Charlotte Dickson’s songwriting delves into the complexities of human connection and the emotions we often struggle to put into words – from betrayal and resentment to anxiety, attachment, and the unraveling of connections that leave more questions than answers. With unfiltered honesty and a deeply personal approach to storytelling, the emerging singer-songwriter captures the messiness of love, loss, and emotional conflict in a way that feels both deeply individual and universally understood.
With her debut album, COLLATERAL DAMAGE, out now, we took some time to hear from Charlotte Dickson. Read below to learn more about Charlotte Dickson, the story behind COLLATERAL DAMAGE, and what’s to come.
Hi Charlotte Dickson! Let’s start with how did you choose your stage name?
Charlotte Dickson is actually my birth given, government name. I’ve thought about switching over to a stage name a few times, but I always seem to come back to using my real name. I’ve always thought that maybe something, such as my name, should be hidden to keep a part of me and my life private, but I already expose and confess a lot of my personal life and emotions through my music, so using my name has started to feel like it makes the most sense.
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I’m originally from Ukiah, CA, but I had spent the last five years in the LA area after signing with my record label. Since then, I’ve been back and forth between the North Bay Area and SoCal.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
Since I was eleven years old, I’ve always known that music was a career I wanted to pursue. However, I didn’t make the decision to pursue it professionally until I was seventeen. Ukiah is a pretty small town so through word of mouth I booked smaller gigs from ages 12-17. I would perform at open mics and wineries to get myself out there. After moving out to the LA area I progressed to bigger stages and recorded my original music.
How would you describe your sound?
If I had to describe my sound, I would describe it as alternative pop with a hint of rock aspects. My sound is very emotionally charged and honest, so I intend for the instruments behind my vocals to match the emotion I portray in my lyrics.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Some of my main musical influences are Ethel Cain, Lola Young, and Julia Wolf. These three artists have put out many songs that have made me feel the exact way that I want to make others feel while listening to MY music. Like someone is speaking my own thoughts and experiences, with specificity and raw emotion.
What artist and song made you want to create music?
When I was younger, Paramore was one of my favorite bands. I would sing “Misery Business” all the time around the house, excluding certain parts since I was basically a child. That was my first glimpse into music as a passion.
If you could hear any other artist cover one of your songs, who would it be?
My dream would be to hear Brakence cover one of my songs. He’s one of my favorite artists and has been for years now, so hearing him sing one of my songs would be an absolute dream. He’s also one of my dream collaborations.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Outside of music my current hobby is crocheting, and drawing. I’ve always loved forms of art that you can make with your hands. I feel like in a way it’s something that I can do creatively, where I can also shut my brain off. It’s become a very calming activity for me that also keeps my creative brain moving.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
Since I was little I had always wanted to create my own album. Songs that I’ve written that make sense put together, and for that reason I would have to say that dropping my debut album has been one of the proudest moments in my career, since it was a huge personal goal for me for a long time. Outside of my album release, I was in the top 5 pop hits in Germany after releasing my single, “Unknown,” which was also a huge accomplishment for me.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that you have to love what you’re doing to feel accomplished and proud of your own work. I can confess that in the early stages I had always tried to do what was “on trend” when it came to my music. Which now a days can help as far as social media with growing your audience, but if it’s not authentic to you it can create a huge sense of imposter syndrome and it makes doing the thing you love less enjoyable…and people can tell. More so, it doesn’t feel good when you’re not doing what feels like you.
Now onto your release, COLLATERAL DAMAGE. What inspired this album?
A lot of my inspiration for this album came from personal experiences. I wanted my debut album to be something personal to me. A piece of myself that I could share with the world. One of the big reasons I listen to music is to hear other people’s stories, and to feel heard and seen by another person out there in the world. My main goal was to be that for others through this album. I pulled from the most confusing, difficult and emotional experiences in my life for this project.
What is the overall theme of COLLATERAL DAMAGE?
The overall theme of COLLATERAL DAMAGE is that very emotional, negative and life changing experiences can happen without having any control. A lot of things in this world are out of our control and we can sometimes be collateral damage to those situations, but we in our own lives have to figure out a way to navigate it and continue on. I chose to turn mine into a creative outlet.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for COLLATERAL DAMAGE?
After writing my songs, I usually associate a color with them, depending on the mood of each song. For me, a majority of the songs I chose for the album feel like blue and yellow. Yellow was a little too happy, considering most of my songs are pretty emotional and dark, so I leaned super heavy into blue for the cover art. When shooting the photo itself I wanted to incorporate smoke in some way, signifying something that is heavy but can dissipate quickly. A majority of my songs are based around experiences that were heavy for me, but didn’t last forever.
What was the creative process like when making COLLATERAL DAMAGE?
When I started the writing process of my album, I had acrylic nails and didn’t know how to play guitar with them, so I wrote a lot of my lyrics over YouTube “type beats.” The demos that I have for a lot of my songs sound nothing like the final tracks. Once I got into the studio, the band helped me with creating a base instrumental for my songs that felt more like me, and more fitting to the lyrics. In the studio we had: Denny Fongheiser on drums and production, Bruce Watson on guitar, Nick Diiorio on bass, and Adam Gimenez on guitar. Not only did they execute an amazing performance, but they were extremely helpful with bringing my vision to life. It’s almost like they could read my mind which made the process so much smoother.
How long did it take to complete COLLATERAL DAMAGE?
My writing for Collateral Damage took place between 2020 – 2024. I had a lot of songs that I didn’t feel right putting out by themselves. When writing songs I usually categorize them with others with a plan to release them as a collection. So technically it took five years to complete the album, but recording took about 4-5 months.
Is there a specific song on COLLATERAL DAMAGE that speaks to you the most? If so, why?
“HATE ME” is definitely one of my songs that speaks to me the most. It’s probably one of the most vulnerable songs that I’ve ever put out, which makes it feel so much closer to home. There have been many times in my life where I felt like I didn’t recognize myself, and that alone has been one of the hardest experiences I’ve been through. Outside battles through life are tough, but the ones inside my own head are the most difficult for me.
What message or messages do you hope fans take away from COLLATERAL DAMAGE and your music in general?
The main message that I want listeners to take from my album is that even though life is crazy and there’s a lot of experiences throughout that are inevitably out of our control, there’s always a lesson to learn, a beauty to come of it, and meaning to all things. Even when you’re caught in the crossfire. From my music specifically, I want people to know that no one out there is alone. There are so many people in the world and no matter how specific and niche your story is, there is always someone out there that will understand you. You just gotta find your crowd.
What’s next? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I don’t have any upcoming releases planned at the moment, but I’m always writing in preparation for possible future projects. I’m currently finishing out my shows for 2026 and preparing for more in 2027.
My next and last 2 shows this year will be:
Andy’s Tavern Konocti Harbor Resort (Kelseyville, CA) on Nov 21st 2026
The Composers Breakfast Club (Malibu, CA) on Dec 7th 2026
A few of my favorite artists have also performed at The Composers Breakfast Club, so I’m extremely excited to be able to share the same stage as some of the artists I admire.
Where can we follow you on social media?
You can follow me on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube: @charlottedicksonofficial
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/charlottedicksonofficial
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@charlottedicksonofficial
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@charlottedicksonofficial
Listen to the full album here:
https://charlottedickson.lnk.to/COLLATERALDAMAGE
Upcoming Shows:
https://www.bandsintown.com/a/15602498
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
