Stream: Charlie Hickey, ‘No Good at Lying’

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Charlie Hickey (Photo by Olof Grind)

A full one-third of his life ago (when he was 14), Charlie Hickey sounded like one of those songwriting prodigies who knew the answers before the questions were even asked.

Today, the 21-year-old unveils his first solo single in two years, “No Good at Lying” (which he performed with Phoebe Bridgers and her band at the recent Save Our Stages Fest). Co-written and produced by Bridgers’ collaborator Marshall Vore, it’s a plush confessional with acoustic guitar, a hint of banjo and Bridgers’ subtle backing vocals. Oh, and there’s his I-see-what-you-did-there lyrical twist: “I’m no good at lying / on my back or through my teeth / but I’m good at dreaming / I can do it in my sleep.”

As Hickey pointed out during the festival appearance, he and Bridgers go back a long way; as teenagers they performed together at songwriter nights at Room 5 on La Brea. Years later, she introduced him to Vore, and the pair have been working on music since. The son of songwriters Chris Hickey and Sally Dworsky (who were also mates in this overlooked ’90s band), the junior Hickey has not yet revealed plans for future releases..

||| Stream: “No Good at Lying”

||| Previously: “Waiting Games,” “Broken,” “Odds”/”Brain Dead”