Getting Off to a Rousing Start

Charlie Pace is in the midst of moving on and making a thrilling transition to the next phase of her young life. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, she graduated early from Lely High School in January to devote herself, full-time, to what feeds her soul - being a professional musician.

That decision is already paying major dividends just two months after she received her diploma. She recently joined Floyd Nation, a Pink Floyd cover band that tours nationwide, as a backup vocalist. Her first show with the group was in February in Pensacola. The second will be March 26th in Punta Gorda, at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center. 

“I am truly grateful to be a part of such a talented group of people,” said the Everglades City area resident. “I love a good ol’ challenge and this is definitely it, people. They have trust in me and they won’t be disappointed. Neither will you.”

Pace has been on a roll over the last six months, a streak that began Oct. 28th, the day she turned 18 and also saw her first album, “Hear Me Out – Part One” make its debut. 

The 18-song collection of self-penned tunes is being released in three installments, six songs per album. Part Two will be released in the April-May timeframe and Part Three, in July or August. Each installment has a theme. Taken together, the deeply personal compositions chart her progression as she enters adulthood, confronting challenges with optimism and discovering her power as a confident, self-possessed young woman. 

A soulful vocalist, she played guitar and bass on the album, which was recorded at RPM Studio in Naples. The compositions provide a glimpse into the width and breadth of her diverse musical tastes. 

“This album has some Joni Mitchell vibes, it’s got some bluesy vocals, it’s rock-based and ‘singer-songwriter-esque,’ was Pace’s description of “Hear Me Out.” “Maybe the next one, I’ll want it to be just singer-songwriter or I’ll want it to be really raw or it might have strings. Or it could be super-heavy music or I could have a lot of electronics. You can just be diverse in what you’re doing. I want the next album to have people saying, ‘Ooh, this is different, but it’s still Charlie.’” 

Elvis, Johnny Cash and other country artists, soul and blues singers like Aretha Franklin and Etta James, classic rock, Janice Joplin, Jimmy Buffett, indie rock bands like Paramore and Hole, and harder-edged rock, such as Nirvana, Roxx Revolt and the Velvets, are just a few of the musical influences she’s absorbed since she was a tyke. 

Pace’s musical odyssey began before she’d hit double digits. Her first public performance occurred at age seven, when she sang the National Anthem at Everglades City’s Fourth of July celebration. She wrote her first song when she was 11 and has released several singles, the first when she was 14. 

The most recent is “Buzz Cut Season,” the lead single off of “Hear Me Out – Part One.” “That is a song about being brave enough to start the journey,” said Pace. 

Pace decided to release the album in three sections because she wants “it to be like the chapters in a book.” Combined, each grouping of songs reflects an emotional journey she describes as going from “blue to orange.” Blue represents a darkness that she’s had to fight against, while orange represents healing and growth. 

“Orange is this brave, bold color,” she explained. “It’s not like dark blue, where it’s kind of like mourning. Orange is bright and fun and happy and joyful. I was always those things, but I let the blue get the best of me. Going orange, for me, is really owning those really deep, soul-bearing parts and becoming something bigger, this orange empress, someone that can go against anything”

She lives in Copeland with her adoptive parents, Glenn and Donna Pace. In fact, Donna Pace is the inspiration for the song “Woman” which is included on “Hear Me Out – Part Two.” Pace said the song celebrates the “strength of the woman who has raised me. 

“I feel like she stopped her life to help me and raise me, and she gives of herself to everyone, instinctively,” she added. “She just has a golden heart of wanting to help people. She’s just the coolest. It’s a story about how she saved my life, basically. She’s shown me how to be strong.” 

When asked how it feels to get things off to such a monumental start, Pace took a minute to ponder the question, before saying, “I think anyone who starts their career with such a jump might feel scared out of their minds, but full of ambition and hope.”

To learn more about Charlie Pace, hear her music, purchase “Hear Me Out: Part 1,” promotional merchandise and more, visit https://charliepacemusic.com/. Her music can also be heard on Spotify, YouTube, Pandora and Apple Music.