We were lucky to catch up with Charlie Harrison recently and have shared our conversation below.

Charlie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I earned my first dollar performing in a dingy bar on Sixth Street in Austin.

I arrived in Austin to go to school and had the good fortune of being paired with a roommate who played guitar. We taught each other an hour or so worth of songs and then talked a bar into giving us 3 hours the next week.

When the gig rolled around, we packed the place with everyone we could find. I think our friends thought it was cool to know the band and appreciated the generally laid back attitude the club took towards the drinking age.

I remember watching with excitement and terror as the room filled. Fortified from trips to the bar and beers from the crowd, I stepped up to the mic sang my heart out. It sounded awful, but our friends sang along and the bar was happy to be packed on a Wednesday. We were off to the races. I’d guess that the bar got the money I made back in short order, but I was hooked.

I felt like I’d gotten away with something. People would pay me to play music. What could be better?

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Houston songwriter and musician.

I love creating music. I’ve been doing it for myself as long as I can remember and I’ve been performing for audiences all of my adult life.

For the last ten years I’ve been writing and playing with my band, Charlie and The Regrets. I’ve been lucky to play stages I dreamed about as a kid with a bunch of talented friends.

Recently, I’ve been writing and producing with other artists. I am really proud of the work I’ve collaborated on; from friends’ singles to scoring Seth Myers’ reading of his children’s book with Houston great, The Mighty Orq.

Right now, I am continuing to write and play with my band and always looking for an opportunity to make something new. I am working to expand who I write with and for and I am excited to see what new creative challenges I can take on. I hope your readers will be in touch if they are looking for original music to help them tell their story.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I love creating new ideas and music with my friends.

On the best nights, the band finds this place where everything fits and all of a sudden it’s like we are in each other’s heads. Its more playing than performance.

On those nights, we can feel the audience with us. Like we are all playing and dancing together. This is amazing.

Off the stage, I get satisfaction from writing songs. I am always working on a few and I literally jump with excitement when I figure out what is missing from the latest. I try to write open mindedly while keeping to what feels right for me.

It is a particularly sweet feeling when you find out that something you wrote means something to someone else.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think that it can be hard for people to understand that creative work isn’t always linear. I think we tend to want to start at point A and build to B but I am at my best when I allow myself to wander. I have gotten comfortable not knowing where I am going, but I don’t think it works for everybody.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.CharlieHarrisonMusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlieandtheregrets/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlieandTheRegrets
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/andTheRegrets
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieandTheRegrets

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Charlie and Oreo Harrison. Photo credit: TMO Photography, Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/tmophotography_ Photo of Charlie on stage with band (L to R: Mark RIddell, Charlie Harrison, Isaias Gill, Willy T. Golden). Photo credit: Jimmy Moreland (www.jimmymorelandweddings.com). All other images from Charlie Harrison. Willy Golden, Charlie Harrison and Mark Riddell pictured in front of Gruene Hall. Isaias Gill, Mark Riddell and Charlie Harrison pictured at The Rustic, downtown Houston.