Charles Costa (The artist previously know as King Charles) announces new self-titled album + releases new single 'Nothing At The Most'
LONDON, 16th October - The king is dead, long live the king. After three beloved albums, the artist formerly known as King Charles has abdicated and now starts a new era under his real name, Charles Costa. This chapter commences as he announces the January 24th release of his new self-titled album, and also unveils the album’s first single, ‘Nothing At The Most’.
Various factors have influenced this rebirth, from suddenly sharing his artist moniker with the actual monarch, to this already deeply personal artist becoming increasingly eager to explore the vulnerabilities of the man behind the music. That introspective desire is powered by his inspirational, ongoing charity endeavours, which today reaches a new peak as he completes the last of his 90 Marathons in 90 Days challenge - a gruelling 4000 kilometre trek along the Pacific Crest Trail which has raised approximately £150,000 for James' Place, a charity dedicated to suicide prevention for men.
We’ll come back to the story behind that in a moment, but first let’s explore Charles’ first new single under his new / original name. ‘Nothing At The Most’ is a stirring, churning, cellos-and-more chamber-pop ballad which is a step apart from anything he released as King Charles: its grandeur, drama and intimacy capturing the emotions of a man who confesses to having spent much of his life chasing something that he ultimately realised that he didn’t need. But while it’s different - grit where there was once flamboyance, pure authenticity in place of often character-driven songs - his distinctive voice remains, like a beckoning call from an old friend.
Charles says, “‘Nothing at The Most’ is part of a collection of songs filled with the sounds and lyrics to represent the journey between longing and lament. I made this record with Jesse Quin (Keane) at Old Jet Studios combining songs with productions to create a new identity for what is essentially my debut album as Charles Costa."
In fact, the whole of Charles’ upcoming album was crafted during six weeks of sessions in that studio, located in an arts centre housed in a former US Air Force base in Suffolk. It was created with a tight-knit team, primarily with Charles performing vocals, guitar, cello and keyboards; Jesse Quin making the most of his multi-instrumentalist talents; and Tom Hobden (Gang of Youths, Noah and the Whale) contributing evocative violin. What they’ve unlocked in a tapestry of sounds, touching upon everything from ‘80s electro-pop to hymnal devotion via pastoral folk, with echoes of the likes of Bon Iver and RY X.
Charles considered this to be an opportunity to record his second debut album. And it’s a stance that makes perfect sense within the context of his wider journey. Before breaking through with his original debut, ‘LifeBlood’, Charles suffered a catastrophic skiing accident in Austria. The resulting brain trauma and accompanying psychological issues were managed with heavy-duty medication, primarily to reduce anxiety. Every few years he realises that they make him feel as if he’s not really living, and he attempts to wean himself off them. His most recent attempt was going fine… until in the middle of a holiday in Majorca he crashed into an “an uncontrollable darkness, a terrifying state of fear” that took him back to the same frame of mind as he was in during the aftermath of the original incident.
It was a time in which he started to write the initial ideas for this album. “They come from that moment in Austria, twelve years ago,” he admits. “I’m still trying to pull together pieces of my life and create something.” And running is part of his ongoing strategy to manage those issues. His current endeavour is his second major adventure. He previously completed the Feel Good Jog in support of the youth and community charity Regenerate. It was a schedule of 40 marathons in 40 days which took him from John O’Groats to Land’s End, with impromptu performances each day at locations ranging from stunning lakesides vistas to remote country pubs.
Charles Costa’s new album is available to pre-order / pre-save HERE.
Album tracklist:
‘Heart is Heavy’
‘Thief’
‘Feel Every Minute’
‘I’ve Been There’
‘Can’t Get Away’
‘Emilie’
‘Nothing At The Most’
‘Lifetime’
‘In The Shadows’
‘Aeolian’
‘When The War Was Starting’
‘Any Kinda Way’
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