What is your name?
Charlie Kogen
What is your genre of music?
Indie pop with a bit of a rootsy, retro spin
Give us a little bio about you.
For sure, thanks for having me! I started taking piano lessons when I was a really little kid, around 5 years old. I started with classical music, but rather than becoming any good at sightreading, I really learned at first by just watching my piano teacher’s fingers and listening to the notes he was playing.
As I got a bit older, I also became interested in being able to play songs I heard on the radio or in the car with my parents, and I soon began learning how to play those songs by ear. It was also around this time I also thought I could try creating something original, and the songs I wrote started out mainly as funny songs that got progressively more serious the further I got into adolescence. Go figure! In high school I also was in both choir and jazz band, and learning jazz piano especially allowed me to expand my sonic palette in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible before. I continued songwriting all through high school and college, played in several bands and ensembles and got a bit more familiar with production as well.
I’d say the music I create now is basically indie pop with a bit of a rootsy, retro spin. Some of the structures I employ have more in common with Cole Porter than J. Cole. I often set out trying to make something feel sleek and modern, but I usually get pulled back into the vector of classic melodies and instrumentation when I start trying to produce.
What made you go into music?
The simple answer is “why not!” But the more involved answer is that my parents are writers, and as people who pursued their creative aspirations, they had no moral authority to say I should try a more stable profession. In fact, they actively encouraged my creative aspirations, and still do! I knew that I would probably pursue music since high school, but still, I went to college and studied international relations, which I found fascinating and fulfilling.
I went into college thinking that I could potentially be swayed into another career if I found it appealing. I know college isn’t necessarily for everyone, but I think in college, I grew a lot as a person and as a student of the world, and ultimately, as an artist. I am lucky too that even my friends who decided to pursue more stable professions also are quite supportive of me!
Who are your influences?
I’m influenced by a lot of older artists. My initial inspiration to even start songwriting was listening to songs by artists my mom and dad played for me when I was a kid, like The Beatles, Queen, Billy Joel, and James Taylor. These artists could build worlds of their own in their songs but still also communicate very real emotions that resonated with me even when I was really young. I also owe a lot to my days in jazz band, as I became a lot more familiar with the Great American Songbook, which taught me a lot about harmony, lyricism, and songcraft.
Though you don’t hear a lot of middle eights in pop music anymore, AABA may actually be my favorite song structure! That said, I also love to break structure where I can, and I am inspired by the experimentation of artists like Roy Orbison, Brian Wilson, and Stevie Wonder. I am often in awe of how I can hear a choice these artists make for the first time and think “why would they have gone there?” but by the second or third time I hear it I think “how could they have done anything else!”
Though my bigger influences are primarily in the pop realm, I take inspiration from all kinds of music nowadays. I listen to hip-hop, indie rock, classical instrumental music, choral music, bolero, salsa, bossa nova, opera, Neapolitan folk songs, old American folk songs, and everything in between!
Are you signed?
I self-release everything!
You released your latest single ‘Not Wastin’ Time’, tell us more about the single and the meaning
behind it.
Musically, this song is very influenced by artists like Michael McDonald, TOTO, Todd Rundgren, some of whom might be classified retrospectively as “yacht rock.” It combines some pop and rock influences with some R&B soul influences.
Lyrically, this song is about needing instant gratification, even if we know it’s not good for us in the long run, whether we’re endlessly swiping on dating apps, scrolling through social media, or always stopping to pick up some green tea mochi at the Japanese market (that last one may just be a me thing). Some of my favorite love songs are not necessarily to people, but to a thing, like “Got to Get You into My Life” by the Beatles, and that’s what I tried to do here.
Describe the track in two words.
This may sound a bit odd, but I’d say probably buoyant and nihilistic. I feel like the narrator of this song is somehow trying really hard in some ways and also not at all in others. Sonically, it’s breezy and fun, but I think there is a deeper ennui to the narrator’s existence.
What was the writing and recording process like?
Usually when I write, I try to have the song fully fleshed out by the time I start recording. This means I can sit down and play the full song with just my voice and a piano or guitar. However, with this one, I really only had the chorus riff figured out first, and I knew exactly how I would want that to sound, and so I built out the verses of the song while I was producing the chorus.
Once I had everything in place, I also wound up restructuring the song a little bit. A friend of mine suggested that my pre-chorus was a bit too long, and after thinking about it a lot, ultimately I agreed, so I wound up rewriting that section a bit, ultimately shaving a few measures off my pre-choruses. I also got some excellent sax work from Jordan DeTiege and Jack Lieberman. I texted with Jordan and he sent me stuff back, and Jack came over to my house to record, and it was fun to shape the solos with them!
Who did you work with on the song?
I produced, mixed, and mastered everything myself! With each new thing I make, I challenge myself a bit to do something different with the production, and on this one, I tried to use more organic drum samples and really get the patterns right for what I wanted.
As I mentioned before, my friends Jordan DeTiege and Jack Lieberman played sax on this. Jack played the interlude solo and Jordan played the outro solo, they’re both really good players!
Will we see an EP or album and if so what can we expect from the album?
You can definitely expect another single! You might also get some more social media presence, and I’m working on some video content which may drop soon.
Do you have any live shows or a tour coming up or in planning, if so what can you tell us about it?
This Summer, I had several live shows throughout LA. I played at the Hotel Café in August, which was super fun! I am hoping to have another LA show in October and at least one more after that to close out 2025.
Where can we buy tickets from?
For any upcoming shows, tickets are available through each venue’s official website, or through major outlets like Ticketmaster here in the U.S.
What else can we expect in 2025?
You can definitely expect another single! You might also get some more social media presence, and I’m working on some video content which may drop soon.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I see myself continuing to make music, both by myself and with trusted collaborators. By then I hope to have put out a kind of artistic thesis statement that is both personal and cohesive, whether that be an album, an EP, or even something more akin to a classical song cycle. I hope I can write more for other artists, and I also would love to be able to work with some of my musical heroes!
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I think I heard Pharrell say this once in an interview and I may bungle it, but something like “don’t try to write a hit song, try to write a good song,” basically meaning that hits come and go but good art is good art for a long time. Every time I sit down to write something, I try to abide by that philosophy.
When you are at a gig, what are 4 things you cannot forget?
1. Water. You have to stay hydrated while you’re performing.
2. Comfortable shoes. I stand most of the time during my gigs, and even though sometimes I might be tempted to rock some nice shoes that don’t have a ton of support, I know that if my feet don’t hurt, the music will sound a lot better.
3. Guitar tuner. Specifically, a Snark.
4. Extra quarter-inch cables. Most places will have enough anyway, but it’s always good to come with more than you think you need.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
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