Meet Charlie Bridges | Traveling Musician & Folkloric Serenader.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlie Bridges and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I want to leave an offering of songs that encourage listeners to alchemize despair into strength, hopelessness into infinite possibilities, and the mundane into magic. Busking (the term for street performing), is at the heart of this transmission.

Busking is a form of cultural therapy. For passerby, it offers a chance to do a good deed, while sharing a human interaction, and a moment to be present and at ease in the music. For me as a performer, it can be very healing to put my spirit out there and receive validation in the form of smiles, compliments, or generous contributions. There are also times when I make hardly any money, and no one cares or listens- in these cases I become a blessed fool. I have obnoxious fun singing wildly and theatrically, making silly noises, letting go completely. It becomes nourishing to my mettle, as well as a test of my faith, haha

Busking is a subversive act that defies norms around daily working life. It is a gift that an artist offers without the guarantee of hourly pay or donations to the hat. I want to be remembered by the love I poured into my music and into the streets. By this stubborn will that a busker has to grab attention and inspire, to shake people from routine, to be part of the city on one’s own terms, not to be processed through the mainstream, and most importantly, to find joy in the face of uncertainty.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Music is really all that I’ve ever been interested in, which is fortunate because it contains the whole cosmos. It is art, science, culture, spirituality all in one experience. In particular, my soul is bound to songwriting. It is something I feel compelled to do. When I am alone, which is most of the time these last few years, I reach for my guitar every morning and write songs to process the lessons I’m learning or the experiences I’ve gone through. The thing I’m most proud of is how people will tell me they experience some kind of betterment, emotional release, or healing through my songs.

It is like the concept of sympathetic resonance, where one vibrating object causes another similar object to sound. For example, plucking one string of a guitar will cause other nearby strings of harmonic likeness to sound. The same happens in people. When you see a player in musical states of joy, passion, freedom, or even transcendence, it can awaken those qualities in you (if you’re heartstrings are not dampened and free to vibrate). It’s a beautiful exchange, and when someone gives me a compliment about my music or expression my favorite response is “takes one to know one!” because how could they recognize these qualities if they did not have them? I like how easy it is to lift each other up in this way just by putting myself out there and being me.

I have songs about the goddess of New Orleans, a siren that hypnotized me in Barcelona, my best friend who robbed a jewelry store with a giant lizard, a Mexican witch who taught me limpia (or cleansing witchcraft), and many other ridiculous and otherworldly story-poem-songs meant to awaken magic, wonder, and freedom in my listener’s everyday lives. This journey has not been easy, but I was born for it. I have never lived above the poverty line (that might change this year though, woo!) and at times my travels have seen me in serious danger. Somehow I remain very focused on creating, and laughing about it all, with what must be an army of angels behind me that are seen and unseen.

I am very excited for the future! My goals for the next year will focus on building a band, maybe a traveling circus, to amplify the effects of this weird, witchy folk blues thing I’ve got going on.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve passed through LA before, mostly to see two friends I have there. One of them is the Contaminator, an LA-based artist who’s both my best friend and a huge inspiration to me. We would probably do our busking duo on Santa Monica Pier- I’d sing and play guitar and trumpet, and build up some loops while she dances. Contaminator is an amazing artist but also a talented interpretive dancer, who really makes my songs come to life. Performing with her is an intense experience, I imagine it would be doubly so with the power of the Pacific Ocean behind us.

There is so much art in LA, so browsing galleries is a must. We’’d also be dropping into some of the many vegan restaurants because we both love plant-based foods.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Growing up, I didn’t have strong parental figures or much guidance. I assumed my life would follow the same path as those around me—marriage, children, and low-paying jobs. But what became of me is the furthest thing from that, and there are countless people to thank for that.

In my senior year, a few teachers began to notice me. One called my writing magical and encouraged me to go to college, while another read my work and said, “Shy girls are going to take over the world.” Those small moments of belief changed everything. Two days after graduation, I set off in a van with a bit of savings, surviving on peanut butter and jelly, determined to see the world and live differently.

I eventually studied music at Portland State University and pursued graduate work at the University of Amsterdam. My training gave me the skills to jump into street performances with ease, but it was the lifestyle of travel and busking that truly connected me to my musical spirit. Each break from school was another opportunity to hit the road—across Oregon during shorter breaks or across the country during the summer. Once I graduated I became a full time traveler and haven’t gone back.

Through these travels, I met countless people living paths that are truly their own, breaking away from conventional norms. Especially buskers who are courageous enough to reveal their true art, and refuse to play only imitations of pop music and covers. Spending time with them helped me find a truer voice—a strong, bold singing voice, far from the mousy, whispery one I started with.

Along the way, I’ve had many “Road Mamas.” These are the people—often women, but not always—who mother travelers like me. They nurture our authenticity, teaching us the value of caring for others while staying true to ourselves. Their kindness and wisdom have been as transformative as any formal education.

I also want to specifically thank my mom, who, before she passed away, wrote a song for me with the help of a music therapist. It was the most meaningful act of connection between us and further inspired my interest in songwriting and healing.

I’m deeply grateful to my dad, who has been incredibly supportive. He shares my music often, and it feels good to know that he proud of me and the things I’ve accomplished.

Finally, I want to thank a dear family friend, Scotti, who facilitated a huge level up in my street music and career one year ago by gifting me the equipment to perform with a looper pedal. His generosity and continual encouragement have inspired a great evolution in my music and life.

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Youtube: https://youtube.com/@charliebridgesoriginal?si=t-lNYYfDctZoUMso

Image Credits
Matt Strobel @ramblinsol
Remy @BlesstheFreaks777
Bill Kelley @arthousebill