“Brat rock summer” is officially upon us, and Charlotte Sands is providing the ultimate soundtrack. The pop-punk singer-songwriter has wholeheartedly embodied this concept, and resonates with both those in the mosh pit and under neon club lights.
A lover of music through and through, Sands has been writing songs since she was nine years old. She made her professional debut in 2018 with her inaugural single “Phantom Pain,” but it wasn’t until two years later that Sands achieved viral success after she released her song “Dress.” Written about conservative political commentator Candace Owens’ criticism of Harry Styles’ wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue, the snarky and romantic single graced Sands with viral TikTok fame.
“Dress” proceeded to reach #1 on the Mediabase independent chart and #37 on the Billboard Top 40, and Sands’ success in the pop-rock scene didn’t stop there. In the years since, she has released numerous EPs, shared the stage with the likes of My Chemical Romance and 5 Seconds of Summer and has collaborated with Sleeping With Sirens and MisterWives. Last year, she released her debut full-length studio album, can we start over?, and embarked on a massive headlining tour in support of the album.
Remaining a fully independent artist through it all, she’s obtained a devoted fanbase through her music and live shows. “We’re so used to the social media aspect,” Sands says.
“When I was able to play those shows and see real people show up, real people that I’ve interacted with online and built these relationships with…It gave me back so much inspiration and so much of a reminder of why I love doing this.”
Now, after taking a break following her extensive tour last year, Sands is back on the road as one of the headliners for this year’s Summer School Tour. Ahead of the tour, Sands released “HUSH,” her first musical release of the year. Originally intending for the song to go to a pop artist, Sands knew it had to be hers once live drums and electric guitars were added to the mix.
Symbolizing a new musical era for Sands, one that she describes as having a completely amplified energy and persona, Sands admits that she’s actively exploring beyond the boundaries of rock music. “Whatever can be the loudest songs, they’re so exciting to me because I love performing them,” she says. “But I think I just wanted to be able to find ways to include my other influences and the things that people are just really enjoying right now.”
Sands says that in recent years, she’s felt the music industry has become increasingly accepting of artists experimenting with their sound. Taking advantage of this, Sands now maintains the rebellion and grit that is signature to heavier music while incorporating elements of an upbeat, pop-infused sonic identity. “In the past, you had to really stay in the box of the genre you are in,” she explains. “I’ve realized that people don’t really care as much about genre as they care about investing in the artist and the storyline of the artist. I just decided to fully dive into that…in the sense of making whatever I want that I think people will like and that I like, and not worrying too much about the rules or restrictions of genre.”
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