It’s time to get to know – Charlotte Emilie, reviewer and Article writer here at ALTCORNER! We set Charlotte 10 questions about their musical likes, their guilty pleasures and what music means to them.
How would you describe your taste in music?
Eclectic. That’s for sure! It ranges from swing to dubstep; from Ludovici Einaudi to Sumo Cyco.
I was brought up on a combination of old school punk music, 80s goth, jazz and motown, that combined with being a child of the nineties, it was always going to be weird and wonderful.
Who do you consider to be your favourite band and why?
That is such a tough one! My all time favourite would have to be My Chemical Romance, I started listening to them at a really difficult time of my life and they saw me through a lot of tough times and they’re one of the first bands that inspired the way I dressed and the things I love, they still do to this day to be honest.
Who is the best live band you’ve ever seen?
I would have to say either Green Day (Revolution Radio tour 2017) or My Chemical Romance (Black Parade tour 2007) – impossible to choose between the two because they were so different and absolutely perfect in their own ways.
Green Day definitely had that raw power, the emotional history (in the songs) and the performance skills with no frills, you could definitely tell why they are one of the worlds biggest rock bands and having first heard them in primary school, it had been a very long time coming.
My Chemical Romance are joint first, because of the sheer theatrics and beauty of the show they put on, it was artistic and down-right flawless and that album, being as amazing as it is was truly brought to life in the show that was put on (When are they getting back together? *sob)
What is the one song that you could listen to forever?
This probably changes depending on my mood but that probably defeats the question.
I’d say Primavera by Ludovici Einaudi, it’s a piece of classical music but with a modern twist and it is so beautiful, it just speaks to my soul as cliche as that sounds, it’s just one of those songs that instantly relaxes you.
What album, if any, was a turning point in your ‘musical life’ and why?
It’s definitely ‘Busted‘ by Busted, that’s pretty much the album I can pinpoint that pushed me further in the direction of liking guitar based music even more than I already did, and encouraged me to branch out and find my own music, further than the music I used to listen to with my parents – I think me loving this album formed the basis for my love of pop-punk bands, and as I became more interested in different sounds and styles, my love for heavier stuff, and more acoustic, softer styles too, which have influenced me and help me build my own tastes and styles.
In 3 words, what makes a good album or song?
Lyrics, Rhythm, Passion.
A festival or a gig? Why?
Festival.
You get to see all your favourite bands in one place, and while doing that you get to take a break away from the real world and join a community, that once you’ve joined, you will make friends for life, I did Download in 2015 and from doing that I made some fantastic friends and had some incredible experiences – seeing Slipknot in the pouring rain playing Vermilion was definitely a highlight!
Who would be your 3 dream festival headliners?
My Chemical Romance (*sob), AFI, HIM.
Who are the best new band you’ve discovered lately that everyone should know about?
Kitty In a Casket, definitely. If you like rockabilly with a horror punk twist, they’ll be right up your alley. They’re just really fun, upbeat, full of personality and really good live too, go check out their single ‘Sticks and Stones’.
What band or artist is your secret, or not so secret, guilty pleasure?
If you look through my iTunes playlist you’ll see so many, but I’d say by far the worst is definitely Aqua, I used to love them when I was younger and to be honest not much has changed in my love for them, they’re just insanely upbeat and happy, it’s impossible to be sad when listening to them and it takes me back to the days of dancing round my bedroom using my hairbrush as a microphone! Busted is also definitely up there too on the Guilty Pleasure list too.