Chloé Caroline
I’ve known Chloé Caroline for a long time now. She kept growing and evolving as an artist and I believe her new project is her best work yet. It feels liberating, empowering and powerful. The Awakening Vol 1 contains catchy tunes, emotional messages and honest lyrics. I already cannot wait to hear the second part of this project. I just love how much she got better and better over the years. She will only continue to get greater and I’m super excited to see/hear what the future holds for Chloé Caroline. For now, all I can say is that she only delivers quality content and I’m here for this.
The Awakening Vol 1 is now available worldwide.
Hi Chloé, how are you? You're getting ready to release your new EP The Awakening Part 1- how does it feel like to release this brand new project?
Doing well! Just had my birthday and ready for a new year of finally releasing the music I’ve been working on for so long. It feels pretty amazing.
What's the story/inspiration behind this project? When did you start working on it?
The EP is a culmination of songs that embodies a journey. One of self-discovery, heartbreak, healing, risk, and ultimately reward (love). Right before COVID I had moved back home to LA from Nashville and soon after ended a 5 year relationship. Those changes kickstarted a spiritual awakening that opened my eyes to the power of surrender, manifestation, and the alignment that happened when I truly began following my heart and learning to trust in the unknown. The biggest lesson: We are always exactly where we’re supposed to be. I found home within myself and then the most beautiful wish fulfillment showed up as the best possible partner (my twin flame) I could ask for. I began writing the songs right before I moved in 2019 and they continued through each phase of my journey. However, there are 2 parts to the EP’s and the first EP I’m releasing is comprised mostly of the newest batch of songs (aside from “GEMINI” and “Saving Space”) which I began writing/recording March 2022. I wanted to start with where I was at now and then sort of go back to the prequel. People usually do the opposite and I thought it was important since thematically part of the theme is embracing the present moment.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this project? Who helped you create it?
I was really lucky to work with 2 incredible producers that both really understand my SoCal influences, the combo of past and present, real and synthetic in my sound and how to deliver the stories/themes in the best way while giving freedom for my co-creation in the production. We also wanted my voice to lead but the soundscape to still feel cinematic and cosmic. Even nostalgic at times. Jamie Kenney (FLETCHER, Colbie Caillat) and I wrote/recorded “GEMINI” and “Saving Space” in Nashville and I flew back and forth over COVID while we worked on the production. One of my dearest friends Emma Lynn White and Shawn Gough wrote “Saving Space” with me while on a trip to work on the production with Jamie. Brian West (Nelly Furtado, AWOLNATION, Andy Grammar, Sia) is a Canadian producer I was introduced to as I’m half Canadian. He flew from Vancouver to work with me last March and we spent almost 2 months daily writing and recording. Because I’d been working with Jamie and many of those songs were close to completion we had a really intentional reference with where to go but still make it something new. It was pretty amazing being an old soul as a lot of the recording was done in Laurel Canyon at Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night)’s studio just houses from where Carole King wrote “Tapestry”! I was grateful to get write a couple of the songs as well with 2 other LA based Canadians, Andrea Wasse (The Weekend) and Ben Spivak (MAGIC!)—who also played on the EP.
What different topics are you talking about on this project?
1. We are always exactly where we are supposed to be. Trust in perfect timing.
2. You can let go and save space for what you want at the same time. In fact, we must surrender to make room.
3. To want more and see more, we must believe we ARE more. What we align with begins from within.
4. When we trust in what we can’t see (the unknown), we allow for blessings better than we can imagine to surprise us. It’s not our job to figure them out.
Any favorite memories from the making of this new EP? Any challenges while making this EP?
