Skip to main content

Charlie Arnold - Issue Two Interview

  1. What’s been your greatest experience as a musician?


I have been brought up to love music my whole life and I always knew it would have a huge impact on my future. While learning to DJ as a hobby, my passion lies in singing and performing. I never really got to show my talent until I joined a youth group when I was 14 and got asked to be apart of the band. I have been singing there at my church for 3 years until I recently left after leaving school and starting new commitments. Although singing at my local church doesn’t seem like a lot it was a great experience and I grew my voice and confidence so much! Having been involved in this I met many many talented friends which lead me to release my very first song “new life” on the 3rd of April 2020 with the “basement collective” a project that my good friend, Kyle Svensen Began in December. I was then lucky enough to be asked to be 1/3 performers from the basement collective to open for a gig here in Auckland New Zealand, singing my VERY OWN SONG. This was my first time singing in front of a crowd that had paid to be there. It was an experience I will treasure forever.


  1. Which artists inspire you?


Artists that I am inspired by vary from very local artists/bands to the most well-known artists in the world. my partner is an inspiration to me, He has recently released a 6 track EP called television on Spotify and performed for the first time EVER when only months ago he never wanted to sing in front of a single person. This then leads me to Benee. Benee began as a small female artist in NZ who then blew up on Tik Tok with her song ‘superlonely’  and is now known all over the world, she is quirky, unique and her music is Very mellow and fun to listen to. The reason she is such an inspiration is because she is very humble and supports a lot of local music knowing that it’s exactly where she started off. I have so much respect for her! My final inspiration would be Amy Winehouse. Amy is just an artist who is so loveable, I’ve always been a fan of her music and have sung Valerie many times on Karaoke but she became a real inspiration to me after watching her documentary. It just really showed me that everyone has to start somewhere and if you’re passionate enough you can get to where you want to be! An extremely unfortunate ending to her career but will always have a special place in my heart!


  1. Do you think there has been a gender imbalance in the music scene? And if so, what can we do to reduce that imbalance?


Recently here in NZ there has been an uproar regarding a very well known, popular, Summer festival ‘baydreams’. Now being labeled as “boy dreams” after releasing their lineup with having only 3 acts throughout the 2-day festival being women. After watching many talented, local, or famous artists become upset, disappointed, and let down it has opened many conversations about women in the music industry. I do believe that careless acts such as this can cause female artists to lack confidence in themselves. I do hope to see a change in the future but to start off small I'd love to see women having the courage and fighting for opportunities they deserve, being noticed for their talent, and being recognised as an artist.


  1. How would you describe your music in 5 words?


New, inspired, unique, meaningful, fun


Questions by Emily Duff

Most Popular

Fashion For a Cause: Brands That Stand with Palestine and the history of fashion as a form of Activism

by Oana-Maria Moldovan For over two months, there has been an ongoing genocide war in Gaza. To simplify a long and horrific issue, the situation that started, on a larger scale, around one hundred years ago, and has only become amplified since October 7th 2023. Taking place around the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Israel–Lebanon border, the armed conflict is between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups.  The problem is about “stolen” land. Said land is seen as an important holy part of both religions involved. But really, how holy can we consider a land to be, if people kill other people for it? It’s important to remember that this genocide is about three things: forced occupation, zionism, and religion. It’s also important to remember what ethnic erasure is. This terrible expresion, also known as cultural or ethnic assimilation, refers to the process by which the distinct cultural or ethnic identity of a particular group is gradually diminished or erased, often due to...

Now What? The Aftermath of the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl'

by Susan Moore Here is a bit about me: I am an open, excitable, creative AFAB who is also moderately attractive. I have a unique sense of personal style and a personality that on the surface can only be described as “bubbly” and “quirky”. For this reason, dating is a nightmare. To be sure, I do not have a hard time finding dates or potential suitors. The problems arise when said dates spend some time with me and decide that I am a rare specimen, and the connection they feel with me is “unlike anything they have felt before”. Then, things go one of two ways.  Either a) they decide I am too high maintenance and no longer palatable, or  b) they choose to never look further than the surface and are content to date the idea of me rather than the real me. There is something rather interesting, perhaps funny, about my situation. It is in no way unique. I have met so many people who constantly dealt with the same problem. Even funnier still, is the fact that there is a trope that simu...

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

 by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an  Instagram account  has been created to provide a  ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A  total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding  one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists .  Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel ...