Charlie Houston performs at Sommo 2025, talks with SWOMP before set

Toronto singer-songwriter Charlie Houston performed on the Sandbar Stage on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, closing out the final day of Sommo Festival in Cavendish.

Before her set, Houston sat down with SWOMP to discuss Big After I Die, her debut full-length album released earlier this year through Arts & Crafts. The nine-track record is an exploration of transition, self-discovery and the anxieties of learning to live independently after relationships and major life changes.

Houston, the youngest of four siblings, grew up around Toronto and was introduced to music by her father, a former garage punk musician. She began writing original material at eight years old after receiving her first guitar and later taught herself production on GarageBand.

Her path to releasing Big After I Die was shaped by both setbacks and breakthroughs. After a short stint at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, she returned to Ontario and rebuilt her creative voice, eventually releasing her first EP I Hate Spring in 2021. That release led to a collaboration with electronic duo ODESZA on their Grammy-nominated album The Last Goodbye and a spot on their North American stadium tour.

Houston followed with the EP Bad Posture in 2022, joined Charlotte Cardin as a tour opener, and by 2023 had gained millions of streams, a Spotify billboard in Times Square, and praise from industry tastemakers including Zane Lowe.

With Big After I Die, Houston leaned into more guitar-driven songwriting and lyrical honesty, documenting her struggles with codependency, mental health and identity while experimenting sonically with playful textures. Songs like “Lighter,” “Lewps” and “Pink Cheetah Print Slip” showcase her blend of vulnerability and indie-pop edge.

Reflecting on the album, Houston said the title is less about death itself than about transformation. “It’s this desire that I feel to keep developing and growing after the ending,” she said, noting how the project emerged from both a difficult breakup and her evolving sense of self.

Follow Charlie at https://www.charliehouston.com/.

Featured Photo Credit: Peyton Mott