New Band of the Week: Charlie Tyler

Prolific British pop-rock duo Charlie Tyler have crafted a dramatic and engaging sound that showcases the power of social platform TikTok, and they describe as “cinematic, emotional and anthemic.”

The duo of Charlie (vocals) and Russell James Williams aka The Captain (guitar) started out, in their words, “by accident” during lockdown. They’d been writing and records songs at home for fun, then one day decided to try livestreaming them on TikTok. The response was beyond impressive, quickly attracting a growing fanbase of over 250,000 followers as they built a project centred around a world of music, characters and stories. Fast-forward a few years, and the duo was honoured as TikTok’s UK Number 1 Music Creator earlier this year.

On that, Russell told us: “Yeah, TikTok has been a huge part of our journey. We started streaming there regularly, building a live show where people could interact with us in real time. It became this amazing community. Earlier this year we were blown away to be named TikTok’s UK Number 1 Music Creator — it still feels surreal! It’s an honour because it wasn’t something we campaigned for — it was purely based on the response and support from the audience, which makes it mean even more.”

And on the sound that earned them that award, he said: “Imagine the energy of pop-rock colliding with cinematic atmospheres. It’s catchy and melodic, but with a sense of scale — like it could live on a film soundtrack or in a big festival tent.”

Our latest taste of this is Queen In A Beautiful Dress, which was released earlier this month. It opens up with a funky stabbing riff over Charlie’s echoey vocals, which flows into a moody opening verse that gradually builds towards a lively chorus. Another verse and chorus, which features layered vocals, give way to a cool little guitar solo, which drops into Charlie’s engaging vocals setting up a final blast of the chorus.

On the track, Russell told us: “The reception has been incredible – people really connected with the story and the visuals as well as the song itself. It’s one of those tracks that feels both intimate and big at the same time. If you haven’t heard it yet, expect soaring vocals, big guitars, and that mixture of fragility and power we love to create.”

That track follows a series of singles through this year and a ridiculously impressive amount of releases in the last four years, including last March’s self-titled album. After that, we counted a simply ludicrous 57 (FIFTY SEVEN) tracks released on Spotify, including original songs and all manner of cover versions.

Recent releases include the deliciously delicate Illusion Lost, which explodes into a big singalong chorus, and a personal favourite You Won’t Hurt Forever. The latter opens up with lively drums and dramatic “oh-oh” vocals that flow into a powerful opening verse supported by stabbing guitars that flows into the catchy chorus “You’ve gotta keep doing what you know is right, You’ve gotta keep fighting all those doubts inside, No you won’t hurt forever, What are you waiting for?” A second chorus bridges into a more intense section of big vocals and rolling drums, which builds up to a flowing guitar solo teeing up a big final chorus.

The Charlie Tyler sound is inspired by the duo’s love for classic rock and modern pop, with influences including Fleetwood Mac and Queen through to Paramore, Florence + The Machine, and The Killers.

As Russell explains: “We’re always inspired by artists who combine raw emotion with a big, memorable sound. A lot of our songs start with real-life emotions or situations, but we love to dress them in stories, metaphors, or even characters. We write about love, loss, resilience, and sometimes spin them into more fantastical or cinematic ideas – castles, ghosts, queens, wolves. It gives us freedom to be playful while still hitting something real underneath.”

In addition to pumping out singles at an impressive rate of knots, Charlie Tyler recently played their first physical headline show in Cornwall. They’re also releasing their first Christmas album over the next few months, ahead of their third studio album, Mirage, being released next year. Beyond that, they’re looking to do more live shows, both online and in-person.

And Russell added: “We’re building more than just a band – it’s a whole world that people can step into. Whether it’s the music, the livestreams, the artwork, or the characters that appear in our shows, we want people to feel like they’re part of something bigger than just a song. And the best part is, it’s growing because of the fans – they’re right there with us on this journey.”

You can follow Charlie Tyler on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok and follow Russell on Instagram and Twitter. You can check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.