We were lucky to catch up with Story Charlemagne recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Story , thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It was certainly a risk making the decision 3 years ago to relocate from New York down to North Carolina (the only state on the east coast where I have no family or support structure.) Within that journey, I honestly did not think I would allow myself to attempt the seemingly impossible task of being a full-time performer.

I first started attending open mics after about a year of living in the Triangle area, which is where I met Brian Jones. Later, I learn he has been running open mics for close to decade, one scheduled for almost every day of the week. It was a dream to so quickly be able to find opportunities to play music and network with like-minded individuals.
After performing at another open mic a few months later, I am greeted by a man named Diego Avilez, director of Oak City Music Collective. I accepted the chance to be mentored by him and in February 2022 I made the conscious decision to make music my full-time career. I have been living off of that high for the last 18 months and continue to try and push past my comfort zone to evolve in the industry.

Along the way, performing 4-5 gigs over the span of a weekend became an absolute anxiety. Following the second gig in one day, I could feel my voice fade and I knew I was doing something fundamentally wrong. I decided to find vocal training and I searched the Raleigh area for over a month, but it wasn’t until I was scrolling on Instagram that I discovered Fatai. She is a phenomenal singer from Australia I had been following and she was looking to take on a few students. I was subsuquently accepted as one of her mentees and for the last 9 months she has helped me improve not only my vocal abilities but trained on how to have the longevity to perform long-term.

Story , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Story Charlemagne and I am a performer/songwriter residing in North Carolina. You may currently find me performing anywhere from breweries and music venues to city-funded events all through the Triangle area. As a lover of stories being told through music, I feel my soulful voice, a blend of folky fingerpicking, and percussive additions are what create my unique sound.
It has been a productive past 3 months, recording more music in this time than I have any other year combined. I released my first EP “Tell us a tale” near the end of 2020. It was the first project that I recorded, mixed, and mastered myself, and is currently available on all the streaming platforms. I am excited more than ever to enter the creative space here in North Carolina, especially after years of progression and growth that living here has allotted me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My name alone is a product of my love of telling stories. I fell in love with concept albums that I had listened to growing up. Bands like The Dear Hunter and Coheed and Cambria had these amazing albums sonically but also have this fantastic undertone of a story that you can be as present with as you feel like.

I have been inspired to make songs that bring you to a place, not just in the lyrics and the message but the actual production. For me, the most rewarding aspect, and the one I am most excited about is having the capacity to create full songs and release them on a timeline that keeps inspiration refreshed.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I was 22 and had the pleasure of having my first studio experience, the producers asked me what success would look like for me. More than 10 years later, after being inspired to mix and produce, and played hundreds of shows throughout North Carolina, I think my goal is still the same. I work to soon travel the world and create songs along the way. I am aware this Journey will not have a real end, nor will it get to a point where I will just say I have seen it all but I hope to continue to connect with real people and learn the business of this art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.storycharlemagne.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/story_charlemagne/
• Facebook: Story_Charlemagne
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StoryCharlemagne