Charlie Barker Official Site

Charlie Barker

Home

Gigs

Bio

Music

News

Shop

Gallery

Reviews

Contact

Links

Home

Thanks for stopping by the new Charlie Barker website. Here you can find all the latest news and gig dates.It has been a busy few years for Charlie who made her TV debut on BBC1's 'The Next Big Thing', was a BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards semi finalist and released her two albums Sleeping at the Station and Ghosts & Heroes on RootBeat Records.Charlie plays festivals and venues throughout the UK, making appearances at Coventry Arena, Sheffield City Hall, Henley Festival, Cambridge Rock Festival, Buxton Fringe, Ely Folk Festival, Wath Festival and City of York Folk Festival to name a few. She has had the opportunity to support some of the biggest names on the acoustic scene, including Dougie MacLean, Ken Nicol, The Strawbs, John Parr, Richard Digance, Chris While & Julie Matthews, Dick Gaughan, Jez Lowe and shared a stage with country/ rock band Smokie on their 2008 UK tour date at the Metrodome Arena. As well as Charlie's solo work, 2010 saw the birth of a new musical partnership with long time friend and award-winning piano accordionist, Harriet Bartlett and then seven-piece country band, Sweet Dixie Dreams in 2011.Aside from music performance, Charlie is a big supporter of live music and is involved in organising festivals and music events around the South Yorkshire area as well as working as a Freelance Photographer.

New album

Ghosts & Heroes

IN STORES NOW

Join the mailing list and get a FREE MP3

Facebook | YouTube | Reverbnation | Twitter | MySpace

©charliebarkermusic.com

Gigs

340088_10150918484545294_505785293_21769122_2074731247_o.jpg

If the gig viewer fails to load please CLICK HERE .

Bio

charlie and mike harding website cropped bw

Biography"Well thanks for that lovely introduction Mike, most people usually say, Charlie Barker... who’s he?"Those were the words of South Yorkshire singer Charlie Barker to broadcaster Mike Harding as she walked on stage at the semi-final of the Radio 2 Young Folk Awards.Many times people, not in the know, have been expecting a grizzled cowboy with boots and Stetson to walk on stage, only to be greeted by a young woman standing behind a Martin guitar.Within minutes Charlie pulls in the audience with her storytelling and crisp clear vocals. Charlie’s conversational style, relaxed stagecraft and guitar playing complement her confident vocals.In fact Charlie has been performing for a long time. She is a classically trained musician who has been playing cello since the age of seven and guitar since she could hold the instrument.When many young girls were miming to Spice Girl tracks, young Charlie was learning to play Nanci Griffith and Janis Ian. Her spare time was spent in local folk clubs.A child of the 80s growing up in Sheffield, Charlie’s musical influences came from both the niche and mainstream sector, listening to her Father’s vinyl recordings of Blondie, Jethro Tull and The Stranglers as well as Mary Chapin Carpenter and James Taylor.Charlie played cello in a number of orchestras in South Yorkshire, before being selected, at the age of 15 to appear on the BBC1 TV programme “The Next Big Thing”. She was the only young solo artist to both sing and play live before the studio audience. “Appearing on TV at such a young age was such a valuable experience, it taught me how to deal with nerves and become more of a performer as opposed to someone who just sings songs. Joining a soul band gave me the opportunity to do something entirely different to what I’d always performed, but it wasn’t long before I wanted to return to doing more acoustic music.”Charlie met Pete Thornton-Smith and Chris Sweeney of RootBeat Records when she took part in the Young Acoustic Roots competition at the Wickersley Folk Festival. This resulted in the recording of Charlie’s first album ‘Sleeping at the Station’ with Chris Thornton–Smith producing the album at the BPAS studio.These early friendships have continued throughout her musical life.‘Sleeping at the Station’ was released in 2005 portraying Charlie’s music with just guitar and cello featuring contributions from Chris Thornton-Smith (Kerfuffle) and Sam Sweeney (Bellowhead, Kerfuffle and Fay Hield Trio). Many of the original tracks draw on experiences from her own life, other people’s stories as well as songs from other writers.Whilst studying for her degree in 2005, Charlie was making plans for album number two as well as founding her PR company The Partnership Media which is used to promote events and projects close to her heart. Charlie also began her regular appearances on local radio as a talk show contributor and a Music/ Entertainment Specialist. 2007 saw the arrival of Charlie’s son Thomas who was named after her late grandfather and World War II veteran, who is the subject of her popular song ‘'Poppies’.Musical projects with long-time friend and award-winning piano accordionist and duo partner, Harriet Bartlett have been followed with county band Sweet Dixie Dreams which features the musical talents of Katriona Gilmore, Jamie Roberts, Gerry McNeice, Ben Sutton and Lynn Blakeston. Other non-musical projects have also lead Charlie to calve out a career as a photographer when she isn’t performing and writing.Recording her second album Ghosts & Heroes with Chris Thornton-Smith has been the latest project. It features guitarist Tom Sweeney (Kerfuffle) and percussionist and BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist, Jim Molyneux (4Square, Demon Barber’s Time Gentlemen Please and Royal Northern College of Music Symphony Orchestra).Ghosts & Heroes brings together songs from artists that have shaped Charlie’s music and includes new interpretations of songs from acclaimed writers including Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Richard Thompson.Charlie said: “I felt I wanted to take some time to recognise some of the brilliant writers and performers who made me want to pick up a guitar and start singing. After taking time out to complete my degree and spending time with my son, I was really excited to get back in the studio and I felt right at home.I was very fortunate to work with Chris, Tom, Jim and Harriet who’ve worked so hard to get everything just right. I’m looking forward to stepping out on stage with such talented musicians to perform this album live.”
station small

