Q&A: A Patchwork Quilt of Relationships, Charlotte Rose Benjamin Releases Debut EP ‘Dreamtina’
THE PERFECT BEGINNING TO — Charlotte Rose Benjamin’s story as an artist, Dreamtina is making its mark. Released April 22, Dreamtina is an indie-rock record with alternative ’90s influence. All 37 minutes of this exciting record are worth a head bang and a late night drive.
The singer-songwriter funded the entirety of her album by modeling in New York City. She found almost instant success in this line of work, but realized music was her true passion and form of expression. Dreamtina was written as a way for Benjamin to create the perfect version of herself and put that character out into the world. Dreamtina is not only a collection of music but an alter ego that lives in an entirely different world.
It is obvious that Benjamin put a lot of attention and effort into the debut album, focusing on small details such as the story between “Louis” and “Louis Pt. 2,” using creative noises to imitate a visual image like in “Slot Machine,” or slipping in small references to past and present friends and lovers.
Read more to unlock all the secrets of Dreamtina and learn more about Charlotte Rose Benjamin.
LUNA: Hello Charlotte! Thank you so much for doing this Q&A with The Luna Collective. To start off, introduce yourself to our readers!
BENJAMIN: Thank you for having me! My name is Charlotte Rose Benjamin.
LUNA: Your debut album, Dreamtina, is now out. Tell me a little about the album and the story behind it — who is Dreamtina?
BENJAMIN: Dreamtina is a fictional perfect girl [who] I wish I was. I decided to make an album about a year ago. I was already about halfway done writing it, but I didn’t really have a plan for the songs other than to just release them one by one. I was feeling really out of control at the time, and I think I needed to take on a big project and have it be all mine. Spending every day working on every aspect of Dreamtina piece by piece was like having my own little secret I could escape into. It’s written mostly about trials and tribulations of romantic love, but the actual making of the record felt as exciting and infatuating as being in love and better because I had full control over it. I’m genuinely fucking love this album. I’ve never felt that way about something I’d made before.
LUNA: “Satisfied” and “Slot Machine” are the first two songs to be released from this album. Why did you choose those two to represent the album thus far?
BENJAMIN: I decided to make an album when I finished writing “Satisfied.” I’m being super annoying in it and also scary honest, but it felt so freeing to write. Annoying/scary honesty is kind of a theme for Dreamtina. I also just felt like it was such a banger! I’d never written anything that goes so hard. I thought it would be a good song to pair with the announcement of the record.
I love “Slot Machine.” I wrote it just before the pandemic, so it feels kind of light and cute. If there’s any song that would be a good thesis for Dreamtina, it’s “Slot Machine.” It’s a clever and sassy but also earnestly begging for love.
LUNA: I am personally intrigued by the songs “Louis” and “Louis Pt. 2.” What is this overall story about, and why did you feel it was necessary to split it into two parts?
BENJAMIN: The “Louis” and “Louis Pt. 2” bookends! Thank you for asking — that’s my favorite detail. “Louis” was the first song I ever recorded with this band and the oldest song on the album. I had a few different versions of it recorded. It was in a 3/4 time signature for, like, three years, and I couldn’t figure out what to do with it, and then Nardo Ocha, [a producer on the album,] had the idea to speed it up and play it with this kinda Strokes-ey quarter note guitar thing. It was the song that kind of established our sound as a band. And then like a year later Nardo brought me the idea for “Louis Pt. 2,” which is the most beautiful song in the world! He had the chorus of “Louis” in his head, but everything else is completely different. It’s spookier and softer than “Louis.”
My brother got full body chills when he heard it for the first time. When I decided I wanted to make an album I wanted to take advantage of all the cool stuff you can do when you put out a body of work. Like making a 45-second intro song that bleeds into the first track and having little melodies like “Louis” that come back in as a reprise. I feel that this album isn’t just 10 songs smushed together — it’s really a full and complete story.
LUNA: What is your personal favorite song off the album and why?
BENJAMIN: I can’t pick a favorite! At this moment, I’m really into “Slot Machine” because it just came out and all these TikTok girls are starting to make cute videos to it, which makes me weirdly emotional.
LUNA: As this is your debut album, you funded this completely on your own by taking on work as a fashion and cosmetics model in New York. What was that experience like?
BENJAMIN: Mostly fun! I love clothes, I love dressing up, I like being on a set. I don’t work a ton as a model, but I’ve been really fortunate that some of the jobs I’ve booked have been pretty lucrative. I’ve been writing songs and making music my whole life, and when I moved to New York someone suggested that I get into modeling for the money. It really just fell into my lap. I’m 5’3” and I’m not, like, striking-looking. It’s mostly commercial stuff, which is fine with me because those are the jobs that actually pay.
LUNA: Are there any fun facts about the album or hidden easter eggs we should look out for?
BENJAMIN: The songs are like patchwork quilts. Each one has a few different people influencing the lyrics. If you’re someone I’ve dated or someone I’m close friends with, you can probably find a part of a song that's about you.
The album was mostly recorded at my parents’ house over the summer. There are a lot of hidden sounds. You can hear my parents’ dog, Cowboy, barking at the start of the guitar solo in “Heatstroke Summer”; “Slot Machine” has a lot of wacky instrumentals from stuff we found in my dad’s studio, and “Gracie” is so special because it was recorded live outside on the porch with the birds singing!
LUNA: Lastly, what can we expect to see from you once this album is released?
BENJAMIN: I’ve been saying this repeatedly to everyone I meet lately, but I’m dying to go on tour. Hoping to put something together this summer or fall!
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