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Charlie Winston Interview

We introduce the UK singer-songwriter who is enormous on the continent...

30 year old Suffolk native Charlie Winston may be unknown in the UK but across the channel in France he’s the biggest popstar around.

His debut single Like A Hobo went straight to number one there while his album has already gone platinum. MTV.co.uk spoke to Charlie as he preapares to take on the UK…
MTV: How were you discovered Charlie?
I was travelling through France in 2006 and bumped into a mate of mine in Paris and he got me gigs there.
Eventually in January 2007 my CDs started circulating and one was picked up by my French label Atmospheriques. It kicked off from there.
What happened next?
We spent 2007 trying to work out a plan. We thought we would use France as a launchpad and test things out before going global. By the time the album came out pretty much everyone in the media in France knew who I was.
Why do the French like your music so much?
I think it's just because the French are like a sponge, they absorb a lot of stuff from all around the world. They are quite open to different styles and they like artists who have had time to mature. I've had a lot of time to develop what I do and they respond to that.
Is it important for you to break in over here?
I’m gonna give it a good go in the UK and I’ve got a really good team around me. It’s a challenge.
But I want to look at what have that is already good in my life and that includes the amazing audience in France. I’m about communication. I know that English people like my music- I’ve seen them go nuts at gigs. But whether it will catch like it has in France I don’t know.
Are audiences different in France?
No- that is the reason I started travelling- to see if stereotypes are correct. Those things don’t exist. If you go to France you can get the same response as in Sheffield. It’s just about the people.
The global community is getting smaller and my music has more scope. I’m going to talk to people and take my songs to them in a conversational way.
What’s the plan for UK releases?
The album is being released in September and the first single is In Your Hands and then we’ll release Hobo.
In Your Hands is out now

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