Episode 30: Cherry West - I'm Fifteen and A Drag Queen

0:07 Hello, beautiful humans. Welcome to another episode of Role Models, gz conversations with beautiful human, I'm Jennifer Norman founder of the human Beauty movement and your host, this podcast thrives on your support. So if you like what you hear, follow us rate US reviewers and share this episode with everyone across your networks. So today I could not be more excited than To introduce you to my next guest meet Cherry West, 15 year old, drag queen from Edinburgh Scotland. Now Cherry West by day is known as Sam Carlin growing up. Sam was no stranger to performing. He had been singing since he was 8 years old and was even part of a boy band.

0:49 But in February of 2021, he started dabbling in drag more seriously. Now, as Charlie West she is, gaining headlines all over as one of the world's brightest. I've been coming young drag artist. Welcome Cherry ice. Hello. Thanks for having me. It's so great to have you and you look so fabulous. Oh, thank you so much. Thank you. I am just stunned. Absolutely stunned. I would love for you to tell us all about how this happened. First of all, you grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is an absolutely beautiful country. So, can you tell us about what it was like when you were younger? When I was younger? It was, I don't really know a lot about About like the industry of drag of like music just in general.

1:34 And so when I was a little boy, started singing it in my room, Let It Go. That was the first-ever song I sang in pursuing. You should let it go from Frozen. Looking Back Now, I sounded horrendous, but I mean, we all start Summers always, but yes. So when I was eight years old, I went busking and in the street and I was, I got lots of money because people thought I was cute. So, I mean, I'm not complaining, that's wonderful. So, Tell me about your family. You have a mum, and you have a dad, and I understand you also have a sister. Yeah. So I've got two sisters and I hate the both numbers and, but yeah. My mom and dad's are really supportive of my drive. And they've been supportive from me, singing and my sister, also sayings.

2:16 So we used to sing together and they'd come to all the shows and it my dad to be very supportive and know a lot of young queens that unfortunately don't have supported dad. So I'm very grateful and I'm just really thankful for my mom and dad support him because I would be here with him today. Yeah, I Have to say after watching some of the interviews your parents are so so sweet and absolutely loved it. And so I would love to say that when I understand is that you went into a drag bar right when you ordered. Yeah, I tell me about that experience. So in 2018, I don't remember what each other was. I think I was like, well, it did, you know marks and I was probably let's just do an Outlook guess I was probably like 10 or 11 a.m. and we Witnesses show bar in London.

2:57 So what your Halsey and it was actually Nana that Sensuous like, let's go and see if this is going to be good entertainment and I absolutely loved it. Like at the end of the show, we got photos and stuff and my Nana was like he wants to be a drag queen and they gave me quite a lot of veins but obviously back then I didn't really know what to do because I wasn't starting drive back then. But no, I took on that advice and some here that is amazing. So how does one start in to drag? Tell me what the experience is like, so off or start a drug from watching RuPaul's Drag Race on Netflix. It's a big drag competition show. I'm sure you probably hated it. Yeah, I watched that on Netflix and from the moment I seen that on my screen, I was like I want to do that. And to be fair I was like, I could probably do this better than have the Queen's that were on that show. I don't know why I thought that but it says, yeah, I started from RuPaul's Drag Race.

3:43 I started watching YouTube tutorials. Learn how to do makeup due to being in the band. Before I started drag A New Hope to work, social media, get that and you want to relate what you get an active on Instagram Tick, Tock, Facebook, and just trying to get like a big fan base. So, I knew what I was doing there with that type of stuff. And but yeah, I got my first wig a moment. Me for Christmas 2020 and December. Yeah, I got the first week, I looked a mess, so it's Marty much of a group if you want to start drag honestly, get on YouTube, learn makeup and just get the cheapest product. Should probably go to pay my rent. And if you're in the UK or Walmart, I don't know if that's, that's know. If it wasn't it. Yeah, you could get some cheap makeup, get a cheap lace front wig from Amazon, and you're good to go amazing. So, now when you were first starting to learn how to do your makeup, and you were watching these YouTube tutorials, can you tell me how How that was? I understand that your sister was also kind of helping you. Yes.

