Vancouver-based rock singer Charlie PS has a sound that can be described as a sonic melting pot. Inspired by a wide variety of rock and blues from legends of the 20th century such as Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson, to modern rock artists that include Grace Potter and ZZ Ward, Charlie borrows elements of strong vocals and energetic riffs and uses them to create her own blended sound rooted in modern-rock.

Prompted by a tendency to consider the worst case scenario, “Down to the Devil” is the latest single from her upcoming EP, Even If It Kills Me. The main hook, “Take my oh-weary soul, Take me down, down to the devil,” came to her after watching prison shows and noticing a recurring theme of southern influenced soundtracks. The chain sound was captured by continuously dropping an industrial chain on the studio floor until it made just the right sound to use as a sample, in order to call back to the inspiration.

What can you share with readers about your new project?

“Down to the Devil” is the third single from my upcoming EP “Even If It Kills Me” which comes out on October 27th. Each song is a bit of a snippet from certain periods of my life over the past 3 years and recognizing things I need to work on, in the songs “Raw” and “Down To The Devil” and celebrating moments of personal growth in “Revival” and “Even If It Kills Me”, with the final song “Slow Burn” focusing on everything that I’ve been wanting to vent about regarding the music industry over the last few years and underlining my intentions in moving forward at this stage of my career.

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

“Down to the Devil” is very similar to a single I had put out in 2021 called “Ghost of You,” both songs coming from a single ‘hook’ idea after being inspired by some very southern/western style films I was watching at the time and I based the rest of the songwriting around those hooks. Both songs have small aspects that correlate back to my own personal experiences but are for the most part just a great excuse to do some storytelling.

What about this single makes you most proud?

I had gone into the studio with this song completely mapped and ready to go but once we recorded everything it just didn’t sound the same as the concept I had in my head. We sat for about 4 hours and reworked different things from a production standpoint and when all was said and done it still came out differently than I had originally anticipated, but in a way that I was at peace with because it was organically unique. I’m proud of this because in the past I’ve agonized over this same problem and the solution was just to scrap the song and write something else but I’ve come to realize that pushing through and trusting the process is a much more productive use of time.

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

Sonically, I was just excited to release something different than what I’ve put out in the past, mixing alt rock and southern rock genres, but my goals were focused visually in creating something that was simple, yet interesting to watch that I could also use as content on my social media platforms. I don’t often think in a very ‘social media’ forward way which is something I am currently working towards being better at because as much as I wish it was primarily about the music, the world doesn’t work that way in today’s age. We shot the music video vertically and then created 6 different visual loops that are all synced together for the full video but can also be pulled apart to use as 6 separate reels to help promote the single across my social media accounts.

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

Primarily other artists, the good and the bad in life and film/tv. The things that inspire me to create music also motivate me to keep going. There are stressful days where I wonder why I keep going with music and where my place is in the industry and I just try to give myself some extra patience and grace on those days, maybe put down what I’m doing and get outside with my headphones on and listen to some of my favorite music and I find that almost always brings me back down to earth.

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

It would be Grace Potter. She is an incredible story teller and performer and I’ve been obsessed with everything she’s done since discovering her album ‘The Lion, The Beast, The Beat’. She’s inspired me in so many ways. https://www.instagram.com/graciepotter/

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

The last song I listened to was ‘Last Damn Night’ by Elle King though I’ve been listening to The Beaches album ‘Blame My Ex’ on repeat lately. 🙂
My music tastes are all over the place so buckle up for this eclectic mix; my top 5 go-tos would be Queen, Grace Potter, Chris Stapleton, The Struts and Elton John.

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

I am on all social media platforms as @CharliePSMusic and my website is www.charlieps.com

I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

I really appreciate YOUR time and for having me on Indie Music Discovery. As an indie artist and I’m sure some can relate, I tend to feel lost in a sea of many other artists all pushing for the same goal so I’m very grateful to get to sit down and talk a little bit about the new music I’m excited for and my intentions behind that music. 🙂