Today we’d like to introduce you to Char Morse.
Hi Char, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Maybe this is true for most people, but I have always loved music. My parents and four siblings have a wide range of interest in music and I absorbed all of it. By the time I was ten years old, I started piano lessons and immediately began writing my own songs. The keys became a medium for all the creativity and energy that was built up throughout my childhood.
By the time I was sixteen, my father died during my parent’s separation. Being a teenager was hard already – this made it unbearable. I lost my way in school and life, but continued to write and sing my songs with friends – who always believed in me and said “I can’t wait to see you on a stage.”
But eventually, to keep my world safe and stable, I went to college. I was barely accepted after how I did in high school, but I figured it out. And of course, another roadblock hit: My first year I was in an abusive relationship. I wasn’t allowed time to myself, whether to play music or otherwise, and for another few years – I really lost my creative drive.
I did, however, escape the abuse and graduate with a 4.00. Then, I took off two years post-grad to save for law school. I went to therapy, stayed single for a few years and completed my J.D. During my “bar” trip (post law school), I ventured on a road trip down the West Coast and then spent three weeks in Europe. And something happened there.
My creative drive came back. I felt alive again, like I did what I had to to make sure I had a stable and enjoyable career – but now, I could pursue my passion. I made peace with the life I need to live to make space for the life I love.
Once I moved to Detroit in October 2025, I started writing more songs than I ever had. Inspired by all the good, bad, and everything in between. In the course of eight months I wrote thirty-five songs – some acoustic, some pop, and some rock.
As I wrap up my first EP, consisting of three pop songs and one rock song, I am confident I found my sound in pop rock. Not only that, I found myself again. I found what makes me feel alive, what makes every day feel special and exciting. I found what connects me to others and what I can offer beyond my everyday life.
And while I’ve sworn off dating for now . . . the songs I wrote are for the hearts in love, in heartbreak, or in rage.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s few people I meet on a journey without a few bumps in the road.
Outside of my father passing and bad relationships, there has of course been other things to work through in my personal life and the music industry.
The music industry is a whole different animal. It’s not like academia, which rewards you for focus, memorization, and drive. You can’t network your way into people wanting your music. You have to appeal to an audience in more ways than ever nowadays – primarily and most importantly in social media.
Most of my efforts are put towards social media growth, because that is where we’re at. There are pros and cons to this, and it’s still a learning process, but building an audience is difficult. It takes time to find the people who are interested in you and to get used to being your authentic self online.
But, I truly believe there is always a way to keep going – so here I am trying my best!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Right now, my focus is on pop rock music.
I really feel like we’re missing that element of revolution, rage, passion, and energy in a lot of our music today. We’re missing the sounds that AI cannot make that feel real and powerful. A lot of the iconic women in rock aren’t getting the attention they deserve and there is also less representation than I’d like to see! But rock songs are my favorite songs to make, and it’s what I’ll be focusing on in my upcoming singles called Make Him Beg and All My Friends Kill Caesar.
As I’m building my audience, they have started to recognize me as a lover, feminist, and pop-rockstar.
To kickstart my career, I hosted an EP release sleepover party for my first EP, CRASH OUT. I used over 40 women-owned businesses to curate the event and giveaways and made special gift bags for each attendee. We also recreated my favorite (and some of the most iconic) films of the 2000s including Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, Mean Girls, and Princess Diaries. Some of my favorite featured businesses include J. Elise Tea, LoveCorkScrew, Two Chicks, Little Saints, Beas Lemonade, House of Florals, Evil Queen, Minarealm Crystals, Caitlin’s Whimsey Threads, Allergen Free Bakery, The Lip Bar, BC Pizza in Traverse City, and more! In fact, every attendee received a list in their CRASH OUT kits (party favors). I also thrifted almost all the decor and thrifted all of the fashion I wore. Anything I bought new, I aimed for sustainable features (such as compostable coffee mugs for the morning, or and/or small business support).
I did one giveaway of some of these items on my social media and I am also doing two more giveaways. You can enter on my Instagram or TikTok at xx.char.music.
As I continue my music career, my audience will continue to see my music backed by my values, including feminism, sustainability, love, and rock’n’roll.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Honestly, I have the best and worse luck of anyone I know.
Things like: I won a mac-book laptop and then was in a hit and run accident the first day I had my new car. But, it was plenty of money to get a better car and the assailant was arrested a mile down the road. Or I worked a dream summer job, but passed out at one of the first events to do an allergy contamination. Fun stuff!
Jokes aside – my sister said it best. Despite everything I’ve been through, things always take me where I need and want to be. It might be a bumpy ride, but I always find myself exactly where I manifested and prayed to be.
Pricing:
- FREE stickers available on DM request
- Listening on Spotify
- FREE giveaway entries starting August 8
- FREE handmade ads to put up in your business
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@xx.char.music
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xx.char.music/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1sbhn0Io2J0jcHnMvs19LM