Mike Harding

Sleeping at the Station

The Next Big Thing

Ghosts & Heroes

Music

News Latest NewsFestive greetings to you all! I just wanted to take the time to wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year and thank people for their continued support throughout 2011. It's been a varied year for music and I've really enjoyed playing new music in new lineups. This year saw the birth of Sweet Dixie Dreams, a new project founded by my friends Katriona Gilmore and Gerry McNeice whose love for modern country and bluegrass music brought together the seven piece we are today. It all started in February, with a few Dixie Chicks songs in a rehearsal room in Leeds and before we knew it, we'd got a full show together and we were out on the road. We've all had so much fun doing something totally different and playing the music we've loved for years and we're set to play Kork's in Otley again next year along with festival dates to be released soon. Watch this space and keep up to date with us on www.facebook.com/sweetdixiedreams. Harriet Bartlett and I travelled up and down the country this year to play festivals and folk clubs and were so pleased with our second year playing as a duo. We're currently working on some new material, which we'll release in 2012. You can listen to tracks online at www.barkerbartlett.com. The big one for me was the release of my second album 'Ghosts & Heroes' in November, after working closely with Tom Sweeney, Chris Thornton-Smith and Jim Molyneux on the music and Jake Oakley and Matt Thompson for the photography/ graphic design. It was a wonderful experience spending so much time with the guys in the new band line-up and the highlight for me was standing on stage at the Lantern Theatre in Sheffield in November for the launch, playing it all live. I'm so proud of what we acheived on the record. It is a darker, matured sound; different from the early days and first album released back in 2005. Visit the shop on www.charliebarkermusic.com to pick up your copy from various worldwide retailers. We'll be seeing more of you in the New Year, so until then enjoy yourselves and take care.Charlie xxx

Social Networks Get updates and pictures from Charlie in real time by joining the following social networks... TWITTER FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE for Charlie's online newsletter.

Shop

Welcome to the Shop...

You can purchase Charlie's albums via the links following links online for worldwide customers or order from your local high street stores in the UK only.

High Street Stores

Place an order for any of Charlie's CD's in your local high street retailer by quoting the RBR CD code and number (on right).

