As part of my visit to Beat-Herder this year, meeting Charlotte Devaney was an absolute highlight.
Multi-genre maverick, industry mover, floor shaker. Charlotte Devaney sets serious benchmarks. DJ, Producer, Platinum Selling Artist , Actor, Director, Activist and many roles in between; Charlotte’s whole adult life has been entrenched in rave and underground dance music culture since her earliest manoeuvres on pirate radio and as a founding member of the pioneering dance troupe the Narni Shakers.
So where and how did your career in music start?
So my career in music started way back in 2001. Next year I celebrate 25 years in the business. I started out as a dancer in a dance group called the Narni Shakers and we were the kind of the it girls of the drum and bass and the garage scene at the time. We were some of the very few women in the scene. So we had a lot of women that looked up to us and yeah, we danced to all of the raves of the time. I was also modelling, acting as well at the time. Then after that I led on to being a DJ. I think hanging around with so many DJs, I was kind of inspired to be a DJ. Obviously before being a dancer, I used to go to all the raves and watch all the DJs so I think it was always going to happen. I became a DJ in 2007. Started travelling the world, playing everywhere, literally. Then I started making music in 2012 as well. It’s been a crazy journey ever since. Still here today, excited about it! I’ve released loads and loads of records, worked with artists like Snoop Dogg, Fat Man Scoop, Lady Leesha and many, many more. I have a series called The Hologram Sessions as well, if you’re not aware of that. I run my own record label and production company. Yeah, I’m just loving every minute of it and just hoping to inspire future generations.
What were the decisions that you made and things that you did that got you to where you are now?
I could honestly say the decisions that I’ve made to get me where I am today are to just be fearless. Never give up and don’t be scared of trying new things and just go for things no matter what. Just don’t be afraid to ask anybody for something or don’t think you’re too small for anybody. Being fearless got me where I am today.
What does grassroots music look like to you?
Grassroots music and dance music, there’s a lot of it but I think it’s quite difficult, especially for women. I think it’s quite difficult for ground level artists in dance music because the industry is so corporate now. It is hard to be a grassroots artist, which is basically what I am. I’m independent. I’m doing it all by myself. I’m funding everything myself. So it’s great to be independent, it’s also quite difficult. Yeah, but I think there’s some exciting grassroots artists in dance music but there could be there could be a few more. I think, like if you’re talking about grassroots artists that’s one thing, then talking about women that’s another subject but the two work together as well you know. But I think it’s always been hard to be independent and grassroots, I don’t think that would ever change but it is an amazing feeling doing everything yourself and achieving freedom. Having the freedom to do what you want and when you achieve things it feels so good. Yeah you know, I’ve been signed to majors and personally, although they do bring opportunities to you, I didn’t really enjoy the process. It was difficult, you know. So I like being grassroots and I like being independent.
Are there any barriers for women and minority represented on genders in the dance music industry, if so what are they?
So going back to the first question you asked about how I started out in music, I only gave you quite a short answer. I was inspired to become a DJ and even get into the music business, by a DJ called DJ Rap. The first female DJ I ever saw was DJ Rap right, and she came in at a time where there were no women DJs. So I can remember seeing her in raves and that made me want to be a DJ. But fast forward 30 odd years later and I still feel like although there are thousands of women DJ’s and female artists now it’s still just as hard. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like there’s so many more people trying to include women on their lineups and all that sort of stuff, but I still feel like it’s so much harder as a woman. Even a woman who, like myself for instance, I’m making good music, I’m doing the most out here and I still sometimes find it hard and have to work a lot harder than than my male colleagues. But, although I feel like things have got a lot better since the days of me watching DJ Rap, when I was 14 years old. It has got a lot better and there is a lot more effort being made but I’m still looking at lineups going why is there no women first of all, or why is there a woman like this small at the bottom of the list? Do you know what I mean? I feel like the industry still has a lot of work to do and maybe that is because there’s not enough women at the top running things. Yeah we still have a lot of men, especially in dance music, running things, booking the lineups, running the agencies etc, you know. So, I feel like there is still work to do but we’re on the right path. But as a female that’s been in this game a long time, I still find it hard so yeah you must have a lot of resilience. I do, I’m very thick skinned, you know, and it comes down to that. As well as that, I love it, I enjoy it. I’m still as excited today as I was 25 years ago when I started out as a dancer, because you just never know what’s going to happen in this industry. Especially when you’re on it all the time you’re putting out great products, you have a brand and you’re doing it all, you’re doing the most out here. You never know what opportunities might come and that’s exciting. So I will continue to always be excited about the industry.
I’m gonna ask you about your female / non-binary inspirations, you’ve already spoken about DJ Rap, is there anyone else?
God there’s loads. I mean like I’ve always been a multi-genre artist. I play a lot of drum and bass, but I do cross genres as well and I’ve been so inspired by the music industry. I’ve been inspired by all different genres my whole career, even from a young teenager. DJ Rap yeah definitely, she was my Drum and Bass DJ inspiration but people like Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj, DJ Storm as well, she’s another absolute legend. Do you remember DJ Femme Fatale in the garage days as well, she was a big garage DJ, right, and she was doing big things back in the day. Miss Dynamite, Kelly LaRocque, you know Shola Ama. All those really strong female forces, you know. I mean there’s so many but I’ve been inspired by a lot of women, definitely Missy Elliott would be a real inspiration for me though in terms of style, do you know what I mean? Like from way back when she was collaborating with Adidas and all of that, I was always really looking up to her. But yeah there’s some amazing female artists out there and I salute all of them you know. I’m one for the girls you know.