CHARLS wrote Heartbreak Looks Good On Me while the breakup behind it was still unfolding. The London-based singer-songwriter’s debut album follows that experience almost chronologically, preserving the anger, uncertainty and returning confidence without smoothing away the mess.
“There’s always the temptation to make things perfect but there’s just nothing perfect about having your heart broken,” she tells FM PRO.
Much of the record took shape with producer Phil Simmonds in the basement of a North London carpet shop. That comfortable setting gave CHARLS room to write without polishing every feeling first, while the production carried her voice beyond the lead vocal: sampled and reversed phrases, created using an OP1, became part of the instrumentation.
On Paranoid Heart, co-written with Sarah Close, shared experiences of betrayal made space for the anger she had struggled to express directly.
Returning under the name CHARLS after releasing music as Charlotte Jane, she also draws a firm boundary around her creative decisions. Social platforms offer room to experiment, but streaming data does not dictate the songs.
In this FM PRO 10Q, she discusses writing through heartbreak, knowing when a production needs less, and finding the resilience to release music on her own terms.
I am not, however, willing to change who I am or what I put out to the world for anyone anymore. — CHARLS
Q1. Heartbreak Looks Good On Me was created as the breakup was still progressing. What did writing from inside the experience capture that hindsight might have softened or changed?
Honestly it captured the chaos and all of the intensity. I’m sure I could come out with much more refined versions of all of the songs if I re-drafted them now. But I really didn’t want to mess with the rawness of how I felt and sounded in the moment. There’s always the temptation to make things perfect but there’s just nothing perfect about having your heart broken and I’m really proud of how the music reflects that.
Q2. Seeing yourself looking confident in a post-breakup photoshoot inspired the album’s title track. Why did that moment seem like the onset of a new chapter?
There’s something really powerful about realising that something so painful is clearly for the best. It wasn’t just that I looked confident, I was visibly glowing and had my spark back. It was impossible to ignore and helped me trust that life was going to be better from that moment on.
Q3. You and Sarah Close wrote Paranoid Heart after discovering that you had both experienced betrayal. How did that common understanding change the vibe in the room and the direction of the song?
It completely removed any filter and any cap on the level of lyrical pettiness that either of us deemed acceptable. When you know you’re preaching to the choir, you just throw everything into the pot without fear of being judged or misunderstood. Writing that song was like an exorcism, I think that’s quite audible.
Q4. Paranoid Heart channels bottled-up anger into something bold and defiant. What did making the track allow you to finally say—or release?
I didn’t really have the minerals to get angry and properly say my piece when the relationship ended. I also found out more details after the fact, and I decided not to re-open lines of contact in order to address them. Writing Paranoid Heart gave me the chance to get it all out and it was incredibly cathartic. Allowing myself to get angry turned out to be a very pivotal moment in helping me move on.
Q5. The singles move through vulnerability, frustration and empowerment. Did you sequence the album to represent the stages of heartbreak, or did that narrative occur naturally?
For the most-part it occurred naturally. It’s almost entirely chronological, save for a few tweaks. Quite a few of the tracks were written as A and B sides on back to back days. For example 21 Days and I’m Not Missing You, Paranoid Heart and Heads Up. If you really dial in to the lyrics you can hear that they’re two sides of the same coin. I definitely wanted to honour that timeline as much as possible so you come along on the journey as you listen.
Q6. You made much of the record with your best friend in the basement of a North London carpet shop. How did that unconventional space shape the album’s intimacy and essence?
It felt like home. It felt like you could never do or say anything wrong. Nothing had to be polished and perfect to exist in that space. I am certain that, had we written the record anywhere else, it just wouldn’t have sounded anything like it does.
Q7. Returning as CHARLS rather than Charlotte Jane represents both creative independence and a more authentic version of yourself. What did you need to leave behind to make that transition possible?
I definitely needed to leave some parts of myself and my life at home. That’s been a really important separation that I’ve learned to make for my own mental stability and sense of self. A huge thing was also letting go of the past. Being grateful for every twist and turn that my career has taken up to this point and not staying hung up on the parts that didn’t work out the way I’d initially hoped. Onwards and upwards is the vibe.
Q8. Alongside music, you are a trained personal trainer and CrossFit athlete. Has the discipline—and physical release—of training influenced how you write, perform or process difficult emotions?
The biggest impact has been on my career resilience. I definitely depend on physical movement as an additional outlet for helping me deal with stress/anger/low mood. However the single most valuable learning has been bettering my ability to handle challenges and knowing that I am so much stronger and more capable than I had ever previously realised. I know I can do hard things and come out the other side better/stronger/fitter.
Q9. FM PRO TECH: Phil Simmonds produced the album, while Cam Blackwood and Nick Hahn helped begin its creative path. Which production choices were most important in balancing the intense feeling of the songs with their bigger pop arrangements?
Phil really cleverly layered my vocals into the production in places you may not even pick up on first listen. We used the OP1 to sample and reverse vocal licks, and made them part of the instrumentation. I think that contributes to the feel even when the production is bigger or busier. I think the other winning ingredient was his ability to know when to add and when to leave it. We never wanted to bury the feeling.
Q10. FM PRO TECH: As an independent artist releasing through The Orchard, how are streaming data, social platforms and direct audience feedback influencing your decisions—and where do you draw the line to protect instinct from the algorithm?
Literally not at all. I’ve come into the process willing to be successful and also willing to fail. I am not, however, willing to change who I am or what I put out to the world for anyone anymore. I’ve definitely had great fun trial and erroring on social media and taking notice of the kind of posts that do well and those that don’t. But that’s about it.
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