Meet Charli Adams

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charli Adams.

Hi Charli, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
I grew up in Alabama as the youngest of a pretty big family. I used to cut out tickets to deliver from room to room for my family to attend my concert as a child. At four years old, I asked my mom to take me to a “recording studio,” and that was where I recorded my first song before I could even read. I moved to Nashville at 17 on my own because I knew I wanted to pursue music, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I found myself in a super inspiring scene of musicians & cut my teeth playing as many shows a month as I could. I worked a serving job & writing and listening to as much music as physically possible. I love performing for the sake of connecting with others, but writing has always been the most magical part. I was a pretty sensitive kid, so when I wrote my first melodramatic song, I remember my mom asked if I was okay. I responded with, “It’s just a song, mom,” & it was the greatest feeling ever to have an outlet to put my feelings into in a way that felt easy. We all know it’s not “just a song,” but that was the beginning of me using music as a personal diary. I now live in Los Angeles & am working on my next project. I write for other artists as well, which has been a super rewarding experience. I love to really get to know someone’s experience & help them translate those emotions into lyrics that sometimes rhyme. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I feel like the road to being a successful female artist is as bumpy as it gets. I’ve been told who I “should” be and how being authentically myself could “never work” more times than I can count. I always remind myself that I don’t know many artists that I look up to who haven’t been told the same, and I’m so thankful that those artists didn’t believe what they were told. One of the biggest challenges for me has been the ability to see the thing I love the most, my passion & expression, as a business & my livelihood. I’m constantly trying to protect my creativity to be its most authentic form, despite the business-minded feedback I get from non-creatives. The lack of financial stability in the pursuit of being an artist can be grueling and exhausting as well. It’s an incredibly unreliable source of income & that’s why so many creatives have part-time jobs to support themselves and in this economy, it can feel impossible at times. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I would say that first, I’m a songwriter. I’m obsessed with the process of transmuting feelings into lyrics that can help others feel seen when listening. I guess I would say I specialize in romanticizing the world around me in order to write about it. When I write for others, I love to dig deep and assist them in writing the feelings that are more difficult to access. It feels really special to get it all out in a way that is palatable for listeners who can relate but sometimes struggle to put words to the feeling. I think I’m most proud of my ability to dig deep emotionally, which has felt like a curse at times, but at my core, I’m a feeler. At the same time, having songwriting as a career has been the best compliment to being a feeler. It gives me a place to put the feelings, something positive and tangible as a result of all the heavy or beautiful experiences of life. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice for someone starting out as a songwriter or artist would be to find what feels truly authentic to you before allowing outside opinions into your creative field. Spending time with your creativity and keeping it as your own until you’re ready can be really crucial to standing your ground and knowing your boundaries. I unfortunately learned that lesson the hard way but learning that is valuable and helps to better understand your goals so that you can identify when potential team members’ goals don’t align with your own. I think it’s also important to find like-minded creatives to surround yourself with, who can understand the very unique experience of being an artist. Also, horse-blinders. It’s never been easier to compare yourself to others, but we all know that comparison is the killer of joy. Scrolling the internet can really waste your valuable time you have to connect with your craft, so my advice is to be present in your life; that’s where all the inspiration truly comes from. 

Contact Info:

• Website: charliadams.com
• Instagram: @charliadams

Image Credits
Luke Rogers
Mason Goodson