Contributing WriterCharity Redding is Nebraska-raised and brings global influences to her electronic beats and gigs across key LA venues such as Exchange LA, Avalon, and Los Angeles Pride. Now she’s back with her new release ‘Madness’, as she’s joined by Eric Sharp on Luzy Tudor’s Intentional Records Label. We caught up with Charity to discuss her musical background, inspirations, and community.
1. Hi Charity, and welcome to Music is 4 Lovers. How has your 2025 been so far?
Thank you so much. I’m a big fan of everything you all are doing.
Like so many people, 2025 has been a year of contradictions for me. On one hand, it feels like the world is falling apart, and that those with hate in their hearts are gaining ground. And yet, on a personal level, I’m making the best music of my life. I feel more at peace with who I am, both as an artist and as a human being. I’m surrounded by so much love, both in my personal relationships and within my creative community.
It’s been a bit of a head trip, to be honest. But we keep moving forward, and we love each other as best we can. Art heals.
2. You were born and raised in Nebraska and are now based in California. How have you found the music scenes to differ between the states?
This is a topic I could talk about for hours. I’ve been in LA for nearly 20 years now, but the music scene I remember from before that takes me back to the late ’90s and early 2000s. A lot has changed since then, everywhere really, but Omaha had such a special scene back in the day.
Because we were just eight hours from Chicago, we got a lot of touring DJs stopping through. It was easy for them to add Omaha to their route, and if they didn’t, we’d road-trip to see them. I basically came of age in gay clubs and underground spaces, where the drag queens took one look at my wild, feral self and said, “Oh honey, you belong somewhere bigger than this.” That moment, and that scene, shaped me. It’s a big part of what pushed me to eventually leave and chase something more. I look back on that time with a lot of love.
The biggest difference between LA and the Midwest? Flashiness. In Omaha, we didn’t have VIP culture like LA did. That was something I really had to adjust to. Back then, none of us were trying to be “cool.” We were just trying to find a place to belong, to escape whatever demons we were carrying. For me, especially, it was survival.
Now, I live in one of the most incredible cities in the world. The culture here runs deep and wide. The scene is far more diverse, and I’ve been exposed to an endless range of sounds and styles. I’ve also had the insane privilege of becoming friends with and collaborating with some of my idols.
One of the things I’ll always love about LA is the support I got from the OGs when I decided to become a DJ 13 years ago. They didn’t gatekeep. They were like, “Let’s do this. Here’s what you need to know. Here’s who you need to meet.” I don’t think I would’ve gotten that kind of support in Nebraska, nor would I have had the same opportunities or built the kind of connections I have here.
Little fish, big pond. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
3. You have a new release coming up on Luzi Tudor’s Intentional Records in collaboration with Eric Sharp. What can you tell us about the record and the recording process behind it?
This record has such a long journey behind it. It was originally written in 2023, during a time when the pandemic had shut so much down. I decided to return to music school, for the third time, at IO Music Academy. That’s where I met Ari.
In one class, the instructors really emphasized the importance of collaboration. That idea hit me hard. In dance music, there’s this pervasive belief that unless you do everything yourself, you’re not a “real” producer. So collaboration always felt a bit scary, especially as a woman navigating that space.
But after that class, I felt inspired. I approached Ari about doing vocals on a track I had in progress, what would eventually become Madness (it was originally titled DREAM BIG). She sent back a vocal that was pure femininity, raw and powerful.
I shared the idea with Eric, who’s long been one of my trusted ears for feedback. When he heard it, he instantly saw the vision and wanted to be part of it. We ended up recording the vocals analog at our friend Kyle McCammon’s studio.
Luzi came into the picture a bit earlier. We’d met through a mutual friend who told us, “You two NEED to be friends.” He wasn’t wrong. When I started rebranding my sound, she was the only woman I knew who was creating more melodic styles in the scene. At the time, she was developing the concept for her label, and here we are, a few years later, still building together.
I love that I get to make music with my friends. That’s what this record is really about.
4. During the pandemic, you dropped your previous production moniker, Bubblewrappe. What can you tell us about that and your motivations?
The month the world shut down, I was supposed to play Academy, SXSW, and WMC, some of the biggest shows of my career. On paper, everything looked incredible. But inside, I was struggling. I wasn’t in love with the music I was playing. Most of what I was making at the time was designed for the dancefloor, for the party. It had this edgy, performative energy. And while it hit, it didn’t feel like me. It felt like a persona I had to put on every night.
Off-stage, my taste told a different story. I was constantly listening to softer, more esoteric sounds, artists like Bedouin, Black Coffee, Christian Löffler, Nico De Andrea, Themba, Shimza, Kerala Dust. Music that felt beautiful, sensual, and emotionally rich. The contrast between what I was playing and what I was listening to was stark…and telling.
When the world stopped, I finally had time to reflect. To ask myself: Who am I really, as a curator, as an artist? That pause became a gift. What I realized was that I hadn’t been making music from the heart. I’d been performing a version of myself I no longer connected to.