All music released on

Distributed by

Charlie Barker - Ghosts & Heroes

RBRCD11, released 07/11/11

Buy from:

Charlie Barker - Sleeping at the Station

RBRCD04, released 31/10/05

Buy from:

Gallery

by Charlie Barker 2011
by JRJ Photography 2011
by Tony Henstock 2011
by Elly Lucas 2011
by Elly Lucas 2011
by Mark Burrows 2011
by Mark Burrows 2011
by Ian Spooner 2010
by Jake Oakley 2010
by Jake Oakley 2010
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2009
by Jake Oakley 2005
by Jake Oakley 2005
by Jake Oakley 2005

Reviews

slide 1

Charlie Barker - Reviews

Hover your mouse over the corners of the page and click to turn the page.

slide 2 The Star - Feature: Friday 17th September 2010SOULFUL 'SISTER ACT'YOU could be forgiven for believing Charlie Barker and Harriet Bartlett are sisters.They look uncannily alike.But there is no mistaking the fact that they are musical soul mates.Guitarist Charlie and accordion player Harriet blend together with both grace and passion.And their voices create sublime harmonies.But don't be fooled into thinking these ladies are simply folk music window dressing. Their musical delivery shows real commitment.Charlie, from Bradway, said: "Harriet has made quite a name for herself on the Celtic music scene. And there was a time when people were always coming up to me and asking if I was Harriet."When I finally got to meet Harriet she said people were always going up to her and asking if she was Charlie!"Eventually the inevitable happened and they got down to making music together and the magic sparked.It was the latest milestone in a busy career for Charlie Barker.She started making music when she was bout 12 years old and soon pestered her dad to let her play in public. She's been a professional musician since her early teens.Said Charlie: "From me being quite young, my dad has always been supportive of my music. In fact, he taught himself to be a sound engineer to help me along."Though she writes a lot of he own material, Charlie is a great fan of Americana stars and is currently working on an album of covers: "It's the music I have always loved and grew up with."They are also songs which will be familiar to regular visitors to clubs on the South Yorkshire acoustic music scene where Charlie has been making a big name for herself.One of her big breakthroughs came when she was invited to host a Friday night music club at The Venue, which was the name for Stocksbridge's old Victory Club once it had undergone a multi-million pound facelift.It is a highly versatile venue with performance rooms accommodating 100, 200 or 300 people. Held on the last Friday of each month, the sessions quickly attracted a crowd from far and wide.Form next month, the sessions will be held twice monthly - on the second and last Friday of each month.First guests, on October 8 will be BBC Folk Award nominees Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts.Said Charlie: "I think the success of the Friday Folk Clubs is down to three main reasons. We are a friendly, welcoming group who are inclusive of all kinds of acoustic music. "We take great care to get a good sound quality for our invited guests and floor spot musicians and we work hard to keep the nights either free entry or at the lowest possible prices to see big name folk acts."The Friday Folk scene has also given birth to a charity festival next weekend. It will be held on Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25 to raise money for the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind.Everyone involved in the Friday Folk Weekend Festival is giving their time free.Lined up to play are Anthony John Clarke, the Down Trodden String Band, Pancho Ballard and the Banditos, Steve Chapman Smith, Tommy R Jones...and of course, Charlie Barker & Harriet Bartlett.As well as concert events there will be a range of stalls, a local Pictures of Sheffield Old and New photography exhibition, food and plenty of singaround and floor spot opportunities.To enjoy music by Charlie and Harriet, go to www.barkerbartlett.com and click on Media, www.fridayfolk.co.uk & http://dearnevalleyfolk.wordpress.com.- Paul License

