Charlie Shafter is an artist from Fort Worth, TX. Originally from Illinois, but moved to Texas after high school in 2003. I first discovered Charlie when he opened for John Baumann at The Blue Door in OKC. I had the honor to talk with him, and a few years later. I got to interview him. Charlie is by far one of my favorite songwriters ever. It is truly an honor to interview him, so today I hope everyone learns a little about who Charlie is, because really, who is Charlie Shafter?

Charlie first got into music by messing around on a guitar when he was around fourteen. When it comes to what inspired him to start making music, he said, “I think it must have been VH1 and MTV back when they played music videos and live concerts. I remember being fascinated by MTV Unplugged and VH1 Storytellers as a kid.”

When asked how he would describe his sound to someone who’s never heard his music, he said, “It’s like a mix of the Beatles and the Stones. “Charlie said, “Every musician despises that question. Haha! I would try to get out of the question by changing the subject, but if the issue was really pressed, I’d just say Americana…that seems to apply to nearly everything.” He has a point, you can say “Americana” and that covers dang near everything.

Who are some artists, past or present, that have influenced Charlie the most? He said, “It started off with Rock bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains. Then, somewhere along the line, I got real into Bob Dylan as a kid. Around that time, the Wallflowers and Counting Crows became big on television. A little later, I got into Robert Earl Keen, and through him, I discovered people like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, etc. All of which were introduced to me through my brother-in-law, Matt Martindale, of Cooder Graw. He’s probably been the biggest influence on my existence as a songwriter both indirectly and directly.”

What have been some of Charlie’s favorite shows and venues to play? He told me, “I’ve played a lot of cool places and have had the good fortune to play on the same bill as some of my idols, but when I’m asked that question, I’m drawn more to some of the gigs I would do when I was younger. I miss some of those three and four-hour daytime gigs at Gruene Hall when the Gnomes and I were still together or playing the original Fred’s in Fort Worth with Starfire on Sunday afternoon. I didn’t know I’d miss those gigs so much at the time.” What about Charlie’s dream venue? He gave a neat answer, saying, “I daydream about small theaters. I don’t know if it’s a specific one, but a string of small theaters in different cities with people in them is the dream.”

Have there been any major turning points in Charlie’s career so far? He said, “The music business is full of highs and lows and twists and turns. Thankfully, none have been too major.” Which, if that ain’t the truth, I don’t know what is. No matter what side of the business you’re in, this holds true.

What’s something about Charlie that people might not expect? He said, “I think the music most musicians listen to might surprise people. I don’t know many musicians that drive down the road listening to the music scene they are associated with. When people ask me if I have heard this, that, or the other thing, I usually haven’t. However, I have heard the new Big Thief record and was listening to Jack Johnson this morning.” I actually had a similar conversation recently with another musician about how he sings more red dirt-sounding music but mainly listens to hip-hop.

What does Charlie hope people feel when they hear his music? He gave an interesting answer, saying, “I don’t really consider how it will make people feel. Maybe I should… the hope is that it makes them feel something, I suppose, but I don’t have much control over what that might be. When people are making things with their audience in mind, you can hear it. It’s very transparent even if it works.”

Charlie said that success in music for him looks like “Being able to make things I’m proud of.” How does Charlie balance music with the rest of his life? He said, “These days I have to pick up a guitar and write a line to a song on the way to the diaper changing table from making a peanut butter sandwich in the kitchen.”

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out in music? He said, “It depends on what they want to do. If you want to be famous, I don’t know what to tell you other than good luck. If you want to write songs or make music, all you have to do is do it.” What about new music? Charlie said, “I just finished a new record and it will be out in a couple months.” Y’all can follow Charlie almost anywhere @charlieshafter. He also has a website, he said, “the website is http://www.shaftermusic.com (I forgot to renew charlieshafter.com and some asshole is now holding it hostage)”

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Thank you for reading this week’s artist spotlight! I hope you enjoyed getting to know who Charlie Shafter is behind his music. Go check him out, and go catch him at a show. As always, be good to yourself, stay western, and stay tuned!