Charles Watson’s current album ‘YES’ finds the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist presenting a sound that best expresses who he really is. Largely stripped back to warmer, more intimate productions, it’s also a record that matches its serene confidence with radiate positivity.

Charles shares a very special new version of one of its highlights, ‘Going Places’. The new session features Charles’s friend, the comedian, actor and screenwriter Mae Martin on vocals and guitar, with the accompaniment of Charles and solo artist / former Guillemots frontman Fyfe Dangerfield: ffm.to/goingplaceswithmae. Their performance feels like being a fly-on-the-wall during a laidback jam between friends, with Mae Martin’s beautifully understated vocal providing a completely different feel to the original album version. The song was inspired, in part, by a quote from J.G. Ballard, which became one of the song’s most memorable lyrics: “Trespassing through some exotic suburb of my mind.”

Charles Watson and Mae Martin share a mutual appreciation. This represents their second collaboration together after Charles contributed music to Mae’s hit Netflix / Channel 4 comedy ‘Feel Good’.

Charles says, “I think when we were talking about doing something together initially Mae was going to direct. Mae sent me a few recordings of their own songs which really blew me away. I’ve been trying to convince Mae to just make a whole record. The world needs it. Now that I think about it, the first time we met was after a Slow Club gig in the venue when everyone left and Mae picked up a guitar and started singing a Beatles song… perfectly.

We ran through a few video treatments and just playing the song in a studio was the one that really excited Mae, so then we were like, ‘Let’s re-record it with you singing!’ It was a really fun day. Also we had the amazing Fyfe Dangerfield on piano who is just magical to watch. Two of my favourite people in a room! I’m just always looking to turn a work situation into a hang, basically."

Mae adds, “I fell in love with Charles’ first album and it became the soundtrack to my life for about a year. Every word and chord he chooses feels very good in my ears, so I was thrilled when he wanted me to be involved in a video for Going Places. The idea of singing it myself was petrifying but Charles is a very chilled out and encouraging friend and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to live out my secret fantasy of being a moody musician for a day. I can’t wait for people to get into this song and Charles’s new album which is outstanding and beautiful.”