A Conversation with Charlie Faye – 11.25.13

Mike Ragogna: Charlie, it seems the concept behind You Were Fine, You Weren’t Even Lonely is almost like everything was fine, but then… Is that how you saw it as you were making the project?
Charlie Faye: The album title, You Were Fine, You Weren’t Even Lonely, is taken from a lyric in one of the songs on the record. It says “You were fine, you weren’t even lonely, til those lines snuck up on you again. A song you’d heard somewhere…” There’s an overarching insistence in our culture that we’re all just “fine,” and we’re generally reluctant to admit when we’re not, or even to allow ourselves be “not fine.” Then something comes along and helps us break open. A song can do that. While I was making the record, my 5-year relationship with my boyfriend and writing partner Will Sexton was slowly deteriorating. We weren’t fighting or anything, we just weren’t fully in it anymore. Will and I wrote a lot of the songs on the record together and it’s interesting now to look back and see what we were willing to admit in our writing that we never talked about in person. We were “fine,” right? There’s always something more complex underneath “fine.”

MR: You were American Songwriter’s “Writer of the Week.” How do you react when you read these positive reviews and stories?

CF: I enjoy them. I’m not someone who doesn’t read their own reviews. I take it all with a grain of salt, but I’m curious to see how people react to my music – it’s interesting to me.

MR: NPR’s Mountain Stage is a nice gig. What other kinds of touring will there be?

CF: Shows in NYC, Austin, and Tucson are on the horizon, and a residency in L.A. for the month of January.

MR: What do you think artist’s “duties” are in the studio? Live? Making videos?

CF: Our duty is to be present. The rest is up to the individual. Put too much “duty” in it, and it can kill the art.

MR: When you look at your contemporaries, are there any that you admire and would love to collaborate with?

CF: I would love to collaborate with the Dap-Kings. I’ve been getting pretty deep into soul music, I’ve got that complete Stax/Volt singles box set. It’s hundreds and hundreds of amazing songs, and that’s what I’m listening to constantly these days. I’ve been writing in that direction, and I’m pretty sure my next record is going to be a soul record. So, collaborating with the Dap-Kings would be a dream. I don’t know of anyone right now who’s doing it as well as they are. Also, I recently saw the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, and just fell in love with Lisa Fischer’s singing, and her whole vibe. I would love to work with her someday.

MR: What do you think of You Were Fine… now that you’ve had some time to digest everything that went into it?

CF: I’m still very proud of it. And I don’t feel that way about every record I’ve made. Usually, by the time all is said and done and the record has been packaged and released, I’m a little tired of it. But not this time. I feel good about the process that went into making the record too, the writing I did with Will Sexton, and the recording sessions with Jay Bellerose and Jen Condos. I still love listening to the record, and I still love singing these songs.

MR: Do you think being compared to Aimee Mann and Natalie Merchant is a solid comparison?

CF: I do. I think both of them are really honest, straightforward writers. They’re both introspective, and curious about people. They explore complex themes, but in their writing, they keep it simple, and real. That’s what I go for too.