We caught up with singer-songwriter Chloé Caroline who’s latest EP, The Awakening Vol 1, dropped on March 20. Born and raised in Manhattan Beach, California with dual Canadian citizenship and roots in Kingston, Ontario, her music encompasses an authentic, SoCal vibe accompanied by deep, meaningful lyrics. After experiencing a life threatening illness at age 11 that left her isolated, she taught herself guitar on YouTube using songwriting as her outlet and friend. Her sound is an intentional combination of real and synthetic instruments with nods to the past and present.
We asked Chloé about making the new EP, her creative process, her experience in the CBC Searchlight competition, and more.
Check out our conversation below.
Was there a specific goal in mind with your EP, The Awakening Vol 1?
Chloé Caroline (CC): I think the goal was (and always is) to write from a place of honesty and openness, and to let each story tell itself while still being intentional. I want to always leave each listener with more understanding or hope than they had before. In this case I wanted to share the various stories/revelations behind my spiritual awakening. It was a surrender to the unknown where quite a bit happened in a span of 2 years but led to a journey of incredible (and painful) healing, self love, and eventually the purest love in a relationship I’ve ever experienced.
It was deeply personal and introspective but I knew I had to go there and somehow do it without overthinking it even though I was experiencing and working through it in real time. My producer Brian reminded me at one point before he and I began working to always approach writing as if I still have yet to write my best song and that’s kind of the metaphor behind the project. Allowing ourselves to let go and be surprised at the outcome with faith it’s going to be better than we can even imagine.
What is your creative process like when it comes to making new music?
CC: At the start of a song, it definitely depends on whether I’m writing alone or with another writer/producer. If I’m alone, the lyrics and melody tend to fall out simultaneously in much more of a free flow way. With someone else, I tend to start with a concept idea/title or melodic idea I bring in but sometimes we just chat about life, listen to music and if any vibe sticks out we take it from there. I tend to comb through the lyrics with extra attention after it’s first written. I’m a stickler about making sure they are purposeful even in simplicity.
After that, I sit with the producer and essentially co-produce with them. Some artists hate sitting there, for me it’s imperative. I love looking at how we can use production to play on metaphors in the lyrics and I’m a big believer of throwing everything at the kitchen sink to get it out of your system and then stripping it back as well as finding references from the past and present. You just never know what’s going to work until you try. Most importantly, I work hard at getting the most personal emotional vocal I can. If that isn’t there and if the song can’t live in the most organic bare bone setting, then it’s probably not it.
You were recently a finalist in the CBC Searchlight competition. What were some learning experiences gained from that?
CC: Anytime you place your trust in your fans–that they will show up for you, it’s very liberating. The fact that people take time out of their day to vote in a competition like that multiple times just reassures the journey. It’s not about whether I win or not, but on focusing on the support of those who are voting. There are so many factors involved in a competition like CBC Searchlight you can’t ever take it personally, but hearing the program director of CBC radio play my song on Canada Day and mention that he thought it should have won was pretty satisfying!
How would you describe the overall sound of The Awakening Vol 1?
CC: If I was a journalist, I’d probably describe it sort of like this 😉 “A cosmic ride with memorable pop melodies, raw introspective yet relatable lyrics/lyrical themes, and refreshing modern production that nods to the past with its unique combo of ambient guitars, keys, and electronic elements. The vocals are emotional yet each song hits the soul differently in its own feel-good way, even if it’s bittersweet.”
What do you hope listeners get when they listen to your music?
CC: Literally hope. A stronger sense of self and self-love. Motivation. Understanding. Connection. Release.
Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
CC: It’s definitely a combo. Some storytelling singer-songwriter heroes like Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Dolly Parton, Avril Lavigne, and Gavin Degraw. But also these unique melting pot icons like Prince, Michael Jackson, and more recently Harry Styles or Miley. I love strong pop songs that share elements of soul, rock, and folk. A lot of my sound is influenced by growing up in Southern California because of that mix of old and new, real and synthetic. I feel like I often reference the 70s and early 2000s.
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Stream The Awakening Vol 1 here
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