Charly Reynolds Talks Debut Album ‘Off The Record’ and Taking a Leap of Faith [Exclusive]

Rising country artist Charly Reynolds recently released her debut album, Off The Record. This much-anticipated album represents a major milestone in the 25-year-old Florida native’s career, blending Nashville’s classic twang with the lively energy of Texas dance halls, all while showcasing her unique sound and personal story.

The album explores themes of past heartbreak, the excitement of new love, and the personal experiences that have influenced her music.

Reynolds describes the feeling of releasing her debut album as “surreal” and recently took the time to chat with Country Now about the project, releasing an album as an independent artist, how she hopes to inspire others with the release, and more.

Find out more about Charly Reynolds and her album in the exclusive Q&A below.

What made you want to title your new album Off the Record?

When I was deciding on what to title the album, I didn’t want it to be one of the songs. I think it’s cool when people do an album title that just encapsulates the whole album instead of the song title. But then we wrote “Off The Record,” I was like, I am so missing an opportunity if I don’t use this as the album title because I just thought it was so cool. And I just kept trying to come up with something a little bit different for a few weeks and see if I could beat it. But there wasn’t anything that I liked as much as an album called Off the Record. I decided to go with it and I’m glad I did.

Being an independent artist, you are able to have more control over your music. However, I’m sure it also comes with many challenges including self-funding. How have you navigated these obstacles and what has your personal journey looked like as an independent artist?

I love being an independent artist. Like you said, I can pick and choose the songs I want to do. I love having control over the cover art and the marketing and all of that. I think it’s really fun, but there are times when I would love to have a little bit of direction from a label. But luckily, I have a ton of industry friends who have really helped me with those decisions. I’ve been very blessed to have a good circle of people around me who helped me try to do things in a way that a label would do, but independently. Also, as far as funding, I just work my butt off to make ends meet with these songs. I’ve been very fortunate. I had to really figure out budget-wise with this album, how I was going to do it and stick with it and it worked out. It was definitely was a scary thing too, because I don’t have a record label pushing thousands and thousands of dollars into it and paying for radio and playlisting and all these things. I just took a leap of faith and decided if this album flops, oh well, I still did it!

What were your overall goals for this album?

With this album, honestly, I wanted to put it out for the fans who have been asking me for a long time, “When are you going to quit doing singles and do an album?”  Also, just for me. I wanted to do something for myself. I’ve been wanting to do an album for so long and I just decided, you know what, 2024 is the time! I’m going to do it in the fall and see what happens and kind of take a leap of faith. With that, I want people not only to be hearing the songs, but to hear that. To just kind of chase their dreams and go after stuff and know that you’re going to have to take a leap of faith and it’s going to be a scary thing and it’s going to be risky, but just to do it anyway. I feel like that’s kind of what my story has been. And with this album, same thing, kind of that same story of you have to try or else you’re never going to know. I think that’s really important. I know that I’ve let fear get in the way of a lot of things, and I’m kind of done with that. And so I want people to just chase their dreams and obviously relate to these songs. A lot of these songs are ones that I feel like the slower ones are kind of deeper. And I know on TikTok, a lot of people have related to them already. And I just hope that they can bring them a little bit of joy or sense of they’re not alone in those feelings. And so I just hope that they can relate to the songs in any kind of way.

What song was the most fun to write?

“Off the Record” was really fun because it’s obviously not a true story. It’s a murder song. It was so fun because we were just making up this crazy fiction story. That was just really fun. So that one was a really good time to write just because we could put literally whatever in it, and it had to be mysterious and cool and just different than the everyday write. Then, “Another Man Will” was really fun to write. Not only write, but produce. We had already done more than half the album once we were producing that one and I had felt like, not that I didn’t know my sound yet, but I felt like we still hadn’t completely nailed the sound that I was going for. And when we produced that one, that was the first one where I was like, this is it! We found it. We nailed it. This is the sound that I’ve been looking for. This is the sound that I’ve been wanting for five years. That was an exciting moment because from there on out, we did that one and “Blame It on My Boots,” and those are two that really are where I found the sound that I’ve been looking for so long and what I’ll be doing going forward. So that was just an exciting moment when producing it.

Your song “People Think”” talks about raising hell on a Saturday night. How do you “raise hell on a Saturday night”?

Well sometimes I get a little carried away with champagne or something like that. That’s how I would really be raising hell on a Saturday night, just by drinking champagne and going crazy and being fun. Or the real raisin’ hell would be on Broadway. I think anybody that goes to Broadway knows you’re not just there for a casual good time. It’s going to be a hell of a night, and it’s going to be chaotic and fun and crazy. That’s probably my real version of raising hell on a Saturday night.

Can you share the back story to your song “Visiting Hours?”

