Meet CHUCK: A Cathartic Solo Project

When Charlie Beaman found himself in Denver two years ago, he knew he wanted to be a part of the local music scene.

“I didn’t know anybody,” he says, “but I wanted to play.”

It wasn’t until after completing outpatient treatment for addiction and mental health that he turned his attention to crafting more original material, mostly related to his experience since relocating from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, for his new solo project, CHUCK, which resulted in his recently released self-titled debut.  

“Writing it was really cathartic, and it’s supposed to be a cathartic expression,” he says. “Just getting to Colorado and that kind of spot I was in, to the spot I got to now, which is a lot better.”

He’s playing Globe Hall on Friday, December 26, alongside local acts Bobby Guard, A Strange Happening and the Standalones.

For Beaman, who previously had indie and rock bands back in Texas, it all started with the song “Crawl,” which he first shared as a single back in 2023. The track is indicative of where he was at after the move, and now, how far he’s come in recovery.

“‘Crawl’ has a special place because I was basically writing about how I would go and sell myself and nobody knew and it was a whole side of me that I didn’t talk about,” he shares. “I was very surprised. I sat down and wrote ‘Crawl’ really quick.

“I was worried a little bit about what my family would say,” Beaman continues. “Just putting out that song was also the commitment to, ‘Hey, do you really want to start doing this again?’ By putting out that song, it’s like, ‘Okay, it’s out there now.’”

The autobiographical songwriting, as much a purging of the past and embracing a fresh start, came naturally to him, making for a brutally blunt album.  

“I just wanted to be cathartic and honest with myself with writing,” Beaman says.

The best example of such introspection is “A Song to Say,” he explains.

“It’s pointing a finger at myself,” he admits. “When I had addiction, I could be pretty selfish. You blame everybody else around you. It’s everybody else’s fault. It’s very much so that I used to do that. That was the feeling behind it, especially with the sad pop.”

There are also celebrations of his newfound happiness. “Guest Spot” is about courting his now-wife.

“The first night I stayed over, she said I could stay in the guest spot, which is the other side of the bed,” he says. “So I took that and ran with it.”

While CHUCK certainly sounds like a full band, Beaman handles all the instrumentation himself, particularly piano and bass.

“I wanted to try and capture it sounding like an actual band playing together, like a really good band practice, so it didn’t sound like just one person doing it,” he says.

His cousin and former bandmate, Steven Schuster, contributed drums on the record, while Poppy Xander of the Polyphonic Spree is a guest vocalist on song “This Ain’t Love.”

Settling into his sound, Beaman creates brooding indie-electrco art rock, punctuated by his straight-forward baritone vocals — a style and delivery he admits to still developing.

“It’s something I’m getting more comfortable with each time. I really just focus on singing in key,” he quips. “I’m nervous to do it, but I’m finding I’m getting more courage.”

Currently in school for forensic psychology, Beaman is looking forward to what’s next, as he plans to connect with more and more venues and musicians throughout the Front Range and gig as much as possible. He even made a trip down to Telluride for a solo show earlier this month. Whatever it takes, Beaman is feeling reinvigorated via CHUCK.

“It’s supposed to be fun,” he concludes. “As long as it’s fun, I’ll still do it.”

CHUCK, with Bobby Guard, A Strange Happening and the Standalones, 7 p.m. Friday, December 26, Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St. Tickets are $25.