Nuela Charles HAS LANDED
How the Quintessential DIY Star Made the Best Album of Her Life
BY KEVIN YOUNG
Released in mid-September 2022 , Nuela Charles ’ self-titled record says a lot about the singer-songwriter . Not only in terms of her overall journey as an artist , but the process of finding a balance between letting yourself be guided and being confident enough to guide yourself along the often-tricky path indie artists travel over time .
Tricky it may be , but Charles has negotiated the twists and turns in a way that some would find enviable . In recent years , she ’ s continued to expand her reach , in Canada and internationally , with performances in the U . K ., United States , and multiple appearance at Germany ’ s Reeperbahn Festival . During her career , she ’ s toured on her own and in support of high-profile Canadian talents , including Sam Roberts Band , Jann Arden , and Stars .
When we spoke in mid-September , Charles – who now splits her time between Edmonton and Toronto – was coming off an unusually quiet summer . “ I did play shows this summer , but it wasn ’ t super busy because a lot of the festivals were fulfilling 2020 / 21 contracts . We also filmed live performance videos of the whole record in Calgary a couple of weeks ago . So that ’ s what I ’ ve been doing .”
Clearly , however , as pandemic restrictions ease , she ’ s getting busier , quickly . At the time of our interview she was getting ready for another trip to Germany for Reeperbahn , then to Calgary ’ s BreakOut West Festival , and in early October , back to Edmonton for the official album release .
Granted , being busy is no hardship for Charles . She ’ s been described as the epitome of an artist who is independent on pretty much every level . Over the past decade , she ’ s remained a self-managed , self-distributed , self-promoted artist and handled her own bookings . More recently , however , she ’ s landed a distribution deal with AWAL , a publishing deal with CCS Rights Management , and is now represented by one of Canada ’ s biggest agents , Jack Ross at APA . But this record marks perhaps the most crucial change for Charles .
The album reads like a series of meditations on self-healing and affirmation and finding confidence , clarity , and the wherewithal to trust yourself to achieve your vision . Originally , Charles explains , she ’ d intended to name the record for the lead single , “ Awakening ” – an apt title , but one that didn ’ t necessarily reflect how personal and meaningful this album was for her . “ Listening to it front to back multiple times , I was like if it ’ s not called Awakening , then it has to be a self-titled record because , finally , I feel like I ’ ve landed ,” she says .
On this , her fifth full-length record and first
PHOTO : TATIANA ZAGORAC release since 2021 ’ s Blissful Madness EP , Charles isn ’ t so much looking for the place she wants to be as inhabiting that space fully and sticking the landing .
Recorded with Los Angeles-based producer Matt Parad , Nuela Charles represents a sea of change for the three-time Juno Award-nominated artist . Not only musically , but in how she views herself and her creative process ; a testament to the value of not only working with people who “ get ” you , but having the skills to stave off the kind of doubts and uncertainties that so often come with releasing your work into the wild .
Parad understood her right from the beginning , Charles explains , adding that she believes , “ People who are meant to be in your life will end up there . I met Matt by chance through a Zoom songwriting camp smack in the middle of the lockdowns , and he was my first session .”
After talking for a while and bonding over similar musical references , they got down to the business of work . “ Our first writing session was very inspiring . Matt really leaned into the references that I gave him and was very open to allowing me to experiment , which was very freeing . A lot of times , I go into sessions and the producer might say , ‘ we need a record that sounds like this .’” Instead , with Parad , it was all about helping Charles focus on and develop her unique brand of artistry .
Parad ’ s depth of experience working with artists like Max Pope , Anais , and Selah Sue and his ability to infuse soulful R & B with modern pop sensibilities were perfect counterpoints for capturing the vibe of Charles ’ signature brand of alternative soul . So much so that during their ongoing sessions , Charles felt like it was the first time she ’ d been fully encouraged to be herself .
34 CANADIAN MUSICIAN