Twenty-one year old Pasadena-based artist Charlie Hickey released his remarkable Marshall Vore-produced debut EP Count The Stairs earlier this year to praise from the likes of several media outlets. Now he announces that the EP will receive a physical release on November 12, courtesy of his new label home Saddest Factory Records, Phoebe Bridgers’ label via Dead Oceans. Of the signing, Bridgers says, “Being able to sign Charlie is one of the reasons I started a label.” To celebrate the announcement, Hickey shares a reimagined version of Count The Stairs single “Seeing Things” with some help from his new labelmates, MUNA.

“We love Charlie and are so happy we had the chance to put our little spin on ‘Seeing Things,’” say MUNA of the collaboration. “We met Charlie years ago after he covered our song ‘Taken’. Katie and him connected over having a lot of the same neuroses (lol) and his writing really spoke to all of us – especially this song. We spent some time with the track and then had a fun day at Marshall’s studio recording these vocals together. We were trying to channel Postal Service energy…taking these heartbreaking lyrics and just putting a really uptempo beat behind it that you can dance to under an overpass.”  

Charlie adds, “MUNA is my favorite band. Their songs are like a best friend who you can laugh with, dance with, cry with and do everything with. Listening to them makes me feel like the world is beautiful and like I’m not alone. I’ve been a super fan since way before I had ever known them and to hear them interpret this song  was one of the coolest and most surreal feelings ever. They put so much love and care into it and truly expanded on what the song means to me.“

Photo Courtesy: Jannick Frampton