Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charlie McCord. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Charlie, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
While I’ve been writing and recording music at home since I was a young teen, I never made it a priority to commit to music as much as I have recently. Like many creatives and artists, I created ways to hold myself back with procrastination and a lack of self confidence in my art. In short, I wish I would have invested my working energy of my 20’s into getting my music heard by the right people and had made connections that would bring me to a higher level of success than I reached at that time. I’ve learned to make time for my art and music, and how to prioritize what matters to me now that I’m in my 30’s.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’ve been a longtime guitar player and songwriter here in Los Angeles, but it was only this year that I released my first music as a solo artist. The first single is called “We Are One” – it’s all about spreading positivity and unity in these troubled times. The next single coming out in December 2023 is called “Touch You” and it’s more of a tender song about holding onto people you love, and keeping them close.
This year, I’ve been proud to begin hosting the Listen Songwriters showcase and open mic in downtown LA at a venue called the Stowaway. It’s really great to get to know the songwriting community here in LA even better by hosting these nights. There is so much hidden talent waiting to get exposed, and I feel honored to help promote some amazing performers and musicians.
I was lucky enough to get started playing music at a very young age. My father and older brother both are musicians who inspired me to take up guitar and songwriting. They are both huge creative forces with their own music. My brother Lee Anderson has an electronic music project, and drilled it into me early on to learn everything I can about recording music. My dad is a well accomplished singer and songwriter, playing with icons such as the Ronnettes, Shirelles & Chuck Berry and had song recorded by Bonnie Rait & Dolly Parton over his decades long career.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of music is the connections you can make. Wether you’re a musician or not, music connects people. Maybe it’s a band you and your best friend love, maybe you met your lover at a concert or festival. And if you do play music the connections can be even more rewarding. I’ve spent so many nights just jamming and playing music with friends. No end goal in mind, just feeling the music get created and locking into each other’s aura. Then of course there is the connection you can make with an audience and fans. Getting people to dance, head nod, cry, laugh or generally just have a good time is a huge aspect of why so many people love to create music.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
There is SO MUCH to be learned from a plethora of amazing resources on being creative and promoting your art! I’ve just started working my way this year through the Artist’s Way, which feels like a great way to get in tune with my creative energy and focus that energy to be a productive and prolific artist. I recently also read a book called Atomic Habits which may not seem intuitively a fit for an artist, but was an interesting read. There are so many ways to improve how you work and break down your time by focusing on building good habits and cutting out bad ones.
Online, I’ve been learning a lot from the Ari’s Take podcast and videos from Andrew Southworth. Since I’m releasing some of my first music this year I had to do tons of research on how to promote and make the most out of the songs. These guys were invaluable resources.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CharlieMcCord.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/listencharles/
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6nIe6SVJfZUpvcXzLk0Ern?si=ZIJ4g6XvSBCsN2YH4juR-w Listen Songwriters instagram: https://www.instagram.com/listensongwriters/
Image Credits
Matt Nordman, Jenae Lien, Sebastien LA Show Sots