A Conversation with The 1848

The 1848’s approach to music is one grounded in honesty, humility and the ongoing struggle of living a life of faith. Based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Charles Cintron is the producer and artist behind The 1848. He creates music that blends atmospheric indie textures and alternative rock and hip hop: crafting a tone that speaks to the tension between surrender and overcoming.

WCF Music chatted with Charles about faith, family, creativity, and the vision behind The 1848.

Charles, tell us a little about yourself?

I live in Ann Arbor with my wife and our two young girls. A lot of life right now is balancing family, work, faith, and music, which honestly is probably where a lot of the songs come from too. There’s joy in this season, but also dependence on God in a way I didn’t fully understand before.

Where does the music come from for you?

Music has always been tied to faith for me. A lot of the songs come from wrestling through things before God. I struggle with doubt, enduring through trials and repentance, so I’m not really interested in creating music that pretends life is simple.

For me, faith isn’t loud victories and certainty. Often it’s returning to God time and again and I want the music to reflect that.

I’ve always been more drawn to the sounds of indie, alternative rock and hip hop because I feel those styles carry a lot of different emotions. Some ideas need space and atmosphere, while others need weight and tension behind them and those genres allow me to express them all.

You’ve shared that your music is deeply personal. Do you see songwriting more as confession, worship, or prayer to God?

Probably all three. Some songs feel like prayers, others feel like conversations I need to have with myself before God. And sometimes worship looks less like celebration and more like surrender.

I think there’s something more powerful about being honest before God instead of trying to sound spiritually impressive. Scripture is full of people crying out, struggling, repenting and hoping: David, the Lord Jesus, Hannah and Nehemiah, to name a few.

If the music encourages people, I hope it’s because it points beyond me and toward a God who is patient and faithful with imperfect people.

You write and produce everything yourself. What has that process been like?

I write the songs and produce everything through a program called FL Studio. I’m mostly self-taught when it comes to mixing and mastering, and I feel like I’m learning constantly.

There’s something humbling about that process because it reminds me that growth takes time. You keep refining things little by little, which is what this new album ‘Refined’, is all about. I think faith can be similar in a way; God works on us patiently over time.

I wouldn’t call myself an engineer by any means, but I enjoy learning how to better communicate emotion and meaning through the production itself, not just the lyrics.

I’ve been wondering, where does the name “The 1848” come from?

1848 references the early roots of the Christadelphian movement. The name mattered to me because I wanted the project to point toward something bigger than myself.

I intentionally didn’t use my own name as the artist name because I never wanted this to just become about me individually. My hope was that The 1848 could be more about believers joining together in expression of faith and praise of God.

That’s interesting, so you never intended The 1848 to just be a solo project?

From the beginning, I hoped it could become something larger than one voice behind a microphone. More believers contributing. More expressions of worship. More people using their gifts to praise God honestly and creatively.

Even if I’m the one writing and producing most of it right now, the vision has always been bigger than me personally.

A lot of spiritual music focuses on certainty and victory. Your music often sits in tension. Why is that important to you?

Because I think that’s where a lot of people actually live. There are seasons where faith feels strong and clear, but there are also seasons of grief, confusion, waiting, failure, and rebuilding. Ignoring those realities can make people feel isolated when they struggle.

I don’t want to glorify hopelessness, but I do think there’s hope in honesty. I believe that God meets people in real places, not just polished ones.

What do you hope people walk away with after hearing ‘Refined’?

I hope people are reminded that pursuing God is worthwhile, not because we do it perfectly, but because His grace is real. If someone listens to the music and feels understood, and draws closer to God through it, then I’m grateful for that.

To me, faith isn’t a surface identity or an aesthetic. It’s daily and ongoing, sometimes difficult, but it’s also full of purpose, mercy, and hope.

PRE-SAVE REFINED

Pursuing a Faith That’s Real Through Music

Fugitives