4:33 So my sister's love to do makeup. They weren't good at but Italy, love doing it and I can say that, no, because I'm a bit better. And, but yeah. So when I was watching you tutorials, my sister actually help me do my eyebrows. Just imagine when people do eyebrows do, like there were big slugs, like I'm eating. So I was watching the Tori up with like this. Doesn't look the exact same as this drag makeup tutorial. So, it was quite an adventure. Yeah, I'm so glad I've got to where I am now because my makeups just to the better. It's fabulous. In that red, that lipstick you're wearing. Oh my goodness, the gloss on it. The opacity it's divine fine. I can imagine you like taking one sip of something and just like, I would be a complete mess but well, well, I am a complete mess. Just what and then so tell me that you were saying that you were starting to buy wigs and taking a look at. That was read your first choice.

5:24 So before I had the name Cherry West, I was actually cold, read Betty waste and I was speaking to this local queen and I was saying That I felt trapped. Like I could only wear red and even all wear, red know, I just felt like having the name red. I felt like, I always had to wait up. So I changed my name to tell you waste and made myself the Reds, Barry of Edinburgh. Just like a lot of Brands name. See ya, rage wasn't the first color originally wanted to wear but I just grew into me like I just bought it once. I was I look good in Red so I just stuck with it. The transformation is amazing. From Sam Carlin said, Jerry West. It's just mind-blowing really truly incredible. First, when I started drag, because I wasn't as good as makeup, and I kept getting told I wasn't good at makeup. I felt like I had to really prove myself and they do good makeup for once.

6:09 With my son, again, saw him. So you have to give us some insight into your earlier performances. Like, you know, originally when you were saying that you were about eight years old and you started singing and then you were in a boy band. Can you tell us a little bit about how you even got into performing in the first place? Honestly, don't know. It just like runs away happened. I was always obsessed with me as a coals and music in general. My We are quite musical audience here to eat if that's the right words. But yet they always used to like singing at parties and stuff. So I think I was just brought up the singing and then when I started performing used to do like these open late nights and stuff just singing and then it got me into the band's. I had to Justin for that and I got nothing close to a hundred people that listened. I'm not too sure and but I've got the band's, it was Scotland's biggest boy bands. And then I got kicked her demands after three years because they said, I wasn't good enough, but I'm here at prove them wrong because I am gonna do and that's the most amazing. Same thing is, sometimes you go through that and it just gives you that fire to be like, okay, yeah, I'm finna to step up and, you know, one of these days you guys will be like, you know, in the audience.

7:10 Well, I've already been asked to perform alongside them, but I was like I'm not lower my standards but yeah. So I like I'm really glad I'm out of the barns but I'm also glad I was in it because it has taught me a lot of stuff. We're like the industry and how to work social media. So I am quite glad it's happened because it was definitely a learning curve and but I'm glad I'm out of it. Stepping Stones, everything is that, yeah, definitely, right, wow. And yeah, absolutely. And so you were talking in previous interviews about how drag just makes you feel confidence, right? And so I think about like what it feels to like, get into your full drag and then you see yourself and I mean, you kind of becoming a new person, don't you?

7:52 Well, yeah, definitely, it feels like a new character and I feel like I can put this on and I can walk out the door and I can own the street. I feel like I'm on in the street when American track, but, yeah, I think it's so important. The importance of drive with an art form, is that it does make you more confident. It's basically like a better version of yourself or they come more. I'm trying to the word like a more powerful version of yourself. And I think that's what's really important about drag as you can basically do anything with makeup. You can make yourself look a certain way and I think that's what's really cool about it. Mmm. Yeah, it's so fascinating because I actually have watch to repulse drag waist and at first, I thought that it was just going to be be RuPaul and brag, but to be able to see him outside of drag, it's fascinating because very businesslike, very much sent a lot of sass, but a very different kind of personality comes through when you're not in Drag versus, when you are in drag, I feel like for a lot of people out of drugs, more just chill and in weather, and drugged already hyper-energetic sober that wears with me, I'm crazy. Both ways, like, I'm just very energetic. I'm such a high per person, so sometimes I don't switch off. Sometimes I do, I was curious about that about probably gives you a little bit of permission to be a bit more flamboyant and our yes, it is.