slide 3 Counterfeit Magazine - Feature: August 2010It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to a song that has literally moved me to serious tears , perhaps not even since those early teenage emo days spent blubbing over the ‘deep’ lyrics to a selection of cheesy rock/pop music. But I had a surprise when, ahead of meeting Sheffield-based singer/songwriter Charlie Barker, I decided to click on to her MySpace page and give some tracks from the first album, ‘Sleeping at the Station’, a listen. Whilst listening to the lyrics of the beautifully simple track ‘Naked’, I was surprised to feel myself welling up and before long, I was reaching for the tissues.So when I meet up with Charlie on a quiet Wednesday evening in The Washington in Sheffield (quiet except for a small group of girls in the other side of the bar, loudly coppering up to buy one pint between the lot of them), I tell her that she’s got a lot to answer for. By way of explanation, Charlie tells me that ‘Naked’ was written by writer and performer Jay Turner about his relationship with his wife Cath. It’s all about bearing your soul and loving someone despite their faults.“I saw Jay and Cath gigging around on the folk scene and when I heard them perform the song, I just thought ‘now, that’s a song that gets everyone’s attention,’” says Charlie. “It’s a really touching song. I wish somebody would write me a song like that. Maybe one day!”Charlie’s definitely got an ear for a good tune, since she was born into a musically-talented family. At the age of seven and fed up with the “high pitched and squawky” sound of the recorder, Charlie took up the cello because she wanted to play something a bit more impressive. Around the same time, she picked up the guitar thanks to the influence of her grandfather and fell in love with it immediately. She even took this new passion along to her first public performance in a school talent competition and bagged first place with a rendition of Jane Wiedlin’s Big Rock Candy Mountain, much to the surprise of her peers who mostly chose to mime along to the Spice Girls.“I was absolutely terrified beforehand but I won and I got to go to a recording studio to have a look around. From then on, I thought ‘I love doing this so I’m gonna keep at it.’” And keep at it she did, as Charlie began gigging at folk nights and club nights from the age of 13 and grew to feel at home on the stage with her guitar - but a live performance with the cello was out of the question.“I never had the same confidence with playing the cello live that I had with singing. I don’t think I will ever conquer that fear because I know that the cello isn’t ever going to fulfil my musical ambition.“I still like doing folk stuff with the cello but I’ve always known that guitar, vocals and writing songs was where I was at. I have started playing a bit of folk cello for other people and I have played cello on my albums but I don’t take it out to live gigs, that would be far too terrifying a thought!”As I chat to Charlie, it becomes crystal clear just how much of an amazingly talented person she is. Although only 24, she has become an established name on the folk scene and in addition to writing and performing her own material, Charlie runs her own folk club that champions fellow musicians. What’s more, she has a keen interest in photography, takes on freelance journalism projects and is a devoted mum to a young son. Charlie manages to successfully fit so much into her life with such graceful ease that it puts most of us to shame.“I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss. I mix music with freelance writing and photography and I get by. I’ve evolved to be a musician that can do country, covers, originals and mix it around. It’s the same with the photography and journalism. I can dip into little bits and although it’s complicated, I love it and wouldn’t want to change it. You’ve got to have more than one string to your bow.”Another string that Charlie has recently added to her musical bow is a collaboration with Celtic musician Harriet Bartlett. The pair, who look remarkably alike and have often been mistaken for one another, met in 2006 at the Ely Folk Festival and instantly hit it off. They kept in touch and earlier this year, Harriet approached Charlie with an idea for a collaboration.“I never imagined somebody as good as Harriet, who has been very much in demand, would want to work with somebody like me but our influences are really similar. We mix things up and it’s working really well. It’s nice to go out in a duo because I find that when you’re solo, there’s a lot of pressure so it’s nice to share that responsibility and have that banter on stage.”The duo made a high profile debut in February this year, performing to a selection of soap stars at the Aid for Haiti fundraiser in Coventry, and are now taking bookings into 2011. Charlie passionately supports other talented artists and recognises that there are some gems on Sheffield’s music scene.“For me, the real gems lie beneath the mainstream surface in those unsigned acts who are building up an underground following. Take Ian Britt for example, a local songwriter and performer of the highest quality. I’d be quite happy if the charts were full of people like him, not manufactured pop and indie bands copying the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and Kings of Leon.”In the spirit of celebrating the music she loves, Charlie’s folk club - The Friday Folk club, which takes place on the last Friday of every month at The Venue in Stocksbridge and will also be taking place on the second Friday of every month from October - is getting ready to host its first festival, the Friday Folk Weekend Festival, at The Venue on September 24 and 25.All funds raised will go to the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, a cause close to Charlie’s heart, and the lineup is set to include Anthony John Clarke, the Downtrodden String Band, Steve Chapman Smith, Tommy R Jones and Pancho Ballard & The Banditos, who have been hailed as Bolton’s answer to country band The Mavericks. As well as overseeing the event, Charlie will also be performing together with Harriet Bartlett.All this - along with the release of Charlie’s second album ‘Ghosts and Heroes’, due for release in late summer, and a forthcoming photography exhibition that Charlie will be involved in at the Winter Gardens, titled ‘Pictures of Sheffield Old and New’ - goes to prove that there are busy times ahead for this talented lady.But Charlie simply smiles and adds: “It’s fortunate that I get to do what I love doing, not everybody has that opportunity in life. You can never work a day in your life if you can turn your hobby into a job.”- Jenny Smith

