Charlie Burg always explored music growing up. He started playing piano at 7 years old, and a few years after that, he picked up his dad’s acoustic guitar. Since then, Burg has been playing the bass and drums, singing and writing his own music.

But things really changed for the artist’s career when he transferred from Michigan State University to Syracuse University, he said. Burg, who grew up in a suburb outside of Detroit, is now a music industry junior who’s gearing up for his second out of a three-part extended play release.

Though the date has yet to be announced, the artist said it will be released sometime in April, but he will be dropping singles before then. The Daily Orange sat down with the artist to talk about his career and upcoming releases.

The Daily Orange: How long have you been performing?

Charlie Burg: I’ve been playing shows I think since I started my first band freshman year of college. But before that I was doing the musicals in high school, talent shows, coffeehouses. I think playing at these coffee and tea houses around Detroit (was) great for getting my start in performing. I would just play on the streets and jam with people walking by and stuff.

The D.O.: Do you like performing?

C.B.: Yeah, it’s probably the part I like most about doing music because it gives me a chance to just be live, connecting with people in the moment, and that energy makes me feel very fulfilled.

The D.O.: Where do you get your inspiration from?

C.B.: I’m really inspired by the music that I grew up listening to, which is like classic Detroit Motown. Grew up listening to Al Green, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations. I like to write about very specific moments … I feel like the more particular your writing is, the more humanizing it makes the music, and that makes it feel personal and easier to connect.

The D.O.: Do you think your music sounds like any of those people you draw inspiration from?

C.B.: It’s funny. I feel like when people ask me my musical influences in terms of artists, you know, I’ll say, “I love GoldLink, I love Kaytranada, the whole LA selection,” and people will be like, “What! Your music doesn’t sound anything like that.”

But … it makes sense to me the way that influences my music. I’m super into Daniel Caesar, huge Coldplay fan, Weezer, Paramore.

The D.O.: How has your transition been to SU?

C.B.: I think transferring to SU was one of the best decisions for my music that I’ve ever made. I linked up with two guys in the Bandier Program, Andrew Idarraga and Benji Sheinman, and they like do management for me now.

Since working with them, things have just been moving so much quicker and just growing at a much faster rate…I love them to death. They’re really passionate about what they do. Their support and passion for my music has inspired my own passion for my music. Just knowing that I’m working with a team that believes in my craft, it made me further believe in my own craft.

The D.O.: What’s next?

C.B.: I’m doing like a three-EP series right now. I put out the first one in September and the second one is coming out in April. They’re all sort of thematically related in a way – in my own way. I’ve put out the first single already and (am) putting out the second one in a couple of weeks. I’m really excited about it so it means a lot to me … (I’m) just trying to get an internship with a record label this summer and, like, be in the music industry for three months.

The D.O.: Is there a reason you’re doing the three-part series?

C.B.: Yeah, there is a reason, and it’s stupid. I wrote a full-length album, and it was like a big, long album, like 15 songs or something. And then I got with my guys in Ann Arbor that lived there over the summer to record the album, and it just never got recorded. It just wasn’t working out. So then it was August, and I was like, “Shoot I don’t have an album, so maybe I’ll just perfect six songs and chop up the album.”

The D.O.: Do you want to be on the business side or the performing side?

C.B.: That’s why I’m getting a degree so that I have options … right now it feels the most natural to be pursuing the artist path, but I don’t know, I just know what makes me feel good and what makes me feel fulfilled. I’m just going to keep on using that as my little tether – finding ways to connect with people because that’s what’s most important to me.

Published on March 5, 2018 at 8:14 pm

Contact Lydia: lnilesst@syr.edu