INTERVIEW: Charles Fauna
Charles Fauna
The Photo Ladies Interview
Brooklyn based songwriter, producer and performer Charles Fauna has a sound that is described as euphoric, colorful alt-pop that explores themes such as death, anxiety, loneliness and existentialism. His goal is to challenge the notions of popular music, moving past the typical romance and revelry into the realm of empathy and self-awareness. He began his solo endeavor early in 2017 and has been featured in publications such as Billboard, NYLON, Idolator, EARMILK and Noisey. Having grown up with a father who worked as a television producer, he was exposed to the entertainment industry at a young age and learned to play a variety of instruments throughout his childhood. Rather than ever being focused on the theory of music, his interest leaned more towards the art of storytelling that would allow him to reach people with a story and think about things. Since his teen years, he has been writing and recording music in his home studio. Initially from LA, he moved to NY to study sociology at NYU, ultimately moving to Brooklyn to explore his passion for music and songwriting. He released his debut EP Eulogy in 2018, which was inspired by a hit-and-run accident he witnessed in Brooklyn and explores the issues of self-esteem, mental health and why we exist. He recently released his debut full length album Yonder on April 17th via Sleep Well Records. Yonder follows a sliver of humanity selected to leave a devastated, apocalyptic Earth behind to start a new community on Mars called "Project Yonder." The 16 year old protagonist questions humanity and is appalled by her fellow travelers who refuse to reflect on the selfish excessiveness and gluttony that led to Earth's inhabitability. Rejecting "Project Yonder" and its patrons, she steals a small spaceship and sets off in search of a more forward-thinking environment. Eventually she discovers planet Neon Eden, a nirvana with pink skies, lush fields of lavender and orange and bioluminescent wildlife. Perfection? Not quite. Living in paradise without family, friends and even those she held in disdain, is not the answer. In the end she returns to civilization with a renewed appreciation for what drives humanity -- interpersonal connection, community and love. You can follow Charles Fauna and stay up-to-date with all upcoming news, as well as stream and purchase his music, via the following links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud | iTunes/Apple Music | YouTube | Deezer | Google Play
You will be releasing your debut full-length album ‘Yonder’ on April 17th and have hope that the album, and the concepts found within, can be used to help build a community and conversation in this time of social distancing. What can you tell me about the process of making the album and what role do you feel that music currently plays in bringing people together? How did you go about deciding which songs to release as singles ahead of the album’s release?
The entire concept from the very beginning of Yonder was commonality; bringing people together over things that we mutually experience. My idea was to do this by exploring concepts that are infinitely bigger than we are as people; God, spirituality, love, death etc. I wanted the main character to be deeply yearning for something more, some greater connection. I personally am not religious in any way, but I do believe in unknowable natural forces which humans might experience as “god.” I had hoped that the protagonists journey might speak to some people who feel lost in their own lives. And that this might be the common feeling that unites listeners of this record: wanting something profound, but not necessarily knowing what that even is. Music is one of few modes of expression that can enable this sort of bond between strangers. It’s storytelling at its most purely emotional, and explicitly primal. As for the singles, we always knew that Apollo and Listen would be out first because they were finished first and, at least for me personally, showed the most promise.
The theme of your album is about a 16 year old protagonist who leaves a devastated planet earth to form a new community on Mars called Project Yonder, only to leave and discover the paradise of Neon Eden, then realizing that living without those she loves and even disdains is not the answer. How did you develop the concept for the album and how do you feel it mirrors today’s society? With an appreciation for the interpersonal connection, community, and love that drives humanity, what examples of those qualities can you see in the world currently and what do you see as our biggest challenges?
The greatest illusion in our world is separation. We are all one people, but we live as if divided. Be it the borders of nations, the doctrines of religions, or the colors of our skin, people BELIEVE themselves to be different from others. To me this is our biggest challenge, and one that I try to address on Yonder by trying to make all of our earthly concerns seem irrelevant. The earth is literally left behind in the first song of the record and the main character is forced to wrestle with the beyond, the cosmos, the infinite nothingness of the universe, and come out on the other side with some meaning. I wanted to tell a story in music that made other records seem simple and narrow-minded. I wanted to leave behind the typical subject material of popular music and delve into a more philosophical space, where the listener could experience the euphoria of uplifting, fun, colorful pop while still considering forces above and beyond their control. Early on I began toying with imagery of outer space and this eventually became the perfect place to set my story.
Why was it important for you for ‘Yonder’ to have characters and a beginning, middle, and end to tell a story that your listeners could really get lost in?
I have always been spellbound by the tradition of storytelling. I used to run around my parents back yard as a kid telling stories to myself, completely disappearing into worlds of my own design. When it came time for me to finally make a record and say something with my art, it was important to me to provide this kind of experience to other people. I did not want to simply compile my 10 best songs and release them, I wanted to go the extra mile and create a place, an environment for the listener to get absorbed in. Those were the records I loved most as a kid and so that’s the first kind of record I made when it was my turn. Whether it actually worked or not, I suppose time will tell!
What can you tell me about the artists and inspiration behind the artwork for your singles, as well as your album artwork?
I was fortunate enough to collaborate with an incredible visual artist for the look of Yonder. Kamtin Mohager of the musical project The Chain Gang of 1974 developed the visual aesthetic for the record with me. We wanted it to be ethereal, beautiful and dream-like. The idea of clouds, specifically clouds shot from a lower angle, were the way to go. It gives the impression of someone looking up, longing for something, and being small against the massive wonder of the sky.