slide 4 Sheffield Telegraph (No. 1077) - July 8, 2010CHARLIE'S HOME COMFORTSinger Charlie Barker plays an event for homeless charity Emmaus on Saturday. She talks to James Whitworth about her career.When Charlie Barker walks on to stage the audience can get quite a shock.For many the name conjures up the image of a grizzled cowboy. "They can be surprised to see a little blonde girl with a guitar," says Charlie.Far from upsetting her, Charlie enjoys the opportunity to defy expectations. This interest in upsetting stereotypes is one of the reasons she is happy to be playing at an event organised by homeless charity Emmaus. "They deal with people who are often judged by those who haven't met them. Emmaus aims to help anyone who really wants to make a change in their lives."Charlie's appearance at the event this weekend is the latest in a long line of performances that have taken her far from her Sheffield home. She has appeared on BBC1's The Next Big Thing and played the Ely Folk Festival as well as sharing a bill with Katherine Jenkins, Dionne Warwick and the Proclaimers.Although still only 24, Sheffield-born Charlie is a veteran of the local music scene. Having begun to play the electric guitar when just eight years old, she won a talent competition two years later.Her first foray into the music business came as a cellist in local orchestras. Although it gave her a taste for performing, she found it hard to connect with the music. "I always felt more detatched playing in an orchestra."By 14 Charlie had begun to write her own songs and play local gigs. With the support of her family she began the process of making a name in a field that was a far cry from the musicial choice of her school friends."I became fascinated by American folk music as it was such a different world. I guess I wasn't a typical teenager. While everyone else liked the Spice Girls, I was listening to Janis Ian and Nanci Griffith."The narrative nature of much folk music helped teach Charlie about people whose lives were very different to her own. "It made me fascinated with people. Sit me down in a cafe and I can people watch for hours."As well as interpreting classic folk songs, Charlie has developed her own songwriting and now fits comfortably into the singer songwriter mould. "The music I was listening to made me want to sit down and write songs."Of all the songs she has written, one continues to elicit the greatest response from audiences. Poppies, a song from Charlie's first album, was inspired by her mother's father who fought in the Second World War. "I have such a great admiration for my Granddad," she says. "He was such a wonderful man - one of life's real fighters."As a young child Charlie used to accompany him as he sold poppies at the end of Chapel Walk and in doing so she met many veterans of both world wars. "It was such a moving experience to hear their stories. These people had been to hell and back so that I can be here today."Poppies continues to strike a chord with many people to such an extent that some have called for it to be used as an anthem for the Poppy Appeal.Charlie now feels her home city is begining to play a greater role in her work. "The way the steel industry is going in Sheffield makes me very sad," she says. "I feel angry that the grant has been pulled from Forgemasters and it's something I may well explore. If you're going to write a song about something, you've got to be passionate about it. It would be nice to write more songs about Sheffield."Despite playing across the country, Charlie has no plans to leave the city of her birth. "I love the city. Culturally we're very affluent in Sheffield. I love the fact that we have a brilliant music scene and a real sense of community."This spirit is reflected in the monthly folk club that Charlie runs. Friday Folk takes place at The Venue in Stocksbridge on the last Friday of the month. She begins proceedings before opening up the evening to anyone who wants to perform, as well as a number of special guests."It doesn't matter if you've never been to a folk club, you'll find a really warm welcome."The sense of community and a shared musical heritage has proved so popular that a second night is being launched on the second Friday of the month from October. Due to feature more performances from professional musicians, it is hoped that the night will become a fixture on the city's musical calendar.The next few months promise to be busy ones for Charlie. Late summer sees the release of her second album, Ghosts and Heroes. "It's a way of paying tribute to some of the great songwriters who have influenced me."Songs from the CD are sure to feature in Charlie's upcoming folk festival, which is being held in late September. All proceeds are going to the Royal Society for the Blind. There are more festivals planned, with each one benefitting local charities. "Every festival we run will be designed to help local people," Charlie says."What's great about our folk events is we get a real cross-section of people. We're even getting girls in their teens turning up amd really enjoying the music." This is something that Charlie feels really proud about. "When I look at those young girls in the audience, I think 'that used to be me'."Despite her love of traditional music, Charlie acknowledges that image has a role to play in attracting people to what she does. Far from the cliched image of the dowdy folk singer, she wears fashionable clothes on stage and even admits to a mild addiction to shoes."I always like to make an effort and look a little different," Charlie says. "After all, if people can't remember what my music's like, they might admire my shoes..."- James Whitworth--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

