FEATURE:
Spotlight
Charlotte Plank
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ONE of this year’s…
finest and most indelible E.P.s was released by Charlotte Plank. ClubLiminal is a sensational thing to behold. This is another case of me spotlighting an artist who has been around for a little while, though it is a key time to highlight. I am going to come to some interviews first. However, let’s get some biography first. Latitude Festival provided some background earlier this year ahead of Charlotte Plank playing for them:
“Plank releases Alternative, electronic pop inspired Dance EP – ClubLiminal: British vocalist
and songwriter Charlotte Plank releases her sophomore EP, May 2025, through RCA UK
Born in Australia to British acid house-loving parents, Charlotte Plank grew up with dance
music, but it clicked when she discovered drum & bass as a teenager in the UK. Initially
taken by the energetic rush of the music and the scene’s tight community bonds, she was
later drawn to the more songwriting-led elements of the genre. Hearing how producers
balanced nostalgic samples with fresh techniques — soul, jazz and blues samples, with
junglist breaks and heaving sub bass — planted a creative seed in her.
At the same time, Plank loved alternative pop music. Rudimental’s 2013 debut, Home, was a
flashpoint, showing her how the genre could go from DIY raves to main stages, with
vocalists and players connecting with a live audience. As Plank discovered her own voice,
she fell for the powerful harmonies and deep messages of Amy Winehouse; Plank wrote
poetry and lyrics, and performed R&B standards in local venues. “I feel that I’m a writer first,
above anything else” she says.
When the pandemic lockdowns began, Plank felt that the time was right; she started building
beats on Logic and the stew of influences bubbled up. She made dance-inflected pop music
that sampled elements that felt right for her generation — indie rock riffs, hyperpop hooks —
and led with her own vocals. On 2022’s ‘Hate Me’, Plank explores youthful self-loathing and
romance.
These early, self-released songs showcase a deft hand for blending emotional lyricism and
alternative pop melodies with high energy rave beats; what Plank calls “biographical
storytelling with beats”, akin to the likes of Shygirl, Charli XCX, Rina Sawayama, A. G. Cook
and Caroline Polachek.
In a moment of fateful synchronicity, these tracks caught Rudimental’s attention. The band
invited her in to perform with them in 2022, at London’s Brixton Academy and Radio 1’s Big
Weekend in Dundee, and after a rapturous reception to the shows, Plank became in
demand. She collaborated on Rudimental singles ‘Dancing Is Healing’, which peaked at No.
5 on the UK Official Singles Chart, and ‘Green & Gold’, which she wrote, featuring Skepsis
and Riko Dan.
In the studio, Plank’s skills as a collaborator compounded: she worked with/wrote for Jazzy,
Hybrid Minds and Turno, notably on the latter’s 2023 single, ‘Rave Out’. As a solo artist, she
released a mixtape, InHer World, on Black Butter Records, before moving under RCA UK
label in 2024. Seeing how pandemic-era feelings of stunted abandon and heightened
introspection were pulsing through her peers, she channelled this into InHer World, her
dynamic debut EP.
Starting the year as VEVOs ‘Dscvr Artists to Watch’ for 2025, Plank released on May 2nd
2025 through RCA UK, her sophomore 2025 EP ‘ClubLiminal’.
This fresh body of work sees Plank’s sound collaborate with Producers such as Jakwob,
Kurisu and Mike Kintish to highlight her introspective storytelling and vocal soars in unison.
Subliminal stories that cling to club walls through Planks ability to dance between intimacy
and chaos – always with a nod to her underground roots.‘Nightshift’ riffs off Groove Armada’s
‘Superstylin’ with a slick, high energy impact; ‘Ellen’ narrates youthful indecision and crises;
‘Stargirl’ dances with the darkness of fame and childhood turbulence. Across the EP, there’s
a blending of agony and ecstasy, of what Plank has playfully coined “melantronic”.
“To me, a sad song doesn’t need to sound sad,” she says, on how this confessional, hybrid
style of alternative pop and dance music speaks to Gen Z listeners. “It’s about finding
comfort in the chaos by telling stories about these transitional moments, about the battles
I’ve been through. I want to bring those stories to light in ways that resonate and make
people realise they’re not alone”.
