Charles On TV on Life Crises & His Latest Single “Quarter Century”
Interview by Aiden Nelson
Photo by Charlie Szur
Despite the separation of screens and several hundred miles, it’s easy to see that Charles Meyer, better known by his artist name of Charles On TV, is articulate and warm and unafraid of honesty.
“I actually just tested positive for Covid,” he confides with a defeated chuckle as we hop on our Zoom call. But even with Covid, he’s still energetic and articulate as we dive into talking about his latest single and everything that’s led up to it.
The 26-year-old NYC native is making a name for himself in the music scene there, having played venues like Bowery Electric, Knitting Factory, and Union Pool. Some might call his sound “indie pop” but according to Charles “that’s the easy vague answer.”
And it absolutely is. Charles On TV has a sound that is nostalgic yet fresh – to call it simply “indie pop” is a disservice.
“I’m in love with a lot of sounds. It’s fun to use a texture or melody that feels familiar and then add other fun ingredients,” says Charles. He’s inspired by classic musicians like Amy Winehouse and Bryan Wilson from the Beach Boys as well as modern icons like Tame Impala and Steve Lacy.
According to him, “[Lacy] is combining different styles in a way that’s cohesive… he’s listener friendly yet still so unique.”
Those descriptors could just as easily be applied to Charles On TV; his music is easy on the ears yet has a distinct freshness to it, with groovy synth and driving bass lines. There’s something timeless in his songs – Charles says that he “likes to recycle old sounds that are corny and make them new.” With a smile he adds, “sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Even the name Charles On TV is an ode to throwbacks and eccentricity. When Charles was ready to put out his first single, “Love,” in 2020, he realized he wanted a unique moniker to go by. Drawn to three word names, he aimed to channel “disheveled 70’s talk show host” vibes. He also wanted to play on the trope of fantasizing about being on TV and being famous, and thus: Charles On TV was born.
Since that first single of “Love,” several more and an EP have followed. The most recent of which is the introspective single “Quarter Century,” which tackles themes of isolation and feeling lost. According to Charles, the track originally started off as a “melancholy demo” but ended more an “indie and disco” track.
Funky and groovy with bright instrumentation that juxtaposes the existential lyrics, “Quarter Century” is an anthem of vulnerability that any twenty something can relate to. Its honesty is almost surprising, and its introspection makes it a rare gem of lyric prowess.
As much as he wants people to “vibe” to his music – which he absolutely achieves – Charles says: “I want people to be vulnerable with me.”
The single’s accompanying music video, which enhances the vulnerability and lonely aesthetics of the track, was shot in LA, directed Dylan Siegal.
According to Charles, the video came together quickly in a moment of “let’s just do it!”
The video features Charles wandering alone through empty landscapes, images that “hammer in idea of lost feeling of being alone and feeling kind of overwhelmed by vastness,” says Charles. “We wanted to encapsulate that feeling of having a quarter life crisis and not knowing exactly where you’re going.”
Making music videos and having to be on camera can be difficult, notes Charles. But despite his body dysmorphia, he says: “I tried my hardest to put that aside and think about the art itself and the beauty of the images.”
Honesty and a quiet boldness are a thread that runs through Charles’s music. A theme he says he likes to explore is “internal conflict,” seen on songs like “Quarter Century,” which he describes as “an inner dialogue.”
As much as conflict is a common theme, he uses his music more of an exploration rather than a search for an answer. “I don’t always feel the need to resolve it, I haven’t always resolved it myself,” says Charles.
His discography is an invitation for his audience to “be curious and open minded,” feeling their own emotions and interpreting the songs to fit their own life. He says: “I never want people to listen to songs the way I describe them… lyrics can mean different things to different people.”
It’s that openness that allows Charles’s lyrics to hit so hard. Within the specificity, there’s a universality that people can take and apply to their own lives. Authenticity is key, but he wasn’t always so open. He tells me that he that he was “really shy about performing until college,” where joining an acapella group and having access to queer community helped him come into his own.
“Freshman year of college was when I felt like I could be honest about a lot more. I started coming out… it gave me confidence to be on stage,” he notes. “In hindsight,, if you’re hiding something, it’s harder to write from your heart and get up on stage. It’s harder to be real.”
Charles returned to NYC after attending Colorado College and turned to the city itself as another source of inspiration: “Every day is different here. Different faces, different energies. I’m excited by new flavors, both food and music.”
With all its new flavors, the music scene in is also NYC exciting to Charles. Friends of Charles who are also in the NYC music scene will ask each other to open for one another or simply go to shows to support each other. He’s played several iconic venues there and says that “the shows keep getting better and better… the band keeps getting tighter… it’s just fun.”
My conversation with Charles On TV ends with the question of “what’s next?”
The more obvious answer comes, with teasing of new music to come down the line. But then, in true Charles On TV fashion, the more obvious is followed with a surprising honesty.
“I don’t think I’ve reached my potential,” says Charles. “I want to see where I can go with it.”