slide 5 Art & Soul Magazine (Issue 18) – Live Review14th AUGUST 2008 – UNITY _ THE SOLSICE, PETERBOROUGHSheffield lass, Charlie Barker, leaves her manager at the back and steps onto the stage, small-framed and unassuming. Immediately taking hold of her surroundings, she works on a rapport with the audience, chatting away and telling stories as though she had known every one of us for years.With many of her songs proudly displaying her love of folk, the story telling blends in well, although some of us at the back couldn’t hear all of her words when she talked, so we just wanted her to sing more, and when she sings every word is crystal clear!Covering Nanci Griffith and Alison Krauss, a few original tunes and ending with Eva Cassidy’s Fields of Gold, Charlie has a soothing and genuine feel behind all that she sings and her classical training gives her the confidence to deliver an engaging set which offers our evening a beautiful start.Having played cello in a number of orchestras in her native South Yorkshire, and fronting a 13-piece soul band as lead vocalist at the Royal Festival Hall in London, this young woman is totally in her element on stage as a solo act alongside her guitar.Many of Charlie’s original tracks draw on experiences from her own life or from other people’s stories and despite her ability to sing enchanting echoes of others work, my only dissappointment was that she didn’t give us more of her original material on this occasion.- Mel Elliott

slide 6 Art & Soul Magazine (Issue 16) – Live Review3rd JUNE 2008 - MILLSTONE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS, BARNACK, STAMFORDTonight’s headline perfomer is Charlie Barker and she’s driven all the way from Sheffield. Looking pretty cool and relaxed sporting a single black fingerless glove, I thought, “ooh, that’s a bit funky.” But it turned out she’d sprained her wrist and it was a support splint! Charlie engaged us with a mix of original songs, including ‘Not The Way’ about when she was in a soul band and a variety of American cover songs finally breaking our hearts with her perfect, melancholy rendition of ‘Fields of Gold’. With her beautiful voice, strident guitar work and relaxed manner, Charlie is a charismatic performer.- Jules Morgan

slide 7 Getreadytorock.com -Live Review18th AUGUST 2007 - CAMBRIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL, STAGE 2Situated within the main restaurant, Stage 2 was an ideal setting for folk singer/songwriter Charlie Barker and her acoustic guitar. A good sized crowd fully appreciated her gentle, good natured approach and meaningful lyrics. Not normally enamoured by between song chitchat, I was surprised to find Charlie both humorous and informative, finding myself trying to pick out the storylines within her songs. She was a breath of fresh air, a welcome change of pace and fully deserved the rapturous applause she received.- Dave Hunter

