Alice Merton Is Back In The Driver’s Seat With Charlie Brown

by | Jun 16, 2023

Alice Merton’s two studio albums – MINT & S.I.D.E.S. – saw the British-German alternative-pop artist reach over a billion streams and three million sales. She has been captivating audiences all over the world ever since she released her debut single No Roots (US Gold, multiple Platinum awards in Europe) and now returns with her new single Charlie Brown.

Alice Merton (JIDOH)

Alice Merton (JIDOH)
Alice Merton (JIDOH)

The new tune is a catchy indie pop song that tells the story of a man who is stuck in a rut. His days are repetitive, and his past keeps coming back to haunt him. He is searching for a higher meaning in life, something that makes him feel fulfilled – unfortunately, he has yet to find it. The chorus comes in as a push out of the daily grind: “Hold tight we’re moving on! Keep that dream just a little bit longer!”

The video was filmed in London and written and directed by Merton herself. At her side was choreographer Lyn Lim with whom she worked with on Lash Out and Blindside and her trusted Director of Photography Elias Koehler (Why So Serious, Same Team, Blindside, Funny Business). Together they created a world where Charlie seems to be a bit confused and depressed with his life situation, but the 29-year-old is adamant that he realises how special he is.

Check out the Alice Merton-directed video for Charlie Brown below:

Charlie Brown is a wake-up call to get back into the driver’s seat of your life. It’s a hymn to keep going – no matter how big the obstacles may be. Stop settling for the apparent security of everyday life, but fight for what is important to you. Thus, the song’s message is not only addressed to Charlie. All of us could do with leaving our comfort zone sometimes, try things and to stand up for our dreams.

Alice Merton (JIDOH)

Alice Merton (JIDOH)
Alice Merton (JIDOH)

After having finished a North American and European Tour with British indie poppers Bastille last year, Merton found herself back in the studio, writing with Chris Wood aka “Woody” the Drummer from Bastille and Songwriter/Producer Matt Wills. Merton recalls: “It was honestly one of the best times of my life, getting to tour with such a lovely group of people, and then creating music together”. William Farquarson (Bass player in Bastille) joined the session a few weeks later and out came Charlie Brown.

Bastille @ Glastonbury Festival 2022

William Farquarson of Bastille @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)
William Farquarson of Bastille @ Glastonbury Festival 2022 (Kalpesh Patel)

Finished off with production by Paul Whalley (Waste My Life, The Other Side) and Mixed by Jon Kelly (Kate Bush, Freddy Mercury, Duffy) and mastered by Sascha Busy Bühren.

Wallice Uses MOTH Club As Her Punching Bag

Afterdrive (Press)

AFTERDRIVE Release New Single ‘Jewellery’ Ahead Of Debut EP And Headline UK Tour

Rising Suffolk alt-pop outfit AFTERDRIVE are stepping up the momentum with the release of their brand new single Jewellery, the latest track to emerge from their forthcoming debut EP, Dress To Drive.

Sophie Grey @ BST Hyde Park 2026 (Simon Reed)

SOPHIE GREY. Returns With Infectious New Single ‘Air’

Rising “Retro Electro” artist SOPHIE GREY. returns today with her latest single, Air, a vibrant electronic-pop track that arrives alongside a visually striking new music video and just in time for her performance at Manchester Pride Festival.

The Guest List (Vlad Woodham Smith)

The Guest List Arrive With Ambitious Debut Album ‘Something Real’

Manchester five-piece The Guest List have officially entered their next chapter with the release of their ambitious debut album, Something Real. Out now, the 11-track record captures a band rapidly expanding beyond their early indie beginnings, combining huge guitar-driven anthems with more intimate moments of vulnerability and reflection. Having spent much of 2026 building momentum on stages across the UK and overseas, the album arrives at a pivotal moment for a band increasingly establishing themselves as one of the country’s most exciting emerging guitar acts.

Greg Freeman (Gabe Long)

Greg Freeman Unleashes Ferocious New Single ‘Cahokia’ Ahead Of New Album ‘All Set The Bone’

Greg Freeman has shared Cahokia, the ferocious opening track from his forthcoming third album, All Set The Bone, due for release on 2nd October. Accompanied by a new video, Cahokia establishes the uneasy atmosphere that runs throughout the record, using the story of the ancient civilisation that once flourished around the Mississippi River as a lens through which Freeman examines the instability of contemporary life.

Gaz Coombes @ BST Hyde Park 2024 (Louise Phillips)

Supergrass Announce Nine-Date UK Headline Tour For Spring 2027

Supergrass are set to return to stages across the UK next spring, announcing a nine-date headline tour for April and May 2027. The Oxford-formed band will visit Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, London, Bristol and Portsmouth, bringing their celebrated catalogue back to venues around the country following their hugely successful return to live performance in recent years.

Friendly Fires (Andrea Zvadova)

Friendly Fires Return With New Single ‘Lose All Your Friends’ And Embrace A New Beginning

Friendly Fires are back! The St Albans-formed indie-dance trio have returned with their first new music since 2019, sharing the exuberant new single Lose All Your Friends via LAB Records

Instigators @ 100 Club (Adrian Hextall)

Vive Le Rock Brings The Past, Present And Future Of Punk To London’s 100 Club

Vive Le Rock Magazine’s series of live shows brings some of the most exciting names from across the punk scene together to celebrate its past, present and future. At London’s legendary 100 Club, that meant a particularly potent triple bill, headlined by anarcho-punk veterans Instigators, who returned to the venue for the first time in 40 years, following opening sets from rising Bath four-piece Quick Romance and Brazilian-British hardcore punks Fantazmaz.

Julia Jacklin (Izzie Austin)

Julia Jacklin Unveils ‘The Hardest Thing’ Ahead Of New Album ‘The Gem’

Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin has shared her latest single, The Hardest Thing, the third preview of her forthcoming fourth studio album, The Gem, due 25th September via 4AD.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing