Songwriter fights illness and lives the good life

Her name may not be widely recognised but she wrote her first song at the age of 14, has played the guitar since she was seven and has released two albums.

She describes herself as an electro-hippy after her traditional, Kate Bush inspired, guitar playing took on a synthesised bent following a masters degree in computing from the University of Greenwich.

"Kate Bush has remained a heavy influence on me as a youngster and now because she was not scared of bringing computers and synthesisers into her work," Foulkes explains.

"I also find inspiration in Elvis Costello's excellent lyrics and the rhythms of Massive Attack."

Foulkes says she has an ear for music and has been able to play most instruments, apart from brass, by simply picking them up.

"I used to play a Spanish guitar around the house which dad picked up on and for my 14th Birthday he bought me an electric guitar. Now, at 32, I have my own studio where I can record my songs."

After studying in Greenwich Foulkes' talent for music led her to taking on a teaching position at the university but illness forced her to quit in 2003.

The Ladywell resident said: "I was diagnosed with Osteoarthritis of the spine which has slowed me right down. It is worse on rainy days which is helpful being a gardener.

"But I now appreciate life at a slower pace.

"The other day I was at the bus-stop and saw an old colleague from the university. He told me how he had been travelling the world, going to conferences, etc "I had just left the pound shop where I'd bought some pots for my aubergines. My life is very different now but I really enjoy it."

Foulkes' garden is full of tomatoes, chillies, courgettes, beans, cucumbers and sprouts. She has a wormery where the slippery guys munch through all manner of household waste to create perfect compost and liquid fertiliser.

"Most people say "urghhh" when I tell them about the wormery but we're really into recycling and it doesn't smell.

"Growing vegetables from seed is an absolute passion of mine. It takes determination to stick at it but I love every minute of it."

Despite her illness the music still comes first, although international recognition is not necessarily the be all and end all.

She said: "People seem to like what I have done which is great. I've done the chasing a record deal when I was in a band at university and it is a big fat waste of money.

"I'm not going to stop writing simply because I cannot get a record deal."

Charlie's attitude to life, music and family is summed-up by the fact her studio is named after her grandmother.

"Betty was always the matriarchal member of our family and I see the studio and computer as a super-machine so it is apt it is called Betty."

- For more information on Charlie and a chance to listen to some of her work, visit charliefoulkes.com Review: University of Life by Charlie Foulkes Foulkes' second album, recorded in her own studio, has the hallmarks of a musician making a series of statements about love and relationships under the gargantuan title, University of Life.

It's a vast subject for any songwriter to cover and Foulkes seems to rely on tried and tested styles to get her message across.

The album opens with Real Emotion which owes a lot to the Pretenders' Stand By You.

Throughout the album the influence of strong female singers runs true and Foulkes emulates Tori Amos' angry years, Sheryl Crow's atmospherics and Beverley Craven's tinkling of the ivories.

Real Emotion was apparently written in the aftermath of a disastrous blind date and maybe it is a little too personal to reach a mass market.

The album is gritty, honest and surprisingly professional. My personal favourite, Honey, is a hauntingly wispy tale of faith when all faith seems lost.

The music world can be a harsh place for a woman armed with just a guitar. Her album is a good collection, although it is without a single song which grabs the listener and demands their attention and this could be Foulkes' downfall.