“I began writing this song at a service station last year on tour,” explains Carpenter. “As I drove in I could see these huge, beautiful trees towering over me and in that moment the word ‘Shelter’ came to me. I started to think of the ways we could feel shelter by something rather than from something and slowly this song started to take form. Musically, ‘Shelter’ fell into a guitar-driven song and by the time it was finished I’d realised it had a James Bond feel I wasn’t expecting at all. When we started the recording process we sort of looked that feel in the face and wanted to make it as cinematic as possible, and see the track as different scenes as well as a song. I wanted it to feel intense, desperate and give the listener a sense of yearning. I adore what we did with the chamber section towards the end, it becomes really uneasy and probably why I feel like I’ve written some sort of unofficial Bond number.”
The Northampton-born artist combines fiery-eyed guitars with grand string gestures on “Shelter” – it’s a powerful track with passion and depth in spades that lingers in your mind for days after the final note stops ringing.
Shelter was recorded with Lee Russell (Temples, Nada Surf) at Dulcitone – features the title track, new song “Hey Mr. Cowboy”, and previously shared tunes “Fire” and “Lately”.
Charlotte Carpenter plays a string of UK headline dates this autumn, starting in Birmingham on 23rd October and ending at London’s St. Pancras Old Church on 1st November.
The Shelter EP is out 20th October via Carpenter’s own Let It Go imprint.
The Fat Angel Sings 