The JasonWard Creative Substack is a reader supported production. You can help by taking out a subscription which gives you access to over 100 articles, reviews, interviews, podcasts and playlists.
Carley Varley is genuinely a good person. She worked hard to overcome her own shyness and lack of confidence by taking to the streets and busking. Once she started to achieve success Carley began helping other artists through online sessions on everything from songwriting to preparing your single for release and preserving your voice. On top of this she writes great pop songs!
I first met her in 2018 when she was playing in my local pub and I soon booked her for corporate gigs at Carnival UK where I was working. Soon after I signed her up for Gary Barlow’s 710 Club This was a new concept venue onboard P&O Cruises’ Iona that Gary Barlow’ was promoted as curating and my job was to find new singer songwriters to perform there. When Covid struck the project went out of the window but Carley continued to creatively and professionally develop.
Her first singles sonically reveal all her early Swift and Sheeran influences coupled with Carley’s trademark lyrical honesty. As her sound developed the honesty remained culminating in Envy which is a sophisticated song commenting on her treatment at the hands of a fellow female songwriter backstage at a gig. While Homesick finds her taking advantage of having a full band to rock out with in total teenage house party mode!
Carley has an incredible support network from her family and her church. And it was the church that gave her the opportunity to express herself musically in the first place. This support is never taken for granted and I think this is why she is so keen on supporting others. This exposure to working with musicians and learning to understand how music works is one of the foundations for Carley Varley’s success, first of all in writing great songs, and then in developing her sound from the acoustic singer songwriter genre into becoming front woman of a rock band.
Her songs talk about honest feelings of love, confusion and sometimes rejection. They are never aggressive because Carley has a sense of self and her own morals that is deeply ingrained. What this offers the listener is a reflective and (that word again) honest examination of feelings and emotions.
Carley Varley has set herself the joint objectives of headlining festivals and opening a cake shop in the New Forest on England’s South Coast. I believe that she will achieve both! However, there is a second part to the ambition which demonstrates the kind of person she is more than anything else: when she talks about the cake shop, Carley says that a key element will be a space for young up and coming acoustic artists to play their music. As she says by helping others with their creativity we develop ourselves.
To find out more about Carley Varley use her Linktree:
Songs Heard In This Episode:
Envy - by Carley Varley
Won’t Say Sorry by Carley Varley
Homesick by Carley Varley
All incidental music in the episode was composed and recorded by Jason Ward.
The episode was written, hosted and produced by Jason Ward in Ballydehob, West Cork Ireland.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast. To support my work and get access to over 100 articles, reviews, interviews and podcasts please consider taking out a paid subscription. Many Thanks!
From Shy Girl to Rocker! ?Interview with Songwriter Carley Varley