Charlie Cunningham is a truly under-the-radar success story. Having headlined London’s iconic Queen Elizabeth Hall and become a regular fixture at Europe’s most prestigious concert halls, Charlie’s expressive voice, mellifluous melodies and timeless songwriting has connected with fans across the globe, leading to over 500 million streams to date.
Now Charlie shares his new single, ‘Shame I Know’, ahead of the March 31st release of his warmly anticipated third album ‘Frame’.
In ‘Shame I Know’, Charlie’s unmistakable voice enters the fray and makes this intimacy shine. “He’s a law unto himself that child,” he sings, “what can we do about him?” As the opening song on ‘Frame’, ‘Shame I Know’ drops the listener into the midst of the action; compelled by his question. Charlie displays a literary sensitivity that bursts across the following set of songs. These flashes of narrative dawn and recede, giving way to the uncertainty that carries us through the rapturous journey of the album. We will discover its world, moment by moment, with Charlie himself.
Together with the recent releases ‘Bird’s Eye View’, ‘So It Seems’ and ‘Downpour’, ‘Shame I Know’ opens a window into what to expect from the ‘Frame’ album. A collection of lush, delicate pop songs brimming with references to art rock, golden era jazz, and neo-classical composition, the album maintains the pared-back and clear-eyed musicality for which he is so well recognised. Throughout, Charlie and long-term producer Sam Hudson Scott create the fragility, power and tension found in timeless songwriting, reanimated through a modern lens. His autobiographical lyrics bind the personal to the political, connected by themes of heartbreak, spirituality, grief and climate anxiety.
Charlie Cunningham recently announced details of a headline tour, which continues next week with the second of two solo shows in North America before continuing across the UK and Europe in April and May. Remaining tickets for the tour, listed below, are available here.
MARCH
- 1st – US, Brooklyn, National Sawdust (solo show) (SOLD OUT)
APRIL
- 11th - UK, London, Lafayette (SOLD OUT)
- 12th - UK, London, Lafayette (ADDED SHOW)
- 14th - UK, Manchester, Band on the Wall
- 15th - ROI, Dublin, Liberty Hall
- 17th - UK, Glasgow, St. Luke’s
- 19th - UK, Bristol, St. George’s
- 20th - UK, Brighton, CHALK
- 25th - Switzerland, Zürich, Kaufleuten
- 27th - Austria, Vienna, Arena
- 28th - Germany, Munich, Isarphilharmonie
- 29th - Germany, Leipzig, Felsenkeller
MAY
- 1st - Germany, Hamburg, Laeiszhalle - Grosser Saal
- 2nd - Germany, Cologne, Gloria Theatre
- 4th - Germany, Berlin, Admiralspalast
- 5th - Germany, Frankfurt, Sankt Peter
- 6th - Germany, Dortmund, Konzerthaus
- 8th - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Paradiso
- 9th - Belgium, Antwerp, De Roma
- 10th - France, Paris, La Maroquinerie
- 12th - Spain, Barcelona, Razzmatazz
- 13th - Spain, Valencia, Sala Jerusalem
- 14th - Spain, Madrid, Teatro Eslava
CHARLIE CUNNINGHAM
Charlie’s story is as fascinating as his music. Despite his dyslexia making it near impossible for him to read music, Charlie earned a music degree, but by his mid-twenties was working a variety of odd jobs while writing songs in his free time. He took the unconventional decision to move to Seville, where he immersed himself in flamenco music - his initial three-month visit eventually turning into a three-year stay. Returning to the UK, he made a modest living playing covers in bars in London and Oxford before adding his own compositions to the mix - the first step towards a career which has seen him release two albums (‘Lines’ and ‘Permanent Way’) and four EPs.