Homegrown Music Fest is returning to the fairgrounds with an impressive lineup of performers, including Lumbee-Tuscarora singer-songwriter and “artivist” Charly Lowry. She will take the Heritage Circle stage on Friday, Oct. 18, to wow the audience with her unique sound and inspiring messages.
Not wanting to limit her artistry, Lowry’s music is influenced by a variety of genres such as country, folk, soul, gospel, R&B and hip-hop. Her heritage also largely influences her music, and her songs sometimes feature hand drums, shakers and other traditional Native instruments close to her heart.
Lyrically, Lowry’s goal is to convey meanings of love, life, protecting Mother Earth and uplifting humanity collectively. She achieves this with stories of resistance, revolution and standing up for what you believe in, drawing inspiration from both real-life experiences and the fantasies she creates in her head.
Lowry earned the title of “artivist” sometime during her career. She can’t pinpoint its exact origins but is proud to be associated with it because it refers to her ability to use her talent and platform to raise awareness about topics important to her. One of those topics is North Carolina’s Indigenous communities — the triumphs and tragedies they experience and their ongoing fight.
“It’s an honor to represent my people with my voice,” said Lowry. “It’s easy to relay certain messages with music because music is easier to digest, so why not educate people about things that aren’t talked about enough?”
Lowry’s song “Backbone” tells the story of freedom fighter Henry Berry Lowry, a distant cousin of hers from the Civil War era.
“He was a revolutionary, but the media at the time portrayed him as an outlaw,” said Lowry. “He was really a hero for our people because he had a lot of backbone and stood up for us. I like to do that through my music.”
Lowry has a deep love for North Carolina. She grew up on her family’s secluded farm in Robeson County and still lives there today. She also attended UNC-Chapel Hill to receive her undergraduate degree.
“I’m Carolina through and through,” she said. “Malinda Maynor Lowry, a historian from our tribe, describes our people as the original southerners.”
Living among quiet and nature sparked her wild imagination, and that creativity shines through in her songs today. Additionally, she was immersed in an environment that appreciated music. Her parents always had songs from various genres playing throughout the house, and their passion for music and well-rounded taste rubbed off on Lowry. She recalls listening to her parents’ cassette tapes of Motown and southern classic rock artists like The Temptations, Traffic and the Marshall Tucker Band. Lowry was also heavily influenced by vocal powerhouses like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. Not yet knowing how to play an instrument, her mother, Delores Lowry, purchased instrumental cassette tapes of their songs so that Charly could use them for performances during her teenage years.
Lowry was always destined to be a successful performer because of the thrill she got from entertaining, in more ways than singing. She was involved in many activities as a child, from dance to sports, and even won the Junior Miss Lumbee pageant. That pageant was an impactful moment for Lowry because it was when she began singing more publicly, branching out from her familiar outlet of singing in church.
Lowry’s college years marked a new era in her music career. It was at that time that she began writing original songs and even competed on season three of the hit singing competition show “American Idol,” making it as far as the Top 32.
“It was a competitive season with notable contestants like Jennifer Hudson and Fantasia,” said Lowry. “It sparked a light in me to try to pursue an actual career in mainstream music.”
After graduating from college, Lowry started a band called Dark Water Rising and had an impressive 12-year career with them, releasing two albums and even performing a few times at the N.C. State Fair’s Homegrown Music Fest!
She has always been a fighter, in more ways than one. Since she was 13, she has battled kidney-related health issues. In 2015, Lowry was put on dialysis, a treatment she continued for the next five years. During that time, she still played with the band, though not as often. In 2020, Lowry received her second kidney transplant.
“I made a vow to myself when I was on dialysis that once I got that second kidney transplant, I was going to get myself together, be more focused and not let anyone get in the way of chasing after my dreams,” said Lowry. “That’s where I’m at right now, and it’s been an incredibly fulfilling journey being both a solo artist and with a band.”
One of Lowry’s proudest moments in her solo career was recently touring with Grammy Award-winning folk artist Rhiannon Giddens as her opening act. She played several shows across the East and West coasts, checking famous venues off her bucket list. Lowry loved the overall traveling and tour bus atmosphere, as well as feeling like a regular member of the band. She figured out which cities had the best audience response to her music and what steps to take to get back to those cities.
“It was a surreal experience and showed me that I can go back there someday to play as a headlining act,” said Lowry. “I learned a lot from that tour, and I’m very grateful.”
Lowry’s advice for aspiring musicians or anyone battling hardships in their life is to take it one day at a time with one foot in front of the other.
“It sounds very cliché, but I’ve been in positions where I couldn’t get my body to do what I wanted it to do – even walking,” said Lowry. “Being down like that, but then finally being able to make things happen for yourself causes you to be even more appreciative. As someone who still battles with mental health, I have to remind myself to be thankful for the little things and how far I’ve come.”
Lowry is looking forward to performing at the N.C. State Fair for the first time as a solo act, where she’ll be able to tell stories, control the flow of the show and feel good about what she’s presenting. Additionally, she’s excited to perform for a whole new crowd of people.
“It’s a great honor to represent North Carolina,” said Lowry. “We have fantastic musicians and people here, so I can’t wait to see everybody.”
Follow @charlylowry on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with her career. Lowry plans to release her debut solo album and more albums targeting different musical genres like soul, gospel, Indigenous and folk. Down the road, you may even see her win a Grammy!
“With each passing day, my vision of what I want my career to be becomes clearer, and I know my dreams can all be a reality,” said Lowry. “When folks come to my State Fair set, I want them to be inspired, take a load off and leave feeling like they’ve healed or learned something. Hopefully, they’ll know more about North Carolina and have a good time!”
Be sure to check out the rest of the Homegrown Music Fest schedule to catch the best of the state’s talent. Stay tuned to the “Deep Fried” blog for more stories highlighting this year’s performers.