Charity Children Berlin, New Zealand musicians

Chloe and Elliott at Tempelhof, their favorite place in Berlin

New Zealand band 'Charity Children' is about to release its debut album, after playing on the streets of Berlin for years. "People gave us fruit and after an hour we’d made twelve Euros - enough for six falafel kebabs. Excellent, we thought."

Well Hallo there! My name is Chloë, and I’m in a band called ‘Charity Children’, with my boyfriend Elliott (we’re both from New Zealand), Dave (from Australia) and Shooresh (from Iran). Although from far off lands, we all reside rather happily in the wunderbar city that is Berlin. Two years ago, Elliott and I fell in love in an underground bar in Auckland. Then a couple of months later he convinced me to move to Berlin with him. A city he’d once briefly encountered and adventured in - soon to be our new little love nest. I was in. 
Both of us were working as actors before we left the 'Land of the Long White Cloud' (or better known as New Zealand/ the mountain peaks of Peter Jackson’s imagination). Neither of us spoke a word of German, we couldn't get any jobs, we really had no hireable skills in Germany. We had always enjoyed coyly singing wee tunes together, so one day when our saved pennies had begun to dwindle, we took a little ukulele down to a street corner and played together. People gave us fruit and after an hour we’d made twelve Euros- enough for six falafel kebabs. Excellent, we thought. 
Two years later, we still live and love in Berlin. We’ve grown to be a band of four now, having acquired an Australian cellist, Dave, and an Iranian cajon/duff player, Shooresh, somewhere along the way. We’re just about to release our first album,‘The Autumn Came', soon, which we recorded in our living room during our first Berlin Winter (what else can one do in Winter in Berlin but stay locked inside from the minus temperatures?), so that’s rather exciting. Our Deutsch is still schlecht, aber wir lernen- (not so good, but we’re learning). 
To this day, I cherish my glow in the dark stars that we are able to live in such a beautifully injured, alluring and creatively stimulating city (not to mention cheap- thus why we can get by as buskers/street workers - which sounds better?). We still play on the street, and every so often we are invited inside too- which is nice. We all still continue to be inspired by Berlin - an affordable, artistic hub at the center of Europe.  We’re very excited about our upcoming release, playing at Fusion festival in Germany at the end of the month and about all the ventures that we are still yet to take in the future, whatever they may be. 
Sometimes, I get suspicious that this is really all a reverie… *Pinch*

Charity Children publish their debut album 'The Autumn came' soon. Until then, one can download their first single 'Elizabeth' for free.