“Bubblewrappe” was my old rave nickname. Back then, I was a 19-year-old candy raver with glow sticks. But I wasn’t that girl anymore. I was a grown-ass woman who feels deeply, who loves hard, who had lived through enough to know herself better.
At the same time, I was coming to terms with my mental health, acknowledging how I’d been moving through the world and the scene with a chip on my shoulder. I started my career feeling like I had something to prove. So I moved with cockiness and defensiveness to cover up the vulnerability underneath. And that energy showed up in my music, too.
Eventually, it all reached a boiling point. I knew I needed to shift. Rebrand, if you want to call it that, though honestly, I just started using my real name. Around that time, I decided to go back to music school again (third time’s the charm) and enrolled at IO Music Academy. I found out Andy Caldwell, whose Soulstice project I loved, was one of the owners, which sealed the deal.
That decision changed everything.
The team at IO pushed me, in a loving way, to grow. To deepen my understanding of theory and production. To experiment. To collaborate in ways I never had before. And for the first time, I was making music for me. Music that felt good. That soothed my inner child. Music I actually wanted to listen to when I wasn’t behind the decks.
And what happened? People felt it. I started attracting kindred spirits, musically, spiritually. Luzi Tudor is one of them. Through this shift, I finally found my people.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good tech house banger every now and then. But when people come up and ask, “Hey, what happened to Bubblewrappe?” I always laugh and say, “Oh, I killed her. She’s dead.”
In her place is this version of me: more grounded, more honest, more proud of her voice. I’m becoming less of a “DJ” and more of an artist, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
5. You’ve been quite open about your decision to go sober back in 2012. It’s a choice that more and more DJs seem to be making these days. What are your thoughts on the place of alcohol et al in the scene, and why do you think more clubbers and DJs seem to be choosing a sober path?
Here’s the deal: I am not the fun police. I fully support people living however they want. If you can drink and party responsibly, my hat’s off to you. Truly.
But I can’t. I got sober in 2012, at a point in my life when I was literally homeless. That was my rock bottom, and it changed everything for me.
The pandemic shutdown gave a lot of people space to reflect on their health and habits. For many, it became clear how much harm we were doing to our bodies. A lot of DJs and creatives used that time to get sober or just be more mindful, and I think it shifted the conversation around partying and club culture.
There’s also the reality of what we’ve lost. The passing of so many young artists has left a mark on our community. And as the dance music industry has become a full-blown machine, there’s a growing understanding that being a professional means taking care of yourself. One sloppy, drunken set can tank a career.
But here’s the beautiful part: I think the culture is moving in a more positive direction. Day party pop-ups are thriving. There’s less pressure to be wasted at every event. And honestly, it feels like a return to the roots of PLUR, the original rave ethos. When you respect yourself, you show up better for everyone else. The energy is more inclusive, more uplifting.
What I love most is that now, you can be stone sober, dancing next to someone having the best trip of their life, and no one bats an eye. No one’s yelling, “Wait…you don’t drink? That’s so lame.” That kind of acceptance is huge.
Sobriety is a big part of who I am. Over the years, I’ve collected a whole crew of sober DJs and musicians, like Pokémon. If you’re someone who’s struggling, please know: my DMs are always open. You don’t have to do it alone.
6. When you’re not recording or performing, what are your passions and interests in life?
There is more in life than music?
Haha, kidding! But seriously…I’m a big reader. I’ll devour everything from self-help to romance. (Where are my BookTok girlies? Hee hee.) I also love going on long walks and hikes, and spending time with my sober music crew. You know… old people stuff.
7. What are your three favourite albums of all time, and why?
OOOH This is hard … ok
1. Portishead – Dummy (Glory Box will be played at my funeral, and if it isn’t, I will haunt you all)
2. Black Coffee – Subconsciously (This album is perfection front to back)
3. Eminem – The Eminem Show (He inspired me to get sober, and his music got me through some of the toughest times in my life)
8. What do you have planned for the rest of the year, and is there anything else you’d like to tell us about?
I’m so excited to finally be launching my Live Set, which I’ve been building and refining over the past few years. The official debut is happening at Piqued.fm the night before Madness drops, and it feels like the perfect way to kick off this next chapter.
I’ve got several amazing collaborations in the works that I’m incredibly proud of, including an upcoming remix on Tierra Sounds dropping at the end of October, and a very big remix that I can’t talk about yet (but trust me, it’s a big one).
I also run a small monthly event in West LA called KONKT, which happens on the first Saturday of every month at The Corner Door. Each month, we raise money for a different cause, and it’s become such a grounding and meaningful part of my journey.
And on December 20th, I’ll be playing the AXIS Winter Soulstice Party, an incredible underground queer melodic house event I’m honored to be part
I’m genuinely so excited about what the next six months hold. For the first time, it really feels like this project is taking off, and I can’t wait to share it all with you.
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