9:08 Yeah. Versus perhaps as Sam you're not as outrageous but you're still your same personality just maybe amps Up. Kicks up a notch. Oh yeah, definitely it does feel like you can get away with a lot more and drag than out of drag which is why I love it so much. That must be so fun. So do other of your friends also do drag. So quite a lot of my friends, I feel like since So I started drag a have grown this friend group of basically, just old drag queens. And so, one of my friends, we actually started doing shows together for other young Queens to come and get a chance to perform and it, because there's not really a lot of shows that do under 18 drag shows because obviously, they're like license to 18 and over and stuff like that. So, me and my friends, Milestone started organizer own show sound. I think it's, instead of that to give other people a chance, like, our friends and stuff like that. And because the John unfortunately get, yeah. Yeah, I mean, you can do your own like, No youth drag race. I think you know me well I could be RuPaul. Yeah.

10:05 Well you don't want to be repelled, you want to be Cherry West girl the best of Sherri West I don't know. Come up with your own moniker. We're good. That's a brainstorm. What your shows production companies watching this. You know what? I am our lips to the goddesses years. That's all I have to say. Let's yeah let's Stalk fashion. You said that your dad recently purchased a sewing machine. God bless your dad. What a sweetheart so you're you know, it's helping you make your own outfit. So how would you describe Jerry West fashion? Well, it's definitely Big Wigs. Sometimes.

10:45 Big big go ahead. I love big hips. I love older like the women features and I think that's really cool. But I also love doing like a big campout for the loads of feathers. And so that's what you've If you're going to look at Cherry rests Instagram. Yeah. Yeah. Lots of feathers. Lots of padding. I saw somewhere that you said, it's like, you know, sitting on a very comfortable couch with all your phone. Yeah, definitely, definitely. I love it and performing in that. It's no issues. Nothing goes like flying parrot. Solves. This is secure if you fall. It's like a coach. It's like landing on a mattress. Your thing, honey. That's what you do when you fall down. Well, if you're lazy like me, you just sit there. So, tell me about when you do turn 18, what is your aspiration?

11:38 Well, it looks wonderful drag race, but the moment I'm currently focusing on something else. I am going to be filming something very soon in a couple weeks, actually with some very exciting for. I'm, but yeah, when I turn 18, I would love to go and drive worries. I would love to go touring. I would love to perform in clubs, like, that's exactly what I wanted to do, and I cannot wait till the train team amazing. So I would love for you to give us a Taste of your. Where's my love? You said that you started saying Frozen. Let It Go. As like one of your early. I'm going to ask me. Of course, I am. I want to see a sample of what you got. I want to see you. Sing something or perform something? Let's say we put forward something. Yeah, absolutely.

12:22 Should I do some Define coffee? Yeah. Dumping has changed within me. I know it's not. Not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's games. Today's second guessing too late to go back to sleep. It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes and there you go, that wasn't that good. But I guess that can be the cop, what we sent another one that was wrong and got to be is gonna be very happy with that until then. Gravity and kiss me, goodbye.

13:08 Gravity and you can bring me down about the pig is fabulous about before, but I love that so much. So when you come across people young people who have any Tristan drag or you might see some comments on Tick-Tock like I don't know, gosh, I'm interested in this but maybe they're too shy maybe there. Intimidated. Maybe they don't want to know where to begin. What do you say to those people to inspire them? I would say, definitely go for it. If you don't know where to start, as I said, get on YouTube, watch makeup tutorials, I do some tutorials on Tick-Tock. If you want to look at then, I think drag is for everyone. Drag is literally for every one.

13:54 You can do whatever you want. Dry can be whatever you want. You don't have to look like this. You can look completely different. Those people that definitely look completely different than me. And sometimes most of the time they're better than me, but yet, if you don't know where to start, you can message me magenta open that. Yeah, beautiful cherry work. Just so lovely speaking to you today, August 11th, we could do. Thank you so much for having me.