Charlie NeedsBraces' debut album Saltwater People is rich with punchy brass basslines and driving percussion, her layered harmonies and familiar trumpet melodies. Like a river, the history of the GuriNgai people run through all the tracks on this release; the language, the totems, the instruments, and more, opening with welcome song Alla Indore and closing with Pride - a testament to Charlie's grandmother's trauma and hardship through the colonisation in Australia. Uncovering more stories with 2022 singles ' Daryung' and ' Yanoo' and title track ' Saltwater People', the material meanders through a magical snippet and improvisation of a Bunya Festivalfor ' Bunya Interlude', a celebration where all mobs meet to harvest the bunya nuts together. Charlie doesn't steer clear of big topics, diving headfirst into ageism in the music industry for ' Big Bully' featuring Kesh Yoganathan from ' The No Ego Thing', and internet conspiracies in ' Misinformation', while her loops and trumpet to tell tales of universal human experiences of feeling trapped, inside a house or inside your mind for ' Go to Sleep' and ' Meteor Shower '.
Having always played on other people's albums and in bands for years, Charlie really wanted to make her own album. Something that always meant a lot to her and inspired by a few things over the past few years that led Charlie to finally create her own the album Saltwater People, "I wanted to celebrate my Aboriginal background, and involve language, tell stories about my mobs culture and traditions in the lyrics and mood of the songs. I also got braces in 2020 and thought it'd be funny to call it 'Charlie Needs Braces' and record my teeth movement as they changed and evolved into shape. I feel like the album and my teeth's journey started at the same time and developed and evolved together, and funnily enough, I finished the album at the same time as I got my braces and plastic plates off haha."
The brass filled single ' Saltwater People' celebrating GuriNgai Mob's connection to Country and the importance of maintaining the balance of our ecosystem and waters. Now, proud GuriNgai womanCharlie is lifting the veil on the accompanying video, the visualiser produced by Master Kapow, is equal parts playful as it is powerful showcasing further Charlie's compelling storytelling.
Produced by Charlie and Master Kapow, the 'Saltwater People' video was created on GuriNgai Country, the lands running from the Central Coast of NSW along the mouth of the Deerabin-also known as the Hawkesbury river and into Northern Sydney. "We wanted a beautiful beach with caves and waves, the Grandmother tree at Kariong with the mob, big epic rocks, and tall native trees in the bush. We managed to find such beautiful spots and worked with the natural outdoor light each day, with the clouds and sun continuously moving. Instead of waiting for the perfect light or weather we decided to use the sun and clouds to make unusual and interesting shots" - Charlie Needs Braces. While exploring the music with lighthearted and lively dancing and sweeping landscape shots, the video holds the grief and vulnerability of Charlie's family, after losing her Grandfather right before filming, and captures her female family tree: Grandmother, Mum, eldest sister, little sister.
Check out Charlie Needs Braces' Bandcamp page to find out more!
