Synth explorer, producer extraordinaire, and versatile vocalist Lady Charles, revisited “Flower Boy,” a retro ode from the retired band, Sparklesaurus. “Flower Boy” falls into listeners’ laps roughly a month after Lady Charles’ single release, “Noella (Can’t Get Enough of You),” an artsy descent into internal fondness.
Lady Charles noted they produced the original “Flower Boy,” along with close friend Fliss, or Felicity DeCarle, who composed and concocted the wistful lyrics.
“I was bored one night and decided to check out a local showcase because one of the artists, Sparklesaurus, had an intriguing name. I was instantly impressed with their retro-flavoured musicality and the songwriter Fliss’ compositions,” they said.
Blown away with initial impressions, Lady Charles asked Sparklesaurus for permission to produce their debut album. The band responded with an enthusiastic yes, and although the troupe no longer remains intact, Lady Charles and Fliss kept in contact.
A few years later, Lady Charles decided to revisit life-altering tunes from musical acts, drawing inspiration from Sparklesaurus’ “Flower Boy” resting in the top spot.
“Flower boy, what are you dancing to?
I hear nothing, no rhythm, no blues
Ride me high, I crave the thrill
In a couple of days I’ll be down, you know I will.”
Lady Charles’ voice floats into the first verse as opposed to Sparklesaurus’ deep, driving, synth-rippled vocals. Lady Charles allows the vocals to meander through the song, building up toward a satisfying electric guitar and drum riff, paying off in the second quarter of the track.
“I decided to strip the verses back to their barest form and then have the verses burst forth into a full-band arrangement. I decided to draw from a bunch of different classic rock influences,” Lady Charles beamed.
They shared that some of the most influential sonics sprouted from Elton John’s booming symphonics, Kate Bush’s otherworldly orchestral arrangements, and Pink Floyd’s ethereal synth dances.
“I wanted to take the 1970’s influences already present in the song and push them to their extreme,” Lady Charles shared. From the distinct guitars to the jacket Lady Charles’ wears in the accompanying music video, they drive home fleeting atmosphere of the soundscapes.
Along with a drive to attain an immaculate vibe, a cryptic undercurrent weaves throughout Flower Boy as an allusion to a plant lovers’ paradise.
“This is a vacation from everything we hated
Flower boy, flower boy, flower boy
Now I hear your music, the song we’re dancing to
Flower boy, flower boy, flower boy.”
“I find there’s a dark sensuality to Flower Boy that recalls poppies or devil’s trumpet – beautiful yet dangerous. I kept those plants in the back of my head while working on the arrangement and I think the dark, distant synths really grew from that floral undertone,” Lady Charles mentioned.
Lady Charles’ reimagined “Flower Boy” is out now.
