Music Q&A with Charlie Kerr of Hotel Mira
Photo courtesy of Hotel Mira
Indie rock band, Hotel Mira recently released their new single, “Fever Pitch” via Light Organ Records! “Fever Pitch” became a fan favorite in 2020 through singer, Charlie Kerr’s series of early lockdown livestreams, but has blossomed from its intimate, acoustic roots towards a full-band affair. In this Q&A, Charlie talked about the new song, previously released Hotel Mira material, tour life, and more!
Hotel Mira is currently on tour. For tour dates and more information, you can go to hotelmiramusic.com.
Congratulations on the release of your latest single, “Fever Pitch”! What does the song mean to you?
Thank you! Well it’s out first song we’ve released in 2 and a half years so it feels exciting to be back. On a more head-y note, the song feels like a bit of a glass of ice water being thrown in the face of the themes of most of the “Perfectionism” record. Or maybe a punchline where Perfectionism was the set-up? Instead of celebrating the poetic, all-or-nothing, erratic kind of Behavior, all over the lyrics of “Perfectionism”, “Fever Pitch” actually condemns it. So it acts like a clean slate. And then musically it was definitely us tapping into wanting to write something anthemic and poppy.
When taking a look at “Fever Pitch” and previously released Hotel Mira material, how would you say your songwriting has changed?
I am always just trying to write from the heart and not repeat myself. I think as time goes on and I get more passionate about the technical it shapes the songwriting in a significant way. I was a very bad technical musician for most of my career. So it’s amazing to keep growing and being able to do more. Also Mike and Clark and Cole add so much with their influences and playing that I am sure that has an effect on everything that Hotel Mira works on. Those guys are brilliant. I am incredibly lucky to have them as collaborators and friends.
With Covid putting a stop to touring, what was the thing you missed the most about being out on the road?
Seeing in real time what the songs mean to people. Every time we play live and I am making eye contact with someone singing along with every word we are kinda telling entirely different stories from radically different walks of life with the same amount of passion using the same words. There is kind of nothing like it.
What instrument do you not play that you hope to learn someday?
I would love to be better at Piano and Drums. I took drum lessons for a while and loved it. Those are my favorites. But also learning to play guitar in time is probably what I should focus on. And the way I see it singing is such a rich thing to explore forever so I am cool with that being my main thing.
We all have our days where it may not be going as well as we’d like. People deal with their worst days in different ways. What helps you get through the bad days? How do you stay positive?
I kinda wanna say you’re asking the wrong person ‘cause I am a depressive. But I guess at the same time that means I have a lot of experience in the field of manufacturing optimism to stay alive. I have a weird tendency to think things are my fault even when they aren’t and that it’s a Cardinal sin to ask for help. So I try to remember that and I try to be easier on myself. I wish I had a better answer but I just feel as you get older you develop what works for you. But my main optimism, I think springs from thinking about if I had decided to die at when I wasn’t well at age 18, I wouldn’t have had this incredibly interesting and strange life. And that makes me think I should stick it out and see what the future holds but admittedly this is a hard thing to do when you haven’t lived long enough to find out the temporary and fluid nature of moments such as these. So to quote the famous cat poster “hang in there, baby”.
Thank you for taking the time for this Q&A. Any last words or final message for the readers?
Thank you for everything. I am so grateful to get to do this. And every person who listens to and supports the band is the whole reason I get to.