Charlie Thorpe (musician)

Charlie Thorpe
Charlie Thorpe as Dash, Rosemount Hotel, June 2009
Background information
Birth nameCharlotte Thorpe
Also known as
  • Dash
  • Charlz
Born1990 (age 33–34)
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
GenresIndie pop
OccupationMusician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2002–present
Labels
Websitefacebook.com/CallMeCharlz

Charlotte "Charlie" Thorpe (born 1990) who performs as Charlz (previously as Dash) is an Australian indie pop musician and songwriter. As Dash she was one-half of the pop rock duo, Dash and Will, from 2005 to 2011 with Josie de Sousa-Reay as Will. Since 2011 the artist performs as Charlz and contributes as a songwriter to screen music for film, television and ads.

Biography

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Main article: Dash and Will

Charlotte Thorpe was born in 1990 and grew up in Melbourne's North Carlton.[1] Thorpe has a Polish parent;[2] She was a competitive equestrian.[2] her father is a guitarist and American-based musician, Brody Dalle (née Brea Robinson) is a cousin.[3][4] According to Thorpe, if she had been a boy she would have been named Dash.[5][6] From 1999 to 2007 she attended Preshil, an independent P-12 school, starting at year four. She met her future music collaborator, Josie de Sousa-Reay, and the pair started performing together from the age of twelve. Also attending Preshill was the son of Barry Palmer (ex-Hunters & Collectors).[6]

Thorpe on co-lead vocals and guitar and de Sousa-Reay on vocals formed a pop rock duo, Dash and Will in 2005.[7] A demo by the duo was recorded by Barb Waters, which finished second in the annual Music Oz competition.[7] They were signed by Palmer to his label, Gigantically Small, in the following year.[1][6][8] Thorpe was signed to Universal Music Australia at the age of 18 and with Mushroom Publishing as a songwriter.[9]

Dash and Will (Thorpe at right), performing at Rosemount Hotel, June 2009

Dash and Will toured supporting visiting artists including two tours with British indie rockers, the Kooks – first in August–September 2008 and again in January of the following year.[8] The duo's single, "Fighting over Nothing", peaked at No. 19 on the ARIA Hitseekers Chart in November 2008.[10] In March 2010 Thorpe reflected on her writing style, she does not "write on demand" but has "a notebook handy to jot things down in and her iPhone" is used to record impromptu song ideas.[11] The duo supported Justin Bieber on the Australian leg of his My World Tour in May 2011.[12] The duo disbanded late that year.

Thorpe has appeared on Australian TV programs, Saturday Disney, RocKwiz and Spicks and Specks.[11] From October 2009 she co-hosted, with de Sousa-Reay, four episodes of a music-based children's show, The Go Show, on Foxtel's Nickelodeon.[11][13] Since 2011 she has continued as a songwriter, as well as performing under her solo alias, Charlz. Thorpe has worked with other artists and producers, M-Phazes as well as Deadmau5's signed artist Attlas, and Australian producer, Sunset Child.[14]

Thorpe lived in Los Angeles during the mid-2010s.[4] She wrote and performed "The Music",[15] which was adapted by Flynn Francis and Timothy Metcalfe and covered by German singer, Femme Schmidt,[16] on the latter's album RAW (2016).[17] It received acclaim in a Twitter post by Coldplay's Chris Martin.[citation needed] Thorpe has written screen music for films, television and ad campaigns. Her work has been used for HBO, NBC, Greys Anatomy, PlayStation, Volvo cars, Lexus cars, and Australian TV programs, Home and Away, Neighbours and Packed to the Rafters. In October 2016 the songwriter's "West LA" was a finalist for the Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition.[18]

Thorpe returned to Melbourne in 2017.[4] She co-wrote "About Last Night" with Timothy Davis and Michael Jones.[19] Charlz released an acoustic version of that track as a single, in April 2017, in a collaboration with United Kingdom producer, Maths Time Joy.[20] Clarissa Meneses of HighClouds observed, "This pop-infused, slow jam soliloquy is a representation of Charlz and her roots in pop music. Alongside her deep vocals and her smooth, melodious lyricism, this track features producer, Maths Time Joy in an atmosphere he creates full of creative musical stability."[21] It reached No. 5 on the Spotify Global charts.[3][21] Thorpe and Ruel supported United States artist, Khalid's[22] 2017 show at Festival Hall.[23] The artist released a single, "Amaze Me", in April 2019 via Whitehouse Music/Kobalt Music.[4][24] Wonderland magazine's reviewer felt its, "a testimony to her lush, self-assured sound. Expect layered production and swelling eight-part harmonies."[24] Charlz' first solo album was recorded during 2020.

References

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  1. ^ a b Robson, Suzanne (16 June 2009). "A Will and Plenty of Dash – Arts & Entertainment – Lifestyle". Melbourne Leader. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 23 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia. North Carlton's Charlotte 'Charlie' Thorpe aka Dash and Glen Iris' Josie De Sousa-Reay aka Will are far from novices at 19 after writing and performing songs together for four years.
  2. ^ a b "Dash & Will". Australian Music Office. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ a b Sveta. "Charlz – Audio Angels Pop's Zeitgeist". audioangels.com.au. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d "Pop :: Charlz - 'Amaze Me'". Amrap's AirIt. Archived from the original on 8 June 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Rock the Schools 2008". Rock the Schools. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ a b c Weaver, Andrew (6 August 2008). "Dash & Will – If They Were Boys..." SameSame.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 August 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b "A Cappella, Voices & Choirs". musictheatreaustralia.com.au. 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b Donovan, Patrick (28 August 2009). "The Young and Restless – Music – Entertainment". The Age. Archived from the original on 18 January 2010. Retrieved 23 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ Eliezer, Christie (29 May 2008). "New Siginings: Universal Makes a Dash & Will". themusic.com.au. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 24 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ Wallace, Ian (1 December 2008). "Week Commencing ~ 1st December 2008 ~ Issue #979" (PDF). The ARIA Report (979). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 8, 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 December 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. ^ a b c Kaysea (1 March 2010). "Dash and Will". FasterLouder.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Dash and Will to support Justin Bieber on all Australian shows!". Frontier Touring. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  13. ^ Knox, David (28 September 2009). "Returning: The Go Show". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ Te Koha, Nui (9 February 2015). "Melbourne music producer M-Phazes scoops up a Grammy Award alongside rap powerhouse Eminem". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  15. ^ "'The Music' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  16. ^ "'The Music' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  17. ^ "'The Music' – Femme Schmidt". Deezer. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  18. ^ Tuskan, Peter (4 October 2016). "Finalists announced for 2016 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition". themusicnetwork. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "'About Last Night' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  20. ^ Murray, Robin (23 May 2017). "Premiere: Charlz x Maths Time Joy – 'About Last Night' (Acoustic) | News". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  21. ^ a b Meneses, Clarissa (24 April 2017). "Charlz & Maths Time Joy share ingenious collaboration 'About Last Night'". Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  22. ^ Williams, Tome (2 August 2017). "Khalid Announces First-Ever Australian Tour". Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  23. ^ https://bbmlive.com/charlz-interview/ [dead link‍]
  24. ^ a b "Melbourne artist Charlz premieres pop song 'Amaze Me'". Wonderland. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
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