Charlie Bennett at Folklore Hoxton

Below the near life-sized metal horse hanging from the ceiling, draped plants, and smokey LED lighting of the mystical Folklore venue, I spoke to Birmingham-raised bedroom-pop singer Charlie Bennett. Hours before the London show of his Posterboy tour, Bennett was all smiles as we discussed the transition from bedroom livestreams to performing on stage, the importance of his online community, and the creative freedom he’s felt since breaking ties with his label. I wasn’t expecting Charlie Bennett to be so similar to the endearing cartoon-character persona I had seen on his TikToks, but he was just as wholesome, if not more.

Whilst I’ve seen some describe him as a musical variant of Milo Thatch, the beloved Disney protagonist, I felt the singer reminded me more of a bubbly character from the TV show Heartstopper. What struck me most from our interview was the genuine bond Bennett has formed with his fans- or “community”- as he calls them. Having started music during lockdown and shared it online via livestreams and TikToks, the singer spoke of how lucky he feels to now be able to meet his community on tours like Posterboy’s, and recognise fans from their profile pictures or from having interacted with their comments. The excitement expressed during our interview translated to the stage. With an ear-to-ear grin, Charlie Bennett stepped onto the stage and greeted what felt like an audience of friends.

Warmed up from the brilliant performances of Christian Alexander and Rainbow Frog Biscuits, Bennett’s excitement was mirrored by the eager crowd. Performing fully solo and bearing only the acoustic guitar he first started making music with, Charlie kept things simple, like how he started. “This is the guitar I made my first song with during lockdown”, he said, introducing ‘Is This Falling’, “I put it on Spotify and here we are, a few years later”. The show felt like a livestreaming Charlie had been teleported out of his bedroom and straight in front of a live audience. Whilst this transition may have been a learning curve during his first tour, Sweetie, Bennett says he doesn’t get nervous anymore, thanks to the support of his community. Then again, Folklore Hoxton’s cosiness and quirky personality felt like a nod to Charlie’s fairylight and poster-covered bedroom. Supporting independent music venues like Folklore Hoxton and local music scenes was something Charlie was glad to be able to do.

Back in his home town of Birmingham, the tour of quirky venues had kicked off in Cow Vintage, a vintage clothes shop in Digbeth. The concert was more intimate than any show I’ve ever been to. Not only was everyone donned with some form of strawberry accessory- a near membership badge of the ‘Strawbennett’ community, as they call themselves- but they were all singing the songs together, not just at each other. Whether swaying collectively to the soft acoustic sounds of ‘Halfway to Mars’ or bopping to the catchy lo-fi pop tune of ‘Four Leaf Clover’, the audience knew every lyric by heart. Perhaps their flawless knowledge of his music had something to do with how collaborative the Posterboy EP has been. Released two weeks before the show, as an audience member pointed out, Bennett sees his new music as the community’s project, not just his.

Having set up a Patreon a year ago, the singer explained how, since parting ways with the previous team he had behind him, his community has been brought even closer to the music production process. From voting on the artwork, to getting opinions on release dates and mixing techniques, Bennett’s Patreon has not only allowed him to be his own boss, but be led by his beloved community. “You all make this possible” an emotional Charlie Bennett told the crowd “I was really close to quitting music last year but meeting all of you on the tour relit a spark in me”. A chorus of warm responses and ‘“We love you Charlie!”’s confirmed the singer’s bond to his listeners.