“Johnny Cash was the reason I wanted to be a songwriter and Patsy Cline was the reason I wanted to be singer,” says Charlie Collins, Australian Musician’s Musician of the Month for May about her musical influences.
Acclaimed singer, songwriter Charlie Collins releases her new album Undone today, April 29, the follow up to her celebrated 2019 record Snowpine. As Charlie tells us, Undone is about “letting go and moving on.” Years in the making, it sees one of Australia’s most gifted songwriters take on new forms and sonic textures reconnecting with her authentic self. A cathartic totem for her Undone sees Charlie reaching new levels of vulnerability but rather than a weakness, laying one’s soul bare requires tapping into unknown resources of strength and resilience.
Another milestone for Charlie was for the first time she leaned into her skills of production; co-producing ‘Are You Even Listening’ and producing album tracks ‘Could I Have Loved You Anymore’ and ‘November’. While Snowpine was about proving to herself that she could do it all on her own, with Undone Charlie wanted to explore musical ideas with other people for the first time. Writing collaborations on Undone include Japanese Wallpaper aka Gabriel Strum and friend of 20 years, Jarryd James, with Xavier, Gabriel and Jarryd also helping to shape the album with production, as well as Scott Horscroft and Joji Malani.
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips sat down with Charlie Collins to discuss her career, gear and the making of her new album Undone.
With 5 million artist streams to her name, Charlie has successfully been building her solo career since 2018. Her ARIA nominated and AIR award winning debut Snowpine won numerous accolades, crossed music genres and saw her perform support slots for Sam Fender, Orville Peck and Gang of Youths with festival appearances at Laneway, Fairgrounds and Woodford Festival.
The Sydney local will be touring Australia in April/May 2022. The Undone Album Tour will see Charlie playing Saturday 30 April at Brisbane’s Black Bear Lodge, Thursday 5 May at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club and Saturday 14 May at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory. Friday July 22 – 24 – Splendour Festival
Tracklisting of Undone
Lovers To Strangers
Just My Luck
Undone
Hit The Lights
Backseat Valentine
Are You Even Listening
November
Skyline
Fuck It
No More To Lose
Couldn’t Have Loved You Anymore