Introducing: Ssadcharlie

Meet Ssadcharlie, a genre-bending force redefining what it means to be vulnerable in music today. With roots in theatre and a fearless DIY ethos honed in Bristol’s restless underground, the 21-year-old artist blurs the lines between Hip-Hop, Punk, and experimental electronics—channelling raw emotion into soundtracks for love, loss, and queer self-discovery. From Glastonbury sets to a main stage moment with Giggs, Ssadcharlie is fast becoming one of the UK’s most electrifying new voices. We caught up with them as they gear up for a run of headline shows and international stages, to talk identity, artistic risk, and the power of saying exactly what you feel.

 "wanted you 2 know" captures the ache of unspoken feelings with such delicacy. What inspired the track, and how did you approach expressing so much through subtlety rather than spectacle?

A lot of my tracks tend to come from real experiences i have or sometimes an over dramatised version of actual scenarios i am in. ‘wanted you 2 know’ covers the feeling of paranoia and cold feet. i think the only way i could go around it was a lot softer rather than intense as it is more relatable that way. Everyone has a soft spot for someone. This song hopefully helps encapsulate that feeling.

Your sound fuses hip-hop, punk, and experimental electronics-how do you navigate those genres in your production without losing emotional clarity?

everything i lay down whether that includes instruments or vocals there is always going to be incredible sentimental value there. I grew up listening to a lot of grime music which also crossed over for my love of hip hop. punk is also the same in terms of the rebellious nature of the sound. The most important thing I consider in my production is how I want the song to ‘feel’. emotion doesn’t have to be expressed in lyrics or vocally. emotion can also be expressed in chords and rhythm. genre is also a very good stepping stone for me to express emotion. they can be used as a tool. for example, if i want to write a song and there is a section in it that will be super emotionally intense, that is when i bring in heavy distorted guitar (punk influence) or if i want to write something interesting and more introspective, i can bring in light synths that create a certain sonic (experimental & hip hop music influence). or sometimes I go with the flow. Music is so cool.

You've been performing since you were four, but your current work feels deeply personal and self-directed. How has your relationship with performance evolved over the years?

When I was a kid, I would be involved in many theatre and amateur dramatic groups. shoutout to my mum she really put me on that as a kid. I have also always been very naturally theatrical even in the way I explain things (or so I have been told). theatre was really the main gig for me until i was around 15/16. I performed in many professional productions whether that was with touring casts or on London's west end. The relationship I had with that at the time was great but also took quite a toll on my mental and physical wellbeing due to the incredible intensity of rehearsals and back to back shows. It's definitely something that is not talked about enough when it comes to theatre.

When I started performing my own music. I was originally doing small rap shows with a collective I had at the time and a few metal shows as well. Growing up in Bristol gave me the chance to be as free as I want to explore every route when it came to performing.

Now I am probably around within the triple digits when it comes to shows and it feels very natural to me now. I am so grateful and always so excited to play shows as I love meeting the fans and seeing them enjoy themselves. I have also developed a better relationship with doing shows back to back after coming off my first tour last year. It taught me a lot of new things especially when it came to wellbeing and touring.

Themes of queer identity and adolescence run through your work. Do you feel a responsibility-or freedom-when sharing these parts of yourself through your music?

Both. identity has always been something I have been very personally always going through. so i like to express my thoughts and feelings towards it within my own art. I identify as a member of the LGBTQAI+ community and have been on a serious rollercoaster the past 10+ years regarding that. I feel a level of responsibility talking about it in my music as I was also once a little gay kid tryna make music in school with so many bad influences around me at the time. So I want people at that age who are going through a similar thing to know that it’s ok to feel and do what you want to do! be proud of who you are and make cool shit.

You've already played major stages like Glastonbury and Love Saves the Day. How do you translate such intimate, emotionally vulnerable songs into powerful live performances?

Over the years I have been performing, the thing I have always kept up is bringing 100% of my energy at all times. This probably has something to do with my background in theatre such as remembering to always be in the zone and keep energy to an all time high. I briefly mentioned earlier that I used to play metal and more rock based shows before I took the hip hop route. That's where I think the ability to crowd control came from! From both experiences, my mind is automatically put into a very extreme place the moment I step on stage.

I would also like to mention that I am ONLY this energetic and slightly crazy when I am on stage! when i'm around my friends we like to watch movies and go do fun shit like grab a curry on stapleton road. Fun times!