Review Fix Exclusive: Charlie Oxford Talks ‘Reflections’ EP

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Charlie Oxford, who discusses his new EP, “Reflections.”

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Charlie Oxford: I got involved in music from the age of 12 when my dad got me a guitar for my birthday.  I started taking lessons every week at Charley’s Guitar Shop in Dallas, TX.  Songwriting was the next step which started in high school.  The songs were terrible but it laid the groundwork for where I’m at today.

Review Fix: Who has inspired your sound the most?

Oxford: I don’t think I can narrow it down to just one but from the very beginning of my involvement with music there’s been this mix of soul singers and guitar players.  Singers like James Morrison, Sam Cooke, Gavin Degraw, Amos Lee and guitar players like Clapton, SRV, Mayer, and Gary Clark Jr really solidified in me a sense of melody.

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Oxford: I think I’d say to anyone who hasn’t listened to me that I stay true to the influencers I listed above which brings a sense of familiarity.  However, I’m not trying to just regurgitate what I as a fan love.  I try and take what I’ve learned from the past and put my own spin on it making my own voice in the framework of really great guitar players, singers, and songwriters.

Review Fix: How was the track “Letting Go” written? What inspired it?

Oxford: “Letting Go”  came about when I was talking to a friend of mine that was in the tail end of a relationship but wasn’t quite ready to let go and be own their own.  The idea of starting over again scared the heck out them but I tried to reassure them that it wasn’t healthy and they needed to move on.

Review Fix: How has this EP changed you as a musician?

Oxford: The EP is a collection of my three favorite songs off my Debut released last September. “Waiting For,” “Drive Me Crazy” and “Letting Go.”  I’d done so much acoustic touring that I wanted to record something that reflected that.  So my producer and I went back into the studio to revisit the songs along with the new single “Call Me” which really has found its place as probably the most honest song I’ve ever written.  The EP has changed me as a musician in the challenge to create something inspiring while only allowing myself just a few instruments to pull it off.  It’s a challenge in restraint and was really interesting to see if the songs could stand on their own without all the bells and whistles of a full band.

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

Oxford: Hopefully in a very positive way.  I try and write music that is relatable and-and yet at the same time able to help someone in a time of need.  The single “Call Me” is definitely a song that I think people can relate to.  It’s a song that came from a very dark place of loneliness, and self-deprivation because of personal and family problems a friend of mine was going through.  They just needed someone to be there for them and to listen.  I hope that if anyone is going through a similar situation where they don’t feel in control of their own life sees that they are not alone.  I hope that people that see a friend going through a tough time reach out and don’t just be stagnant because doing nothing is never going to make a situation better for a friend.

Review Fix: What are your goals for this EP?

Oxford: Well I’m touring Texas, the midwest, and down in Florida all of April and May so I’m trying my hardest to get the word out to as many people as possible.  Right now “Call Me” is on a steady climb on Spotify and I think people are starting to hear it.   It’s getting some good playlist additions so the future of that song seems bright so far.

Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone listen to this EP?

Oxford: Because it’s amazing. Just kidding.  No, in all seriousness I’ve gotten to the point in my artistry where I want to embrace the side of music that has the power to bring people together in a peaceful and loving environment.  I hope people see that in these songs.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Oxford: My plan is to write as much new music as possible because I want to start releasing new music as frequent as possible.  I’ve got another EP in the works.  The songs I’m writing now are leaning a bit more to the Pop side right now which is a new world of discovery for me.  I’m going to try and stay as true to my original influencers but there is so much new music these days that I’m listening to.  I think it’ll be a big leap in my songwriting craft for sure.