Founded and fronted by Charlie Raphael-Campbell (vocals, bass, guitar), with Owen Turner (guitar, keys, bvs), Cameron McCarthy (bass, guitar) and Lucy Yates (drums, bvs), the band formed in 2022 as the bright-eyed, good humoured, indie project it is today. Combining the rawness of 90s grunge, with the humour of Britpop, and a sprinkle of funk, CHARLESCANTBREATHE explores navigating the world through the lens of disabled, Queer, frontperson Charlie.

Inspired by the iconic 00s show Skins, their new single ‘Gin & Tonic’ explores toxic relationships and romanticises drugs and alcohol as a way to bond with others. Charlie says, “I was 18 at the time, and was experiencing toxic relationships everywhere I looked- in my family, in my social circle, in the world around me. I had just started watching Skins and felt an affinity to all the edgy characters who would romanticise drugs and alcohol as a way to bond with others and deal with their emotions, and realised this is exactly what me and my friends did. I was head over heels for somebody at the time, who always made me feel second best, even though I had the biggest ego ever (hence the line ‘And I may be the best dressed / But I’m always second best.’ ‘Gin & Tonic’ is about the trials and tribulations of being a lost, confused, angry teenager from a broken home, and how we trauma bond with our peers and drink, overthink, and scream our way through the toughest years of our lives. The song represents a time in my life where all I could do was hold on to hope for the future. Now, as a 24 year old, I sing it with the knowledge that everything turned out okay. I don’t even drink anymore!

“No matter how messy and confusing life gets, you will always look back on it from the future as a more knowledgeable, stable individual, and this will all be a memory one day. I want listeners to feel as if they’re not alone, that there are people who feel/felt the same way, I want them to find something that they can relate to. I want people to know that being sad and confused is okay, and that beautiful things can come out of it.”

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