Exclusive Interview: Charlotte Sands Talks “Afterlife,” Touring, and Building a Global Fan Community
- Mikaila Storrs
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
To celebrate the release of her new single “Afterlife,” Charlotte Sands graciously carved out time on her busy release day to sit down with us. She opened up about the inspiration behind the song, reflecting on the emotions and experiences that shaped it, and shared stories from her recent tours, giving a glimpse into life on the road. Beyond the music, Charlotte spoke candidly about her connection with fans around the world, revealing the thoughtfulness and care she puts into building that community. From start to finish, she was refreshingly genuine, effortlessly authentic, approachable, and unapologetically herself.
The conversation started with “Afterlife,” which had just been released that day. Charlotte opened up about how special the song is to her, one of the first she wrote after returning from the Can We Start Over? tour, and a track that marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter in her music. “I'm so excited for that song to be out. I love it so much, I've had it since January of last year. I'm really excited that it's finally out, and I'm not waiting anymore to share it.”
Charlotte had been teasing “Afterlife” on social media, sharing videos of fans creating clips with their long-distance best friends and moments from her tour. She explained the role her fans played in shaping the song:
“Every time I've written a love song, I feel like so often I think about singing it live. And it starts most of the time as a romantic relationship or something that's about a personal relationship. And then every time I write one of those songs and I actually imagine singing it live, I always end up being like, 'I feel like this song is just about the audience and about the listeners.' That's when it really feels so emotional to me, because I can just picture myself in those moments with the people who I love so much.”
She went on to reflect on the deep connection she shares with her fans. “I think, when you have a relationship like that with people who you're growing up with, even if you don't see them for a year or two years, we're all kind of growing up in this community together. And so those songs just feel so much more emotional and special. I feel so grateful that I get to experience life with so many people all over the world. And we have this community together. It's amazing.” Reflecting on memorable fan interactions, Charlotte recounted a recent birthday show in Boston. “When we did the Summer School tour in July, we played Boston on my birthday, and I'm from Boston. So it was like the stars aligned and my whole family was there. And it was probably the first time I've actually spent my birthday with my family since I was 18. And when you have people who some of these people I've never met before, some of them I barely know, and they're going out of their way just to make me feel special. I think that just meant a lot to me.”
We were curious how “Afterlife” connects to the world Charlotte’s been creating with her recent singles “Hush” and “Neckdeep.” She explained, “I mean, I feel like Hush to me was like the perfect single to come back from not putting music out for a while because I was like, this feels so summery and it feels so club classic. And the same with ‘Neckdeep.’ I think ‘Afterlife’ is kind of the bridge of the music I've made in the past, just really guitar-heavy, live instrument-based stuff and more of my songwriter side of myself.” She added, “I feel like it's like the perfect bridge to have, like you can have the fun, lighthearted things, and then also have the kind of deeper, more dramatic as well.”
Having headlined her own tour and performed everywhere from Vans Warped Tour to The Summer School Tour, Charlotte reflected on how sharing the stage with artists like Yungblud, 5 Seconds of Summer, and My Chemical Romance influenced her evolution as a performer. “Yungblud was probably the most drastic I've changed as a performer after watching him. I've just never seen someone who is such a rock star through and through. He’s the kindest, most energetic, would come into our green room every day, just like so supportive and giving pointers.” She continued, “The intention behind every single moment and making sure every single show is like 100%. I've tried to really go into my own shows with that mentality: every single show is an arena show. I don't care if I am playing like a random private show for 15 people, I'm gonna treat it like it's an arena.”
Charlotte has built her entire career as an independent artist, a path that comes with its own set of challenges but also plenty of rewards. Reflecting on what she loves most about that independence, she shared, “I feel like being independent really just gives you so much freedom to do whatever you want. I've just had to really, really trust my instincts when it comes to like any song I've ever put out. And I think there's something that's really motivating about that because I'm like, okay, if I want to do well, I need to make it do well. And I think it helps me make music that is so much more of a reflection of myself instead of going through all these filters of other people's opinions.”
When asked if she plans to stay independent, Charlotte gave the kind of answer every fan dreams of, a reflection of why we love her not just as an artist, but as a person. “Whenever I go into conversations about labels or anything like that, I always end up sitting there being like, is this gonna emphasize all the incredible people that come to my shows? I can see them in my brain and see all these people I talk to, and I'm like, is this decision gonna help the bottom line of connecting with those people more and finding more people who need a place in a community? Or is that the goal? And if I don't feel like that's gonna be done correctly or done with intention, then it just doesn't feel right to make those decisions. So until that standard is met and I'm able to have a very collaborative partnership that I feel like is doing right by my audience, I will probably stay independent and figure it out myself.”
Summing up her career in one word, she laughed, “I would say forever. And I think that I just meant that in the sense of, like, to me, I just feel like my career feels like it is just my destiny, in the sense of, yeah, I'm gonna be doing this my entire life. And I think a lot of times it's meant like we're supposed to feel like there are these goals, these places we're supposed to be, and things we're supposed to get to. I think I've recently come to the point in my life where I'm just like, actually, I'm gonna be here for a long time. I don't know, and I'm just gonna like enjoy the moments that I get and try to enjoy them slowly, and not just rush to the next moment.”
Charlotte Sands is clearly just getting started, and what makes her stand out isn’t just her talent; it’s the way she truly cares about her fans. She doesn’t just perform for them; she builds with them, listens to them, and lets their support shape her journey. It’s rare as a fan to feel like you’re genuinely part of an artist’s story, but with Charlotte, you are. That kind of authenticity isn’t manufactured; it comes from a real place of love and respect for the people who believe in her. Because of that, it’s easy to see that she’s not going anywhere; she’s in this for the long run, and the community she's created gets to grow with her every step of the way.
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