Your 2018 debut EP ‘Eulogy’ was recorded at your Brooklyn home and mixed at various studios across the five Burroughs. Did you approach the recording of ‘Yonder’ in the same way?
Yes, both Yonder and Eulogy were recorded in similar ways in that they were each entirely recorded and produced by me. I work from home, and mostly by myself. When a song or handful of songs are done I’ll usually take them to a studio to get some fresh input from my friends and to add a few bells and whistles. Yonder made its way to a handful of studios, and saw many different track listings and mixes. The one I settled on is the result of a lot of people’s hard work and I am very grateful to them!
With regards to your song “Abandon”, you have said that it shows you don't have to stay comfortable and complacent in life and that if you abandon what you know, then all that’s left is what you don’t, which can open up a world of limitless new beginnings. What led you to abandon what you knew for the unknown and what new beginnings have you experienced?
The philosophy of ‘Abandon’ is still very present in Yonder. What inspired me to write and say those things was frustration. I felt stuck, stagnant. I was trying so hard to get what I wanted but not seeing any results. I became down on myself and on my work, and started to believe I was inherently not good enough. Abandon was me hitting a wall and then realizing “this wall doesn’t actually exist.” It was a rallying cry to myself that things didn’t have to be this way, and that just because things weren’t turning out how I envisioned didn’t mean that they wouldn’t turn out at all. That I had the power to change my own life and no one else. That idea is something I still grapple with and is all over the new record.
You studied sociology at NYU and have said that you’ve always been fascinated by people, social trends and human behavior. What do you find the most interesting about people and their behavior and what have you been most surprised by? In what ways do you feel that your studies have influenced your view of societies and your songwriting?
My degree in sociology can both positively and negatively impact my songwriting. On the one hand it gave me the tools to view human behaviors on a macro scale, observing trends from which meaningful emotional information can be gleaned. On the other hand sociologists tend to look at things in huge, broad strokes; often missing the day-to-day details that make stories so engrossing. The thing I find most interesting about us is that despite our historical tendencies towards fear and violence we also desperately need each other. We crave connection in various ways yet are loathe to admit it. We see ourselves as above the natural world yet we are very much apart of it; animals who have conquered the earth with our minds, yet who are still beholden to it.
You recently did a remix of the song “Gold” by IYVES. What can you tell me about that experience and how the opportunity came about? What do you enjoy about the process of remixing other artist’s tracks and do you have more planned for the future?
IYVES is a friend of mine in the Brooklyn music scene. I’ve always been a fan of her music and when I heard she was in need of some remixes for her new single “Gold” it was a no-brainer. My whole angle with remixes is to take the song as far in a different direction as the artist will allow. I love showing people alternate versions of their music and themselves.
You have said that when you were growing up and realized music was something you really wanted to pursue and we’re good at, that you were less interested in learning about music theory and more focused on storytelling. What inspired your love of storytelling and how how do you go about incorporating storytelling in your songwriting? In what ways has songwriting broadened your mind?
My love of storytelling comes from my love of being told a story. I love not only getting lost in stories but understanding stories: how they work, what aspects of a story make the audience feel something, how certain stories survive and are cherished more than others. Every time I sit down to watch a movie or a tv show I imagine a group of people trying to communicate an idea or feeling to me and study the ways in which they go about that. Stories ARE culture. Songs are often stories told in miniature with profuse emotional output. By writing a song you are inadvertently embodying the role of the storyteller, which to me is very much connected to our heritage as human beings. It fulfills me in the truest sense of the word.
After the release of your ‘Eulogy’ EP, you discussed working on music that was not your own for a few months in an effort to broaden your portfolio as a producer and composer. How did you become interested in producing and composing and what can you tell me about those aspects of your music career?
Composing became my job because it was a way to get paid for doing what I love. I still consider myself to be a bit of a novice when it comes to composing for film and tv, it’s an entirely different creative process than personal songwriting. I had some friends working at various media companies that were always asking me to send them unused demos. Eventually I did and a few of those connections turned into regular freelance gigs. At some point it became possible for me to do that and live off of it. Any job that lets you live off of your creative efforts is a gift, and when I realized I could do it full time I dove right in. Still working on it, but am very grateful.
What inspired the idea for your On The Spot videos, where people give you a genre and a topic and you write a song on the spot? They sound fun! How has the response been?
The On the Spot videos exist because making up songs and voices on the spot is something I do for fun anyway. My close friends will tell you that I am a relentless goofball. I am constantly making stupid voices, botched impressions or making fun of things at the piano. I decided to challenge myself and put this unseen skill to the test by trying to see how fast I could do it. The response has been really cool! More often than not it makes people laugh and that makes my whole day.
With regards to your track “Listen”, what led you to partner with local schools to ask kids ”what do you wish people knew about you?”. What did you take away from that experience?
The kids’ responses were at once heart warming and heart breaking. It makes you realize how astute most children are, how full of desire they can be. I saw myself in so many of their answers and that was the most profound thing. I was grateful for their honesty.
What’s next for you?
After Yonder there will be a second album. I’m already working out a track list for that. But until things calm down and become safer in the world I’ll continue to create for anyone who is kind enough to listen.