bio
charming is the longtime pop music project founded by songwriter/guitarist Ravi Krishnaswami in 1994 at the University of Virginia. Singer Nicole Stoops, also of The Positions, bass player Jay B. Flatt, also of The Dansettes, and drummer Chris Reitz round out the band.
charming has evolved over the years from a loveable and rough-hewn college radio band to a vibrant NYC live act and finally to an ambitious studio project, drawing comparisons to Velocity Girl, The Smiths, The Sundays, The Cardigans, St. Etienne, The Kinks and even Curtis Mayfield.
Their first CD, Giant (Tweekitten, 1997) brought the band legions of indie-pop fans from places as far as Indonesia and Spain. Their follow-up, Champagne And Magazines (Shelflife, 2001), earned the band much love from the critics, who saw it as a clear departure point for the band, shedding its indie roots for a bigger, tighter sound that drew on the lush arrangements of disco, bossa-nova and 60’s pop.
After a hiatus during which Krishnaswami took the television and film-scoring world by storm, Flatt launched his 60’s girl-group juggernaut The Dansettes, and Stoops joined The Positions, Charming has returned with its third CD, Turn Down The Lights.