slide 8 Folking.com – Album Review“Sleeping at the Station” is Sheffield-based Charlie Barker’s debut album. Charlie has already been a semi-finalist at the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards and, at the age of just 20, her debut album immediately reveals Charlie to be a mature and assured performer and writer, suggesting at huge promise for the future.I was immediately seduced by Charlie’s beguiling voice, which is showcased to dazzling effect on a number of tracks where Charlie is accompanied solely by her own guitar, and sings her own exquisite harmonies. Charlie’s voice is possessed with a depth and sensitivity that takes you straight to the heart of even the most subtle emotions in all she sings.One of five tracks on the album composed by Charlie, “Poppies,” is an absolutely stunning song and provides the highlight of the album for me, and a fine testimony to the superb quality of Charlie’s writing. Influenced by Charlie’s own Grandfather, who was a soldier in World War 2, and her own childhood experiences selling poppies for Remembrance Day, the song provides a stark reminder of what Remembrance Day is all about, by sharing a story told very much from a family perspective. “Ten thousand poppies, I’ll remember you this way.”Since Eva Cassidy covered Sting’s “Fields of Gold,” many inferior, karaoke-like copies have emerged. I am pleased to say that Charlie’s cover exceeds all expectations, bringing a whole new layer of warmth and tenderness that even Cassidy would struggle to match. Because Mary Black has also recorded this song, it pains me to say this, but Charlie’s sublime rendition is by far my favourite. Sorry Mary!“Sleeping At The Station” includes a fine cover of Nanci Griffith’s “Outbound Plane,” on which Charlie turns in a confident, measured performance. The Jay Turner (of duo Mundy-Turner) song “Naked” receives a most beautiful treatment courtesy of Charlie’s heavenly harmonies and leaves you teetering on the edge of tears, being a most insightful song into the intimacy of a tender relationship.A number of Charlie’s own efforts, notably “Not The Way” and “New Horizons,” hint at wider success beyond the folk genre, and could easily lead Charlie to benefit from the kind of mainstream popularity that other roots-influenced artistes such as KT Tunstall are currently enjoying.- Mike Wilson

slide 9 BBC Radio Sheffield - Online FeatureSY FOLK SENSATION AT ELY FESTIVALEverybody has a theory on how to cure a hangover. Hair of the dog, plenty of water, a pint of milk before you go out [as one shop assistant informed me years ago] and so on. Well here’s a new one: South Yorkshire’s very own blonde-bombshell, singer/songwriter Charlie Barker.To be more precise it’s the soothing vocals coming from the voice of an angel. Somewhere between the brilliant ‘Fields of Gold’ and the delightful ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ the headache and battle fatigue from the previous night suddenly evaporated. The crowd were also suitably impressed with the days first act. Evidence of which was shown at the end of her set when a few people mobbed Charlie for her autograph. You can understand why the organisers invited her to play after hearing Charlie’s album ‘Sleeping At The Station’, and why Charlie thoroughly enjoyed herself.Although her manager informs me that some who are not in the know do expect a grizzled male, with a Stetson and boots to walk on stage, Charlie is as instantly recognisable as a cowboy. Not only is she wide-eyed, petite and blonde, she is also extremely down to earth and mature for her 20 years.The singer from Bradway would actually admit that she does have the occasional dizzy spell, but she most enjoys spending her time with friends and family and studying at Hallam University towards a media degree.Early beginningsCharlie is a classically trained musician who instead of coming home one day from school at the age of seven and asking for a dog or a cat asked for a cello after seeing one being played.She has a certain instinct for music passed down to her by her Granddad who is one her greatest influences, “The sort of guy who could pick up any instrument and make it sound at least half decent,” Charlie explained.Like a football player starting to kick a ball as soon as he or she could kick one, Charlie started learning guitar as soon as she could hold one.Charlie certainly isn’t shy either, the sort of person that wouldn’t be afraid to yell across a crowded room just to introduce herself and still retain an element of grace.She goes on to describe herself as not just outgoing but open minded and creative, add wit and honesty to that as well. Her music is described by Charlie in three words “folk, Americana and acoustic” which is influenced by musicians such as Alison Krause, and especially Nanci Griffith. By the age of 17, Charlie was fronting a 13-piece soul band at the National Festival of Music for Youth, and had previously appeared on the BBC One programme ‘Next Big Thing’.She has also reached the semi-finals of Radio 2’s ‘Young Folk Awards’ and in 2005 finished second in the ‘Young Acoustic Roots’ competition at the Wickersley Folk Festival. Here she met Pete Thornton-Smith and Chris Sweeney of RootBeat Records, resulting in the recording of her debut album ‘Sleeping At The Station’.Off the back of the album and her live performances a lot of people in the know are saying Charlie Barker is will go far as a musician, because all the right ingredients are there. The talent certainly is, so are the looks and she still has her feet firmly on the ground. - John Gibbons

