John Cale “determined to find the next layer” with Charli XCX
In recent times, John Cale and Charli XCX have made a formidable, if surprising, collaborative pair. Now, Cale has revealed his true thoughts on the “smart, fun” Essex-born musician.
Last November, it was announced that Cale featured on the Charli XCX track, ‘House’, included in her soundtrack for Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation.
Now, Cale features on the front of Charli XCX’s new album cover, Music, Fashion, Film, alongside Martin Scorsese and Marc Jacobs.
The ‘Apple’ singer has been vocal about her love of Cale and the Velvet Underground for some time, sharing previously that “I just feel really honoured to know him”.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Cale has shared his own praise of Charli, revealing that he “learned there are no limits to what I could expect from her”.
Cale has been inspired by her artistry, adding, “I’m determined to find the next layer with her, maybe an operatic stream of conscious [sic] vocal.…”
He added that he thought that the 33-year-old was “lively and a social spark” upon their first meeting.
He elaborated, “She made an impression on me in that she’s built herself a type of fortress, surrounds herself with like-minded creatives — all providing the goodwill necessary for her to thrive and do her thing 24/7. Fearlessly, I might add.”
When asked how she stands out from other artists today, Cale nodded to her, “Energy and vivacity mixed with a real knowledge of music, far different from her own. An awareness of cultural shifts on the precipice — how to harness it all whilst not losing her own identity.”
He went on, “She’s smart, fun, a bit of a whirlwind, and always curious.”
The 84-year-old musician added that her sense of creative discovery has “no boundaries”, and her “generosity to my particular history and my current work makes me blush”.
As ever with the spontaneous star, Cale revealed that plans for the shoot of her latest album cover were all but non-existent: “She said she had an idea to run by me. There was talk of a video, an ode to an imprint of time and place. Next thing, I was on a flight. Ended up in a random kitchen.”
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