There are other interviews I want to come to. However, earlier in the year, the Standard spoke with an artist who was “uniting ravers old and new with her soulful-yet-banging dance music which she has dubbed ‘melantrolic’”. If you have not discovered Charlotte Plank yet then do go and listen to her phenomenal music:
“My music is like hedonistic indie sleaze-tinged dance music that moves between intimacy and chaos, bridging the underground to the mainstream, and I’m like the friend on your shoulder,” says Charlotte Plank in breezily confident style when I somewhat unfairly ask her for the hard sell. “It’s like relatable, unfiltered storytelling that’s gonna make you feel something on the dancefloor.”
If all we hear about dance music now is that’s it’s over, as dead as rock’n’roll, maybe even deader given all the club closures and younger generations preferring caramel lattes to MDMA … well Plank might change all that this year. Is the 23-year-old the saviour of rave? It’s in the blood.
She’s the daughter of a couple of club kids who met in Australia, her father over from Manchester with her uncle, who was a DJ. After the family came back to the capital, she devoured her mother’s mixtapes and was singing soul music in pubs, until she realised, “singing to old men at 13 wasn’t quite as fun as going to raves”.
She was writing stories and poetry, studying English literature and music technology while immersing herself in drum’n’bass and, “random squat situations, random clubs in London, house parties and festivals. I was interested in merging different experiences”.
Lockdown hit when she was 19 and she spent it merging diverse influences like “Imogen Heap, Aphex Twin, Clams Casino, Amy Winehouse, such different worlds. There’s no blueprint, I’m freewheeling.”
A self-released single Hate Me was a TikTok hit and she made a name featuring on two Rudimental tracks. Last year she toured, played Glastonbury, and released two songs, Stargirl and Ellen, which hit a sound that is both nostalgic and new, the sound of raves past and raves to come.
“I’ve coined my music ‘melantronic’,” she says, “melancholic electronic. It’s corner of the club music. Like if you’re on a night out and you go to the loo and you’ve just realised how f***ed you are”.
I am going to move to a great interview from UKF. Speaking about her incredible sound and wonderful album, ClubLiminal. Charlotte Plank’s answer regarding her songwriting process is particularly interesting. This is an artist I have known about for years, and it is great to see her getting this hype and love:
“Unstoppable powerhouse vocalist and producer Charlotte Plank is currently seeing her latest vision ClubLiminal come to life, infusing classic jungle, experimental indie pop and dance, carving out a sound that’s not only authentic but deeply relatable. From reworking her high energy tracks into lush stripped back acoustic gems to recording new mashups, Charlotte couldn’t be busier ahead of her country wide ClubLiminal tour.
Perpetually on the brink of something big and new, we caught up with Ms Plank to chat about everything from her songwriting process to the evolution of her sound since those early collaborations with Rudimental and Notion, and what it’s like navigating what’s shaping up to be a truly unforgettable summer of 2025.
Classic jungle holds a special place for you—who are some of the key influences that shaped your sound in this genre?
Classic jungle has heavily inspired my music from the start. I think initially because, when I was young, I sang a lot of soul, RnB, indie music—many different genres—and jungle has always sampled and lent itself so well to blending with other genres so seamlessly. I’ve been inspired by the likes of LTJ Bukem, especially the way he blends ambient jazz, strings, and breaks so beautifully. His Producer 01 album has heavily influenced tracks like stargirl and ellen. The likes of Goldie and Shy FX have also heavily influenced elements of my sound. Along with Calibre, who mixes ambient, jazz, soul, breaks, and dub so well, his work really influenced little miss sunshine.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process? Do you usually start with the lyrics or the melodies? How does it typically go?
It really varies. I’ve got this sort of Bible on my phone—it’s just my notes app, but you wouldn’t want to read it. It’s basically a stream of consciousness where I jot down random thoughts at any time of day—song inspirations, lyrics, or even just single words. There’s all sorts in there, from song titles to fragmented ideas.
Usually, I either go in thinking, I need to talk about this, I need to write about this, or I’ll scroll through my little songwriting Bible for inspiration. But I’m generally more of a melody-first person as well.
So either I’ll lay down a chord structure or record random melodies as voice notes. I use my voice notes kind of like my notes app—I’ll just record ideas whenever they come to me. It always seems to happen when I’m in the car, when I can’t actually use my phone, and I’m like, I’ve got this idea! I’ve got this idea! I try to capture it in the moment, but then later, I go back and think, Wait, what was that idea I was trying to find?
I feel like most writers are the same—there’s no strict process. Usually, the most chaotic situations lead to the best stuff.