My favorite memories from working with Jamie were probably the after hours dance parties we’d have at his bar NVR NVR in Nashville. We’d turn up songs and just get to chill, dance (mainly Emma and I), and listen to music on giant loud speakers in the middle of COVID. It made me feel alive while I was learning to be alone and let go. We also had some pretty awesome chats over take out. With Brian, I would say getting to work in a place of such history where my heroes recorded was crazy. I also really got to step into new territory—if I had an idea he’d sometimes have me lay it down even if he replayed/edited it later. I had this drum/percussion groove in my head for “afraid of the dark” and he told me to go play what I heard on the drum pad. I’d never done that before or had the freedom to do that. Certain days, I also got to have my boyfriend in the studio with me who I wrote some of the songs about. He got to see me in my element. It was full circle as I had sang the songs I’d worked on with Jamie for the first time at The Hotel Cafe, when my boyfriend unbeknownst to me was in the audience and messaged me the next day. Then almost a year later, here I was in the studio with him recording a song about that specific night. Surreal. Now they live on the same project.
The biggest challenge (other than putting my heart on a platter in real time as I was going through these revelations and writing songs that held so much meaning to me - laughs) was during the 2 months I was with Brian—we were basically in studio lockdown which was incredible to get to focus like that, but I had zero work-life balance for a moment there. I was living out of a suitcase in my boyfriend’s apartment for months as I lived an hour away from the studio, but every once in a while my parents would bring my puppy up to visit me! I also hadn’t yet released any of Jamie’s songs and felt pressure to live up to them because I loved them so dearly. Brian told me “You have to write like you still haven’t written your best song yet.”
What did you feel when writing "Memories"?
It was supremely mixed. I’d been feeling like maybe I wasn’t doing enough or far enough along in my career and that’s when I found the letters/papers I’d written from 7th grade that I’d been looking for. The one’s that inspired the song. Reading along I’d seen moments of who I am now that made me so proud and even laugh out loud and then I saw moments of a little girl who was still scared and lacking confidence in places I now thrive. At points she was so bold, but others, so fearful. Yet she was so honest even when it broke my heart to read. It was like speaking to my 12 year old self and I knew I had to be just as honest right back because she was damn strong. I was lit with a new fire that I was going to keep making that girl proud. I was already living her dream.
What made you want to name your EP The Awakening?
Both EP 1 and EP 2 are a continuous documentation along my spiritual awakening. Even though there are songs written at earlier points and later transformation/growth in others—its one continuous awakening. Sometime we even catch ourselves in old thought patterns but healing ebbs and flows and is the ability to now recognize those moments and make a shift.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
The majority of the photos throughout the releases are from a shoot I did in Joshua Tree, California. It was on a full moon in the middle of my spiritual awakening on a trip to model for my photographer best friend’s wedding portfolio. We happened to have some extra time and I threw on an outfit with a few mins of blue hour to spare as the sun went down. Somehow we were able to capture the moon in each photo. There’s a magic in the images that just fit the themes because it was so in the moment, just like the songs written.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this EP?
Hope and faith. Relief, that everything is working out for them. I want them to feel good.
How's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What message do you want to deliver to women out there?
It’s all about perspective: it's powerful because there are fewer women in the industry yet I am doing it. I’m always surprised at the mix female and male listeners because it’s pretty split. Sometimes even more men. I think if you work hard to write music from a place of universal truth then it speaks to everyone. I have no doubt if I continue to make that my focus, I’ll always land where I belong and my gender won’t affect that. I refuse to have a victim mentality. That’s my main message.
What is the proudest moment of your career so far?
Probably looking back at those letters I wrote and realizing I surpassed all the things that little girl dreamed of already. Most recently, probably getting to design a collection of jewelry in partnership with Moonglow Jewelry that was inspired by my songs “Saving Space”, “afraid of the dark”, and “TWINFLAMES”. To get to combine different forms of creativity like that is pretty unique.
What else can we expect to see/hear from you this year?
SO MUCH MUSIC. 2 EP’s, album, and hopefully some collab releases as well as a short film…I also have a mini documentary coming out in collaboration with Co-Xst! Don’t forget to check out my podcast “Unwritten” as well!
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