My brother passed away when I was five. I wanted to write a song about that for a really long time, but I just never had the right idea yet. And I wanted it to be the perfect idea and I wanted to feel like it was time. Then, I finally got the idea when we were in a write and I was like, ‘this is the one, let’s do it.’ So we did it. I really just wrote it for me. I wasn’t really thinking about putting it out in the beginning. I really just wanted it to be kind of a therapy for me and my family. Then once we wrote it, I was like, ‘you know what? I think I need to put this out.’ And so I started posting it. I mean, I was already planning on putting it out, but I started posting it on TikTok and Instagram and it just did so well because everyone can relate to it. I was kind of overwhelmed by the amount of stories from other people that were reusing the sound. I went and watched all of them and it’s so sad. It’s such a sad thing. But also I love that people can relate and relive those happy memories with their people who have passed away through my song. It just really meant a lot. I feel like that song is one that I know has touched a lot of people, so that’s such a good feeling as a songwriter and an artist.

This album is very emotionally diverse. Do you feel that it represents a certain time in your life or many points in time?

It’s kind of many points. When I was picking the songs for it, I just picked the ones that meant something to me in some kind of way and in hopes that if one didn’t connect with someone, then the next one’s going to connect with them or whatever. I just kind of picked my favorites that meant something to me and put them all together and was going to see how that sounded. But I love when artists can give me a little bit of both, and they show the variety that they can do. And so I just kind of threw all that in there and I started off happy and fun, and then we go into a little bit of a sad valley for a second, for the couple songs, and then at the end, I wanted to bring it back up and end on another happy note at the end of the album.

Do you have anything that you want your fans to know regarding the album?

I want them to know that I appreciate all the love that they’ve already given on it, and their excitement made me excited. Not that I wasn’t already, but it was weird because it’s been so much time leading up to this. Then, yesterday when it came out, I was like, ‘whoa, it’s done.’ But, we’re really just getting started, but now it’s in the world for everyone and not just me. So it was kind of weird, but very exciting to see everyone just so happy online and listening. I just want to thank them for constantly supporting and listening to my music and to really, like I said, just take that leap of faith in doing something that might not be normal. Because putting out an album as an independent artist is definitely not the norm and not something that’s common at all. So really, if they’re wanting to do something, go for it and just see what happens. 

Also, maybe this is more of a different kind of question, but I want them to know that I’m going on tour in a bunch of different places on the “Off The Record” tour so that they can come and we can meet and hang out and stuff like that.

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A post shared by Charly Reynolds (@charlyreynoldsmusic)

You’ve performed alongside some pretty big artists such as Maddie & Tae, Walker Hayes, Lainey Wilson, and Elle King. What were those experiences like and what was going through your head as you shared the stage with them?

I always wanted to have the opportunity to open for other artists or even beyond the same bill as them for shows. I opened for Cody Johnson at Country Thunder and he was such a prime example of what I want to be as an artist. He and the band watched our whole set, which I didn’t know, thank God, while I was on stage because I would’ve been freaking out. The whole rest of the band saw them, but I didn’t. Afterward, he came up to us and was like, “You’re Charly, right?” I was like, “Yeah” and he said, “Incredible job.” He really took the time to talk to us and was so nice and supportive. I feel like that’s something that takes no time to do, and he went out of his way to do something like that. It was just so kind and it really made me see that’s what what I want to do. I want to support the artists who are coming out here, who feel like they’re maybe in a time slot where no one’s there and no one cares and no one wants to listen to them, only to the headliner. It was just really sweet of him. I always feel so blessed to be opening up for anyone and even just to be there. I am opening for Priscilla Block next month, which is so exciting.

If you were to collaborate with any artist, who would it be?

Honestly, so many. I would love to collab with Cody Johnson and also Reba McEntire.

@charlyreynoldsmusic @Hattie B’s 9/10. Was so good!! #charlyschickentenderreview #food #foodreview #hattiebshotchicken #nashville @Kyle Douglas ♬ original sound – Charly Reynolds

You started a series on TikTok called “Charly’s Chicken Tender Review”. As of right now, who is in the lead? 

Oh, man. Oh, that’s so hard. I have to say, Hattie B’s was so good, but Chick-fil-A is like my ride or die. I feel like I have to say Chick-fil-A, but Hattie B’s was honestly right up there. I did say that Raising Canes was maybe better than Chick-fil-A, but I take that back because that’s just not true. 

There was a comment on one of your TikTok videos calling you “The country version of Hannah Montana.” How did that make you feel?

Oh my gosh, yes. That was the best comment ever. It was kind of funny because most people will say Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood, which I feel incredible too when they say that, but Hannah Montana is just such an iconic person. That was the best comment ever. I’ll take it any day. That was always my dream to be Hannah Montana.

Fans can keep up with Charly Reynolds on Instagram.