I love that. So I’d say your lyrics definitely come from a personal place?
Yeah, 100%. I love writing for others, and I really enjoy that process, but I find it hard to write about purely hypothetical situations. I feel like that happens a lot in dance music—like, imagine you’re going out and feeling this or that. Each to their own, but for me, it’s difficult to write about things that haven’t happened or aren’t happening around me. My lyrics usually come from personal stories, things my friends are going through, or just observations about the world around me.
I was saying the other day that I like to imagine my music as a soundtrack to my life—almost like romanticizing everything, as if I’m in some kind of modern-day fairy tale. That’s how I try to shape my sound—something cinematic, coming-of-age. A lot of people can relate to it because it’s about growing up, finding yourself, and navigating the weird and wonderful parts of that journey.
Yeah, it definitely comes across in both the music and the videos…
Thank you! I’m excited to explore visuals even more and really dive into that world because it’s such a big part of my overall vision. For me, the music and visuals go hand in hand, and it’s a great way to showcase more of my personality.
I think visuals add so much more character to a song. It’s easy to just drop a track and be like, Here it is, but being able to tell a story through the visuals as well makes it so much more impactful.
Where do you want to see it go from here?
Yeah, I mean, to the public, it might look like I’m evolving, but to me, it just feels like a natural progression. I’ve always been open about drawing inspiration from so many different genres—dance, indie, alt-pop. Even with my first song, Hate Me, I think I described it as if Nirvana, Aphex Twin, and PinkPantheress had a baby. It was a whole mix of influences, and I think that’s just continued to grow and evolve as I’ve become a better writer and been exposed to even more inspiration.
Right now, I feel like the music I’m making is the most exciting and the most true to me. It was really nice to hear the other day on the radio—when chemical fashion was played, one of the DJs said, It really feels like Charlotte has been on a journey over the past couple of years, experimenting with sounds, and this feels like the most ‘Charlotte Plank’ song we’ve had yet. That meant a lot because there’s so much more where that came from.
I actually feel like I’m a year ahead of my own project. I’ve already written a lot of music for the next year, and I’m kind of already in that next headspace. As I said, I wouldn’t call it impatience, but my attention span is short—I’m always onto the next thing. But I think that’s a good thing, to always be ahead, evolving, and growing. I’d hate to be stuck in one place or pigeonholed. One thing about me is that I’ve always been experimental—I want to be a pioneer of something new. I don’t want my music to just sound like something else. I want people to say, That sounds like Charlotte Plank.
That’s what excites me—working with producers and hearing them say, I’ve never made anything like this before. That’s exactly what I want. So I’m just really excited for the world to hear more and make their own minds up about it. I think it’s some of the most exciting stuff I’ve made yet.
If I had to put it into words, I’d say it’s indie-tinged dance music—somewhere between intimacy and chaos. It’s relatable, raw, and forward storytelling over a mix of indie, atmospheric, and chaotic dance sounds. Over the next few months, I’ll be exploring different tempos and sonic worlds, and I’m excited for people to step into my melantronic world”.
A couple of other interviews to get to before finishing off. HUNGER spoke with Charlotte Plank recently. Anyone who has not experienced this phenomenal artist, then do go and follow her and listen to ClubLiminal. This year has seen so many tremendous E.P.s released. I think that ClubLiminal ranks alongside the cream of the crop:
“Clara Taylor: Tell me about your recent debut tour!
Charlotte Plank: I wanted the experience to be like your favourite club night, while also watching your favourite band. Growing up, I saw The 1975 and London Grammar, but I was also going to these weird, random squat raves. I loved the feeling of both, so I wanted to bring them together. We had some crazy shows, like when we performed on a boat. The whole thing was shaking. It was probably the sweatiest show I’ve ever done. A bit of a white wine blur, to be honest.
CT: What went into the decision to tour with an all-female band?
CP: It was never a premeditated plan. It just fell into place. Gabi [King] is an amazing drummer — she also drums for The 1975 – and is an absolute machine. It was always a dream of mine to have a cellist, so having Kristina [Rhodes] was great. We became this girl-power crew in this male-dominated industry. Things are getting better for women in the dance space, but there’s still a long way to go. Female DJs still get so much shit and they don’t get taken seriously. That’s why it’s so great to see this new wave of female artists smashing it and hyping each other up.
CT: Your EP, Clubliminal, feels like a coming-of-age project. What inspired it?
