Dundee musician Be Charlotte has teamed up with city record store Assai Records to launch her long-awaited debut album.
The 27-year-old singer-songwriter (real name Charlotte Brimner) has announced her debut LP will be released on June 21 this year.
And the independent artist is getting some hometown support from Dundee-based business Assai Records.
The album (title yet to be announced) will be released on Charlotte’s label, Enough Records.
But Assai will be taking care of the physical versions of the album, both on vinyl and CD.
The formal partnership comes after almost a decade of mutual support and friendship between Charlotte and Assai Records owner Keith Ingram.
“I’ve worked with Keith since the very first shop opened in Broughty Ferry back in 2015,” explains Charlotte, who played at the opening as a teenager.
“Now obviously they have Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh stores. And they’ve grown so, so much, it’s amazing.”
While Assai was making its mark on the Scottish music scene, Charlotte was building up her name in the recording world, even signing to Sony and moving to Berlin to make music prior to the pandemic.
However, she walked away from her record deal to return home to Dundee, launch her own indie label, and get back to “writing songs in my bedroom, which is how I started this whole thing”.
“When I moved back, everything fell into place and felt right,” explains Charlotte. “And working with Assai just feels like a really natural partnership.
“I really love everything they do and what they stand for. They’re great supporters of Scottish artists and up and coming artists.
“It’s the right home for the record.”
Assai Records ‘keen’ to support local artists
For Assai Records owner Keith Ingram, supporting local talent is a huge priority.
“We do our own record label and we are always really keen to support local artists,” says Keith.
“We focus on Dundee artists where we can. So we’re delighted that Charlotte is allowing us to be involved in her debut album release.
“Obviously being a record shop, we rely on physical releases. But we also know that artists maybe don’t always have the ability and the funds to do it themselves.”
The album, Charlotte reveals, was written between Woodstock, in upstate New York, Berlin and Dundee.
And it was entirely recorded and produced in her hometown at Magic Box studios, by Scotty Anderson (The Snuts, Paolo Nutini), Ciaran McEneny (Lewis Capaldi, Fatherson) and Charlotte herself.
Both Scotty and Ciaran have played in Charlotte’s band over the years, so for her the album’s creation has been “as authentic as possible”.
Album charts ‘moments of doubt and empowerment’
Written from 2019-2021, the 12-track album charts Charlotte’s emotional journey after leaving Sony.
She says she experienced “a real big sense of empowerment” as well as “moments of self-doubt”, all of which is reflected in the sound of the album.
“There’s a mixture of pop tracks, pop production and some more acoustic, quieter moments,” she reveals. “I just wanted a bit of everything.”
And in the spirit of keeping things close to home, the vinyl records will be pressed in Scotland, at the new Seabass pressing plant in East Lothian.
“It feels like the right way to be doing the album,” Charlotte smiles. “I’m really excited.”
Be Charlotte will be at Assai records Dundee on Friday May 10, when pre-orders for her debut album will open. Customers will be able to pre-order physical copies in store, and pre-save digital copies on all major streaming platforms.
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