slide 10 Stirrings Magazine (Issue 127) -Album Review “Taking a leaf out of the Bill Jones book, Charlie’s a she not a he. That’s the first thing to get clear – not that the cover shots of a fresh-faced young blonde lass would leave you in any doubt! And her wide eyed expression also belies any feeling that she’d ever be caught “sleeping”… So, having dealt with the question of image, let’s proceed to the music on this, her debut full-length CD (there was an earlier demo, ‘New Horizons’ which you may have read about in these pages, which contained two of the same songs that appear on this new CD but in differently arranged versions).This 19-year-old singer-songwriter, a Sheffield music student and classically trained cellist, sings her chosen repertoire with a maturity beyond her years, if at times still a little plainly in the approved manner. In that her intrinsic purity of tone and expression betrays shades of Alison Krauss (especially on The Lighthouse’s Tale) or Nanci Griffith (an obvious influence too), Charlie might easily be mis-identified on a blind-listening exercise. Half of the ten tracks are her own compositions, firmly in the contemporary acoustic folky-Americana mould familiar to admirers of Lucy Kaplansky, Nanci Griffith, Janis Ian and Dar Williams, but without quite displaying comparable depths of insight – give Charlie time, and I might predict an interesting future.As for her choice of covers, these are generally better than reliable, with Jay Turner’s Naked coming off particularly well and her treatment of the ubiquitous Fields of Gold giving Eva Cassidy a run for her money interpretation-wise; only Nanci G’s Outbound Plane I thought a bit under-characterized. Turning from the voice to the musical import now, I really liked the uncluttered settings, with arrangements all by Charlie herself – just over half of the tracks use only Charlie’s own simple acoustic guitar, some of these gently boosted by her cello, with on the remainder some subtle and well-controlled augmentation from Kerfuffle members Sam Sweeney (whistle, fiddle, drums) and Chris Thornton-Smith (mandolin, additional guitar).The recording’s another triumph for Chris – admirably clean in the best BPAS manner, although the sheer clarity of the sibilances in Charlie’s voice can intrude where they sometimes feel too close or mildly over-emphasised. So there you have it – I’m sure we’re destined to her more from Charlie in years to come as she develops her individuality in both performance and writing.”- David Kidman

Page 11 Music Maker (Issue 91) - Album Review“A nice title for a nice album. Charlie Barker is obviously a seasoned performer of gratifying modesty and integrity, who creates arrangements which speak for themselves, whether self-penned or written by illustrious artists like Sting of Nanci Griffith.If there is any problem with Charlie or the album, it is only that they are both a little bit too nice and unlikely to set the world on fire; if you know what I mean. But if you like a pure voice and a pleasant song, and are not in the market for anything incendiary, then this could be a welcome addition to your collection.You will certainly find no fault in the quality of musicianship. Chris Thornton-Smith’s guitar lends the essential oomph that gets “Outbound Plane” off the ground which in turn gives the necessary punch to “Not the Way”, where, for a while at least, I got the enjoyable sensation that Charlie was actually getting angry, so much so that she quotes her irritating ex and his disparaging comments – “so I’m just a two-bit singer, just a ten a penny girl” – on the inside of the album cover. Modesty aside, she obviously disagrees with this dismissive write-off and self belief is a wonderful quality that has gotten her where she is today, with a little help from her friends, which are exhaustively mentioned in the credits.Half of the songs are her own, and although in many ways the title track is the weakest link, “New Horizons” lifts the spirits with it’s mandolin and fiddle parts and “Poppies” has a strong chorus with a great visual image – she doesn’t mention the war but presumably it’s about the so called ‘great one’.But it is really as an interpreter of other people’s songs that she excels, and the more paved down the arrangement, the more the simplicity and sincerity of her vocal style shine through. ‘The Lighthouse’s Tale’ is a tragic ballad with an unusual perspective which she delivers with great sensitivity, and her style is equally well-suited to the traditional feel of Sting’s classic ‘Fields of Gold’, ‘Naked’ is a beautifully honest song which benefits from her straightforward delivery but it is really on ‘I Hope You Dance’ the perfect track for a finale, that her voice and spirit really soar. Several of the numbers leave you with an unexpected tear in the eye, a litmus test of some sort, but this one builds to an emotional climax and while it sounds as though it’s planned for a lover you are waving off onto the next stage of their journey. It plays like a gift to the listener and I guess something offered with such good grace ought to be excepted with the same.”- Sue Saunders