important that it means something to me, and that I can relate to it, even if it’s not necessarily about me.
What do you love to write about?
I consider myself to be an observer and I’m really a quiet person when I’m not onstage, and so I tend to take in what’s going on around me and use that as inspiration for my songs. Again, life and experiences play a huge role in my songwriting. I want it to be real and relatable.
What is the story behind the song “Take it or Leave it”?
Listen
Listen to "Take it or Leave it" by Nuela Charles.
“Take it or Leave It” was written while I was living in Vancouver for a year. I was at a point where I had to decide what I wanted to do with my life and how I was going to do it. Sometimes things look shinier from far away but once you get up close you realize that the grass, definitely, is not always greener on the other side and that eventually you’re going to have to choose right or left, because being stuck in the middle never really does anything for you.
How about “Unfortunate Love”?
Listen
Listen to "Unfortunate Love" by Nuela Charles.
“Unfortunate Love” began as a guitar riff and just the words, “Unfortunate Love.”
It stemmed from experiences in relationships by the people around me and by myself. Things don’t always work out the way you want, whether it’s just bad timing or bad chemistry — it’s unfortunate (pun intended).
What do you think of the term “indie” or “alternative” R&B? Would you classify yourself as that?
I think that when people think of “R&B” they usually think of '90s R&B — Aaliyah, early Destiny’s Child, 702, etc. I think more and more R&B artists today are beginning to branch out and experiment with instrumentation, arrangements and different sounds, like Janelle Monae, Miguel and the Weeknd, to name a few. I would definitely classify myself as alternative.
You are getting a lot of love from Edmonton, what does that mean to you?
It means a lot! I love the music community here. It’s really supportive and encouraging and Alberta Music has been a staple in my growth as an artist here.
What has been your favourite performance in Edmonton?
My favourite performance in Edmonton would definitely have to be my Aware album release in October 2012. It was a new beginning for me here in Edmonton — new sound, new songs, and I loved every minute of it!
You’re playing CMW in March in Toronto. How do you approach a gig like that?
I’m super excited for CMW. This will be my first time there. I played at North by Northeast as a solo act last year before the album came out, but I will be bringing out my whole band this time. Showcases are definitely different than a regular gig — the audience is constantly moving in and out of venues checking out different bands, and it’s our job to try to keep them in the room for as long as possible. It’s like a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it!
What’s next?
The music video for “Unfortunate Love” will be released soon, and then we’ll be heading out on a western Canadian tour at the end of April. We will also be headlining the last night of the TransCanada Alberta Music Series in Calgary on April 6, as well as performing at the 2013 Edmonton Music Awards on April 29.
Related:
Nuela Charles on CBC Music
CBC Music producers pick their favourite overlooked Searchlight acts
Maylee Todd's new video, 'Baby's Got It'