This is the archived SXSW 2012 schedule. Please see the current schedule here.

Charlie Simpson

#sxsw #CharlieSimpson

1471

At 26 years, Charlie has already spent almost half his life as a professional songwriter and frontman. Starting out as a beleaguered punk-pop heartthrob in multi-platinum act Busted, he broke free of the major label shackles to form a new band, Fightstar, more suited to his taste for alternative, post-hardcore and metal infused rock. 5 years later, after their third album hit the UK indie chart at #1 and the band had headlined a sold out 2,000 capacity show at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, the band went on a hiatus. “We couldn’t write another Fightstar record,” reveals Charlie of the time. “We’d burned ourselves out. We’d done three records in a row." This provided an opportunity to focus on a solo project; Charlie’s love for acoustic based sonics has always run alongside his interest in harder and heavier sounds. “When I was getting into metal when I was younger, bands like the Deftones and Sepultura, I also had a massive passion for singer songwriters like Jeff Buckley and Jackson Browne”. Enlisting producer Danton Supple (Coldplay) Charlie went into the studio in summer 2010 with material already written and demo'd. The first single 'Down Down Down' was released in April 2011 and was immediately picked up by BBC Radio 1 as 'Record Of The Week'. As the campaign gathered steam, much of the british media came out to support Charlie and his new sound, with multiple national TV and Radio performances, and features running in broadsheets (Guardian) and tabloid (Daily Star) newspapers alike. Online, the enthusiasm for his solo effort was palpable- his YouTube channel has reached over a million views. The album 'Young Pilgrim' was released in August 2011 and debuted at #6 on the UK chart, a triumph for an independent artist. The intimate feel and vintage warmth of the songs have also garnered numerous sync opportunities including Channel 4 hit TV show 'Made In Chelsea' and ABC's 'Cougar Town'. Charlie is currently touring the album at sold out venues across the UK and preparing for release in Germany and abroad.

Music Video

Our Awesome 2012 Sponsors
Plat_sponsor1