Music / Premieres
Premiere:
Chloe St. Claire -
Young Like That
Chloe St. Claire -
Young Like That
We’re really excited to premiere the debut EP from singer/songwriter Chloe St. Claire - Young Like That is a really impressive collection of ethereal psychedelic folk, full with swirling guitars and Chloe’s gloriously dreamy vocals.
Young Like That kicks off with ‘Frostbite’, which proves to be a perfect introduction to Chloe St. Claire. Despite being the most stripped back track on the EP, it properly highlights Chloe’s awesome vocals, which drift over layer upon layer of spacey guitars and subtle percussion. Things get dreamier with ‘Call Your Mother’ which smoothly floats by, until we’re quickly brought back to earth with the stark beep of an answering machine to conclude the song. Next up is the title track, which is a clear highlight for the EP. The textural guitars matched with its driving pace brings to mind the War on Drugs, but Chloe makes the track her own with a powerful chorus and some incredibly emotive melodies. The EP wraps up with ‘Apollo’, another glorious slice of dream pop, which remarkably feels both meticulously crafted but free flowing. Despite it only being her debut EP, Young Like That is an incredibly developed release for the young musician, so we spoke with Chloe to get a better insight into the EP and more.
TJ: Today you've released your debut EP Young Like That. Want to tell us a little about Chloe St. Claire and the new release?
CSC: I'm a DIY musician from a small isolated town in Victoria, and I've been obsessed with music ever since I was a little kid. Dad's a musician and mum's an artist, so early on my world was revolving around the importance of creativity and lateral thinking. As a kid, music was the epicentre of my home, and it soon became one of my key methods of expression.
I began to busk and play gigs as a young teen, my instrument of choice is a guitar. Although I have a soft spot for folk/country music, I have always been drawn to artists that create songs that have a lot of depth and delicious textures, like the genres dream rock and shoegaze. I like to imagine songs as somewhat three-dimensional, I always think to myself "If this was tangible, how would it feel?" Depth and atmosphere is something that has always captivated me in music that I listen to, I love the ability to get completely lost in a song. I wanted to translate all these feelings into my new release, really focusing on atmosphere and dimension within each of my songs.
What was the writing and recording process like for Young Like That?
Generally when I write I always begin with a core melody or riff, and then pair lyrics and a chord progression after. Then I let the song develop naturally, whether it takes a couple of hours or a couple of days. Certain songs like Young Like That and Call Your Mother were surprisingly easy to put together, Frostbite was actually a couple of songs combined.
I find recording the songs to be the most exciting and daunting stage of the whole process. It’s exciting, because I love experimenting with all the sounds I can make on my electric guitars and how I can play with dynamics and textures. Also, because I record it all in my bathroom (and sometimes the living room- surprisingly good acoustics) there is a lot of flexibility and freedom in the recording process. However, it’s a bit daunting, because sometimes a bit of doubt can surface when shaping the songs. But after this process, the biggest thing that I have learnt is the need for flexibility. Sometimes an expectation for one of my songs may not be achievable- and that’s okay.
Lyrically, the EP touches on some personal themes in a very delicate and considered way. What's your relationship with your lyrics and how important are they to you?
I’d have to say lyrics are so important when it comes to self-expression in a song. I’m a pretty introspective person, and I’m often thought as the ‘shy quiet one’. I find making lyrics to be really liberating in terms of getting my ideas across to people, as well as understanding my own thoughts. When I’m making my songs, I don’t feel like an awkward teen stumbling over incoherent words in a conversation. Instead, I’m an awkward teen singing some lyrics, which I think can be pretty cool.
What's up next for Chloe St. Claire?
Gigging heaps and studying heaps! I will be finishing my final year at high school, where after I plan to record some more songs and see where my sound takes me.
CSC: I'm a DIY musician from a small isolated town in Victoria, and I've been obsessed with music ever since I was a little kid. Dad's a musician and mum's an artist, so early on my world was revolving around the importance of creativity and lateral thinking. As a kid, music was the epicentre of my home, and it soon became one of my key methods of expression.
I began to busk and play gigs as a young teen, my instrument of choice is a guitar. Although I have a soft spot for folk/country music, I have always been drawn to artists that create songs that have a lot of depth and delicious textures, like the genres dream rock and shoegaze. I like to imagine songs as somewhat three-dimensional, I always think to myself "If this was tangible, how would it feel?" Depth and atmosphere is something that has always captivated me in music that I listen to, I love the ability to get completely lost in a song. I wanted to translate all these feelings into my new release, really focusing on atmosphere and dimension within each of my songs.
What was the writing and recording process like for Young Like That?
Generally when I write I always begin with a core melody or riff, and then pair lyrics and a chord progression after. Then I let the song develop naturally, whether it takes a couple of hours or a couple of days. Certain songs like Young Like That and Call Your Mother were surprisingly easy to put together, Frostbite was actually a couple of songs combined.
I find recording the songs to be the most exciting and daunting stage of the whole process. It’s exciting, because I love experimenting with all the sounds I can make on my electric guitars and how I can play with dynamics and textures. Also, because I record it all in my bathroom (and sometimes the living room- surprisingly good acoustics) there is a lot of flexibility and freedom in the recording process. However, it’s a bit daunting, because sometimes a bit of doubt can surface when shaping the songs. But after this process, the biggest thing that I have learnt is the need for flexibility. Sometimes an expectation for one of my songs may not be achievable- and that’s okay.
Lyrically, the EP touches on some personal themes in a very delicate and considered way. What's your relationship with your lyrics and how important are they to you?
I’d have to say lyrics are so important when it comes to self-expression in a song. I’m a pretty introspective person, and I’m often thought as the ‘shy quiet one’. I find making lyrics to be really liberating in terms of getting my ideas across to people, as well as understanding my own thoughts. When I’m making my songs, I don’t feel like an awkward teen stumbling over incoherent words in a conversation. Instead, I’m an awkward teen singing some lyrics, which I think can be pretty cool.
What's up next for Chloe St. Claire?
Gigging heaps and studying heaps! I will be finishing my final year at high school, where after I plan to record some more songs and see where my sound takes me.
Have an listen to Young Like That above, and follow Chloe St. Claire on Facebook to keep up to date with all her exciting stuff.
