With their initial offerings ‘SIGNS’ and ‘Red Earth’ last year, London-based duo Planets established themselves as one of the more exciting names emerging from the capital. And as we enter a new year, they are continuing that electrifying reputation with their euphoric new single ‘Winner’.
So we joined them in conversation to find out more about their origins and inspirations over the years.
–
Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
Charlotte, originally from the Black Country, listened to a range of music growing up and was heavily influenced by her parent’s music tastes; Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, Supertramp, Kate Bush etc. For Christmas one year, she got an iPod shuffle with a playlist filled with loads of different music which her mum curated for her, and things evolved from there.
I grew up in Eastbourne and I’ve been living in London for over 10 years. My grandparents moved to England from Seville in the 50’s and they always played a decent amount of Spanish guitar music (Llobet, Albeniz, De Falla etc..) and flamenco. Similar to Charlotte, we had a lot of music in the house and it just became a personal thing of exploring all these different artists and genres.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
I fell for heavy rock/metal music in my teens and picked up the guitar around 12 years old. I had lots of musical heroes, but my idol was always James Hetfield; both his playing style and writing really inspired me. There’s a weight and physicality to his playing which I wanted to replicate and carry through into Planets.
For Charlotte, Kate Bush was a huge influence on her. In her own words “She commits to a feeling within a song and it radiates through to the sound, the lyrics, the production and the imagery. She recognises a strong hook and has the creativity and musical ear to develop the idea so it comes to life. It’s what we strive to do.”
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
When Charlotte and I met for the first time, there was immediate chemistry. We soon recorded an idea I had (which later became SIGNS), and we both felt this was something really exciting. We were both having problems in our relationships and a lot of the tension came out in the music. We then became addicted to writing / creating, and it’s been like that ever since.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
The creative process starts with a melodic idea I keep coming back to. When I pick up the guitar to write, I’m always searching for connection and something that excites me. Lyrics ordinarily come later on when I’ve got a workable harmonic structure, but words and phrases can often convey the melodic idea right from the beginning. Then it’s very much a collaborative effort to make everything sound optimum. This is when Charlotte brings my ‘zombie’ ideas to life. She’ll sing an idea and provide the most amazing harmonies almost instantly. This is particularly fascinating for me because Charlotte always chooses the least obvious intervals, even though she’s not had any formal training.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
The writing for Planets is linked to experiences that have just stayed with me for a long time. So really it’s about sticking to what I know and deep diving into ‘why’ something is the way it is, ‘what’ it still means and how’ I could’ve been better. The challenge is then to be really creative with the material, choose phrases or words that capture the imagination, and ultimately write something that sings well.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
Charlotte and I love music that moves us, both melodically and rhythmically. For Planets songs, we want each of them to have a spirit and energy of its own. It’s about making bold decisions and not limiting our creativity to any perceived musical boundary or genre. Even though a lot of the writing is about serious stuff, I want our music to uplift our listeners and feel good.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
When it comes to promoting Planets and getting our music in front of people, I think the biggest challenge has been talking about ourselves and maintaining belief. It’s pretty overwhelming to see so much competition online, but we’re a team and we believe growth will come if we continue to improve every aspect.
In respect to the industry itself, it’s easy to take unlimited access to music for granted. In many ways it’s really exciting to be able to reach a global audience when you release a song, but it can be challenging to get a real sense of who are genuine fans, willing to invest. At least, for us!
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
The feedback we received for our second release was an incredible moment for us. The numbers and reach SIGNS had, within a relatively short period of time, really amplified our ambition and motivation to keep going! We’ve also had to reframe Planets in our own minds, as it’s gone from being a passion project to a ‘living’ thing that forms part of our day-to-day life. Separately, away from Planets, my proudest moment is without question getting to study classical guitar at Trinity College of Music. And for Charlotte it’s meeting me 😉
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
Again, I think it’s about sticking to what we know in the writing, optimising on our strengths and following our instincts at every step of the creative process. If we don’t get that gut feeling, then the idea’s not ready and it probably needs re-working, or leaving for another time. With an ever changing industry, the temptation is to incorporate some trends into our own work. But we don’t want to dilute the personality in our music, and it could take us longer to refine our sound.
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We just released our first single for 2025 called “Winner” which came out 30th Jan. It’s got brand new production and we’re really excited to get it out there!
Short term, we’re banking songs in the studio to be able to release new music on a 6 to 7 week cycle. This way we can boost our listenership and capitalise on our growth. In terms of the music itself, we’re very much led by our instincts and what the song needs. So, don’t expect all of them to have the same Alt-Rock vibe. We’re always looking for new ways to surprise our listeners!
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
That’s a really tough one, because the obvious answer is for Charlotte and I to be working on an upcoming album and preparing for a tour. But right now, with how difficult this music industry is to penetrate, it’s very much about the next song being the best thing our fans will hear. This year we’re really looking to build out our team, grow our monthly listeners and play some summer festivals. It’s a really exciting time and we’re up for the challenge!
–
Listen to Planets’ new single ‘Winner’ below.