CP: Stories of stuff that happened to my friends and me when we were younger. It’s like a coming-of-age fairytale that romanticises the trials and tribulations of growing up. The most personal song is ‘Ellen’. Ellen’s my middle name and it’s a letter I wrote to myself just before I got signed. The lyrics, “Ellen, if you can make it past twenty-seven”, reference the 27 Club because Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and Jimi Hendrix were big inspirations of mine. It’s about going through tough times and wondering how I’m going to make it work.
CT: Were there any surprising parts of writing such personal records?
CP: I’ll go into a session and my subconscious just bleeds out. I was in a toxic, jealous relationship and didn’t realise how much it affected me until I wrote about it. I guess it’s a diary of the subconscious.
CT: Did you have a specific feeling in mind when making the Clubliminal?
CP: Clubliminal is about club music with all the subliminal thoughts and feelings. It’s designed for any point of the day — whether you’re in your room coming down from a night out, or suddenly sad about something you didn’t realise upset you. But equally about the euphoria of being on the dancefloor and lost in the moment. Like, when you meet someone in a club bathroom and you’re telling them your life story, crying. Alone-together kind of vibes”.
I am ending with this review from Original Magazine. If you are fresh to Charlotte Plank, there are some great interviews. Explore more on YouTube. She is such an engrossing and compelling artist. Someone with many years in the industry ahead. ClubLiminal is something truly special. You only need to listen to it once until it is permanently in your head and heart:
“My thing is adding some kind of storytelling over club music,”
she tells Original Magazine. Anyone attuned to the sound of narrative already knows this to be true of the young artist. Her rebellion, giving dance music heart, history, and a heroine, is what makes Charlotte Plank such a compelling new voice on the UK music scene. Her EP is a shimmering blend of cinematic soundscapes, raw emotion, and fierce intent, tracing her evolution not just as an artist, but as a narrator of modern life, femininity, and club culture.
“I guess my whole thing is, I find it hard to write hypothetically, I find it so much easier to write about stuff that’s actually going on in my life or with my friends.”
This frank, deeply felt authenticity pulses through every beat of her newest project. From euphoric bangers like Nightshift to the emotive lyricism of Stargirl, there’s a rare emotional range on display.
Often, Plank achieves this by sealing somber lyrics in an upbeat wrapper. “You can listen to it on a surface level as a club tune and then re-listen to it when you’re coming down on the bus home and be like, ‘oh, I get the lyrics now.’”
It’s little surprise, then, that storytelling runs deep for Plank. “Going back to when I was a little girl, I used to write to a fairy,” she recalls, seated in the garden of her childhood home. “It was like a next-level tooth fairy situation. My mum would always write back, and I think that’s where my storytelling started.”
That imaginative spark never left her. Her debut EP was aptly titled In Her World, a nod to her self-confessed tendency to live “in my own little world all the time. There’s a lot bubbling away under the surface that people don’t always see.”
What bubbles now is a new vision for UK dance music: expansive, literary, intimate. “I like to use a cinematic soundscape, which you can hear across the EP,” she explains. “It adds to the emotional rawness.” Her attention to sound as a sensation is shaped by a background in music technology and a musically rich upbringing. But when asked about her biggest influence, Charlotte credits her mum without hesitation.
“My thing is adding some kind of storytelling over club music,”
she tells Original Magazine. Anyone attuned to the sound of narrative already knows this to be true of the 24-year-old artist. Her rebellion — giving dance music heart, history, and a heroine — is what makes Charlotte Plank such a compelling new voice on the UK music scene. Her EP is a shimmering blend of cinematic soundscapes, raw emotion, and fierce intent, tracing her evolution not just as an artist, but as a narrator of modern life, femininity, and club culture.
“I 100% owe all of this to my mum,” she says fondly. “She brought me up on such a wide range of stuff. From Motown to Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, Amy Winehouse… even The Cure.”
Plank’s storytelling is both sonic and literal. Every voice note and metropolitan sample is a breadcrumb in her immersive sonic universe. “The other day, my boyfriend recorded me sleep-talking… I used it in a song! I do the same thing with random conversations”.
The wonderful Charlotte Plank needs to be on your radar. Go and follow her and listen to the incredible ClubLiminal. I am excited to see where Plank heads next and what is in store. It is very clear that this amazing talent has a…
HUGE future ahead.
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Follow Charlotte Plank
