NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS FROM CHARLIE OTTO + HIS GEAR

I’m releasing my new full length album “GET PERMANENT” on May 15, 2026, followed by a live performance of songs new and old at Martyrs in Chicago on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

The new album features 8 brand new songs that rely heavily on my favorite drummer-bassist duo of all time, Matt Walker and Alan Berliant. They will join me on stage, along with a bunch of other special guests, to play all my favorite songs we’ve made together over almost 20 years. The show is early, free, and all ages.

You’ll be able to buy the digital album on Bandcamp or grab the vinyl record by coming to the release show. Excited!

the new album is getting very close to finished. it’s 8 songs, i’m strongly considering making vinyl for the first time, and here is the tentative artwork.

 

it’s a museum that holds a picture from taken from the same spot on earth every million years. i’ve been entranced by some imagery i stumbled across in one of the new songson the album, called “In the Morning.” it posits that if you lived long enough and stood very still, you would watch the ground bob up and down like an ocean.

 

stay tuned

I’m playing Navy Pier on July 24, 2025 as part of their free Skyline Sessions.

 

I play two sets, here are the exact times:

6:30pm-7:30pm

8:00pm-9:00pm

I’m playing the Wave Wall Stage, here is a map to show where that is:

 

 

I’m working on a new full length album called “GET PERMANENT.” The last time I completed a cohesive full length was my 2020 release “( )PRESSION” which I’m now realizing was also all caps. Here is the process:

 

-in one week of fall of 2023, i made 25 snippets of songs from scratch. sometimes that means i think of some band i want to sound like as an exercise, or some idea to start with, but mostly, i just go.

-one by one, arrange these things into full songs. i have a lot of other stuff going on so this takes a couple years. i have tons of voice memos of me playing acoustically or just walking and working on lyrics.

-i’m recording as i go, but i always have drums that i play on a keyboard to start, knowing that at one point i’ll have to get my favorite drummer in the world involved, Matt Walker. New this time around, he came over a few times to work on songs when they weren’t fully arranged, and helped make some new parts. 

-i recorded a few more people. Alan Berliant on bass, Ryan Tedder on sax for a tune, my wife Kasey Foster for some hard to reach vocals.

-i’m re-recording my vocals at a do it yourself studio named Information Playback Reel Studios. it has a vocal booth inside a bank vault and a really nice microphone.

-normally here is where i go into a proper studio and record drums proper. however Matt Walker had to go on tour with Morrissey for 6 months, so I’m just gonna use all my scratch recordings of his drums, all cut up and everything, and make that work

-half the songs are very rock and the other half are more electronic. so i have to bring the rock ones to a guy who knows how to mix that stuff. still figuring that out. and the electronic stuff, i bring to R34L.

-somewhere in this process, i’ll look to hire someone to maybe promote the thing i guess? i don’t know, this has never worked out very well. i don’t even know where to start.

-i’m playing with ideas for the ablum cover. this photo below is done with chatgpt, although i’ll probably look for a human to make the final

-will i make a vinyl out of it? for some reason that sticks in my head, although i don’t know why. everyone says its a huge waste of money. we’ll see

In 2024, the GEAR + I played more shows than ever before. It was very fun, but it also takes up a lot of time and energy. Booking, promotion, advancing shows, travel, setting up and tearing down are all aspects that must be done before anyone can see a show. During my busy months, I wasn’t able to devote enough time to making new music, so I’m excited to get into that over the next few months. Goal list:

-finish new album “GET PERMANENT”

-build new studio

-make one session that includes all my dance tunes, so that i can play nonstop like a DJ would

I will post more updates I’m sure, but a huge thanks to everyone who was a part of 2024. I’ll see you in 2025 for sure!