Charles Costa (The Artist previously know as King Charles) releases new single 'Thief' - taken from his forthcoming self-titled album out 24th January
LONDON, 4th December - After the recent announcement of his long-awaited new studio album alongside the stunning comeback single ‘Nothing At The Most’, the artist formerly known as King Charles continues his new era under his real name, Charles Costa, with the warming new single ‘Thief’.
Lifted from his new self-titled album, due out on January 24th, ‘Thief’ continues that rich and enigmatic aesthetic he has been conjuring for this new enterprise within his glittering career to date. Brimming with smooth and alluring textures from start to finish, he continues to make a lasting impression across this spellbinding new delight.
Speaking about the new release, he said, “This song came out of an album I made but eventually scrapped. I liked this song and wanted to keep it alive. Sometimes I make connections with songs like they’re friends and want them to keep me company. Thief is about the savagery of hear ache. The journey from hope to despair. I put a great significance on the idea of love and attach a lot of hope to it - so when it collapses or isn’t real the longing turns into a lament.”
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 recently reached a new peak as he completed the last of his 90 Marathons in 90 Days challenge - a gruelling 4000 kilometre trek along the Pacific Crest Trail which has raised over £167,000 for James' Place, a charity dedicated to suicide prevention for men.
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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