Meet Charlotte MacInnes

When your debut singles are gracefully titled ‘Celestial’ and ‘Struck’, you know you’re in for an otherworldly, hazy universe — perhaps one where beauty can be vulnerable. Add the the right touch of camp, and enter the world of rising Australia-born, London-based artist Charlotte MacInnes. 

Beginning her career on the big screen, now Charlotte’s vocation resides in singing, with a voice of cavernous depth and magnetic power, all with a smoothness akin to honey. Bring in 2026, and she is now fully delving into the unknown waters of the music industry by working on her own ethereal pop-folk project. And the water has never been clearer.

Celestial and Struck deliver gorgeous swirling melodies, flecked with magical honesty, revealing a deep understanding of herself. This headstart offers us all an intoxicating first taste of her debut EP, HIGHWATER, set for release on June 5. In Celestial, Charlotte opens the song with 80s-inspired synths, pulsating drums join in, carrying her enchanting vocals while she asks, ‘What if I could be bigger than my goals?’ The search for oneself becomes an empowering catharsis, transforming itself as the golden thread of Charlotte’s artistry.

We caught up with Charlotte ahead of the release of HIGHWATER, to learn more about the artist, from her ties to the circus, up until working on her debut EP and finding inspiration and solace in long walks and poetry books.

Hi, Charlotte <3 Excited to be chatting with you! Where do these questions find you?
Hey! <3 I’m in Sydney, Australia, at the moment. I’ve just come back from the beach which was magical.

That does sound like a dream. What’s your first memory of singing, and thinking, ‘this is what I want to be doing’?
Apparently, when I was three, I would sing at the top of my lungs while sitting in the shopping trolley at the grocery store. But I also remember playing the ‘So Fresh’ CDs on a big blue CD player in my room and singing a lot of Rihanna, and thinking this is the dream.

And how did you first get into acting?
I always saw myself as a singer first, but I always really admired actors. Singing felt like a gateway drug to acting. I loved storytelling and being a drama queen, so it felt like the right progression.

How would you describe your music yourself, and what are your top 3 influences?
I would describe it as ethereal pop, but I feel like music is sort of abandoning genre a little, and I love that. My top influences are —always—Kate Bush and Joni Mitchel. The third one changes constantly, but at the moment I am obsessed with SZA.

You just released your second single, Celestial, from your upcoming debut EP, ‘HIGHWATER’. Can you tell us more about the sound and feel of the track, and how it sits alongside your debut single, Struck?
Celestial was one of the first upbeat songs that I wrote that I really loved. I want to create big pictures with lots of imagery, and I love that the first pre feels like a dream sequence. Both Struck and Celestial feel rhythmic and dramatic, but also emotionally direct with where I’m at, at the moment.

What was the hardest and the most rewarding part of putting together the EP?
Discovering who I was as an artist. I sort of trained myself to be able to be anyone I needed to be for different situations. I needed to really sit with myself and decide which story felt right to tell. We are so many things at once, so it was very challenging and very rewarding to discover which part of myself felt right to take a microscope to.

Which track feels the most special to you, and why?
Today it’s Beast. I am back in Australia, having been away for a while, and it feels like I am meeting an old version of myself. I feel like I am changing and growing quite quickly at the moment. And Beast, in many ways, is about mourning a past form of yourself, wishing you could be the way you used to be, but knowing you can’t.

And how would you describe the HIGHWATER universe?
Beautiful, vulnerable, wild, and a little bit camp.

Now, let’s introduce you to the readers through some lighter, rapid fire questions. What does an ideal day look like for you?
I’d love to spend a day drinking matcha, reading a book and eating fruit next to a big waterfall, then maybe a hike to a beach for a swim, and a fancy Japanese restaurant for dinner with all of my favourite people.

Where do you turn to when you’re in need of inspiration?
I find going on a long walk by myself always gives me an answer or a spark if I’m lost. Or poetry books — I buy a lot of poetry from thrift stores.

A song that you wish you wrote?
The First Taste by Fiona Apple.

What’s something about you that surprises people?
My real intro to performing was in a circus from ages 4–12.

Finally, what are you looking forward to for the rest of this year?
I cannot wait to perform the songs from HIGHWATER live. I’ve been dreaming about performing some of them since the day they were written.