BRITISH INDIAN musician Charlie Jeer believes music should offer people a break from the pressures of everyday life, a philosophy that shapes both his latest single So Good with Simone Ashley and his forthcoming Extended Play (EP) Take Away My Problems.
The Kent-born singer and songwriter said he wants his songs to leave listeners feeling happier rather than dwelling on negativity. Jeer, 23, who of Punjabi-origin, told Eastern Eye, “I prefer not to focus on the negatives.
“I like to focus on giving goodness and happiness. That’s what I want my music to be about. I don’t want it to be about hate – I want it to be the complete oppo site, about love and about feeling good.”
That outlook is central to So Good, his latest release featuring British Asian singer, songwriter and actress Simone Ashley, known for Bridgerton, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and her recent debut EP Songs I Wrote In New York.
Jeer said the aim was to create a song that lets people forget their worries, even if only for a few minutes.
“The whole purpose of the song was to be a space away from people’s problems,” he said. “I want people to listen to it and forget about whatever other issues they might have going on in their life – to feel happy, and to have two minutes and thirty seconds of joy and pleasure.”
The song also reflects Jeer’s growing confidence in celebrating his heritage, something he admits took time to develop.
“It was really an emotional topic for me,” he said, recalling a school presentation about his identity as a half-Indian. Speaking to his grandfather prior to the presentation, he learned how his family had experienced racism after moving to Britain.
Charlie JeerDave East
His grandfather told Jeer he had arrived in the UK wearing a turban and grew a beard as a practising Sikh, but eventually felt forced to cut his hair and shave because of racial abuse.
“When he told me that story, I remember breaking down crying as a kid,” Jeer said. “I really felt the weight of having your culture stripped from you by a country you’d been brought over to help rebuild.”
Growing up in an area with very few Indian families, Jeer said it was difficult to connect with that side of his identity. That changed when he went to university and met more people from south Asian backgrounds.
“I realised it’s important for me to celebrate and be proud of that heritage because it’s something that was essentially taken from my family,” he said. “I understand the importance of recognising where your family came from and the sacrifices an older generation made to give me the opportunities I had. I’m proud of it.”
That shared background also added another dimension to his collaboration with Ashley.
Jeer said he had admired her work for some time before approaching the ac tress about So Good, as he felt the song needed a female voice.
“We wrote the song in the studio and were sat there with this song that I just love,” he said. “We felt it just needed a female vocal. Being someone I’d looked up to and had a bit of dialogue with for a while, I thought I’d reach out to Simone and see if she’d be up for doing it.”
Ashley quickly agreed, and the pair developed the song together in the studio.
“We just freestyled her bits at first, and the texture she added sounded so nice that we decided to write a bridge section to make it a proper collaboration,” Jeer said. “It was a really organic, fun and playful collaboration.”
He also praised Ashley’s presence dur ing the music video shoot.
“Getting to do the video shoot with her was incredible because she’s a proper star on camera,” he said. “It definitely put the pressure on me when I was on camera with her.”
Jeer has had more than 150 million streams across digital platforms and his single My Madonna featured in the BBC’s coverage of the FIFA 2026 World Cup. He has also performed at major events including Formula One’s Silverstone weekend earlier this month.
Simone Ashley and Charlie JeerDave East
Despite those achievements, he said success still feels unreal.
“When you’re in the studio writing songs and then you release them, it never feels real,” he said. “Getting the opportunity to be part of cultural moments like that is beautiful. It’s really a testament to how far music can take you.”
Jeer believes his latest EP represents an important stage in his development as an artist. His debut project, Everything Is Temporary, centred on jazz-house music, but the new record explores different styles.
“I’ve been listening to a lot more disco recently,” he said. “It’s nice sometimes to nod backwards. I still really love house music and its influences, but I also want to create music that’s pushed forward in to a more modern landscape.”
He said experimenting with disco formed a key part of the creative process.
“My whole project, Take Away My Problems, is about me trying out different things,” he said. “We sat down in the studio and asked, ‘Where do we take this now?’ This project is an opportunity for me as an artist to try different things, and disco is definitely one of those sounds I want to explore more.”
Jeer is preparing for his first headline world tour, with dates across the UK, Eu rope and Australia, and said he is looking forward to meeting people who have supported his music.
“I’ll be meeting real fans, real people who have connected with my music,” he said. “Going to a city you’ve never been to before and having a line of people waiting to meet you is utterly surreal.”
Jeer said performing at his first headline show in Istanbul made him realise how widely his music had travelled.
Charlie JeerEastern Eye
“That’s always what it’s about,” he said. “Meeting the people who actually listen to your music.”
Although he has already played in countries including Turkey and China, India remains one destination he is eager to visit.
“We’re planning some stuff in India,” he said. “I’ve never actually been to India before. I’ve had so much support from the south Asian community online, so I really want to come and do some shows there, meet people and perform.”
Asked whether he had faced barriers as a British Indian artist, Jeer said he had experienced some negative comments online, but did not believe they had de fined his career.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve faced too much scrutiny,” he said. “People have said things about my appearance because they don’t understand what it looks like to be mixed-race, but I don’t feel beaten up or victimised by it.”
Instead, he said he hoped listeners, particularly from the south Asian community, would simply enjoy the music and take something positive away from it.
“I hope my south Asian fans feel so good when they listen to the song,” he said, adding that “That’s what it’s all about.”
