Charlie Weathersby's "Iridescent Sky" is the newest addition to the 80s-inspired 'sad bop' genre. Charlie blends their folksy lyricism with a little bit of twang and a love for ambient synth pop in this summer hit. In Charlie’s pop paradise, it’s always 1989. Blending ethereal electric guitar with an 80s inspired drum machine, “Iridescent Sky” delivers as the freshest addition to your go-to sad girl summer playlist. Poignant poetics and a folksy narrative structure set “Iridescent Sky” apart from mainstream pop.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Charlie Weathersby, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi Kamil! I’m Charlie. I’m a non-binary singer-songwriter based in San Antonio, TX. I’m a scorpio and I love my cat more than life itself.
What role does the artist have in society?
That is a great question! Wow, I think artists have so many different roles in the world whether it be relief, comfort, entertainment, making a stand. The world would be nothing without art.
Your latest song is 'Iridescent Sky'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
For sure! “Iridescent Sky” started out as just some mildly-inebriated ramblings over my guitar. It’s funny because when I wrote it I was like “wow, I really am shifting away from pop music”. Then, I made it a pop song. I find music production to be such a crucial part of the storytelling in songwriting and one day it just occurred to me that because the lyrics aren’t very pop-y, that made it perfect to be an 80s-inspired sad bop. You can dance to it or cry to it and I love that.
What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
I’ve done a little bit of everything. I definitely have always had a day job and I actually graduated with a degree in History last year.
What do you dislike about the art world?
I dislike artists tearing each other down to bring themselves up. I feel like you see it a lot, especially on social media, where it becomes trendy to dislike whatever is popular at the time and say “see! I make *real* art, unlike *that* person”. It’s so childish and disrespectful, in my opinion.
Is the artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?
It certainly can be, if you let it. I just make sure that I give myself the room to live life so I have things to write about.
What superpower would you have and why?
Oooo! I love this one! I would want to be able to teleport. All the travel in the world without dealing with the airport? Sign me up!
What is your dream project?
My dream project would be one big collaborative album with all of my biggest inspirations. Or maybe a film where I had all the creative control over making the soundtrack. Either would be incredible.
What is your favourite or most inspirational place (in San Antonio)?
My favorite places in town are the historic neighborhoods. I love history and I love architecture. Just driving around all the beautiful homes makes my heart happy.
What are your plans for the future?
Musically, I just want to keep writing and creating and performing. In life, I just want to keep being a twenty-something figuring their shit out.