Q&A: Chloe MK Takes the Reins of Her Art and Reveals her Vulnerability through Artistic Integrity
☆ BY Kaylie Minogue ☆
Photos By Carina Allen
SPEAKING WITH CHLOE MK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST IN THE 2020’S reminds me of opening the door for the first time after lockdown. A breath of fresh air? Certainly. A captivating voice that left me utterly empowered? Absolutely. There aren’t many artists that have had the backward, upside down, and sideways come up that Chloe has. Over the last decade, she won The Voice, signed a major record deal, released an EP, and in the process lost a part of her authentic self. Her polished EP, Fantasy, is the perfect listen for everyone that grew up obsessed with Britney Spears, just like Chloe. But there’s a fantastic grit in her newest singles and upcoming debut album. All the Same, All Ok, breaks through classic pop production and reveals the core of the true indie artist that is Chloe MK.
All the Same, All Ok, is like a love letter to Chloe’s artistry. A dream that she plucked out of her head, nurtured, and released into the atmosphere. Dreamy is the ideal word to describe her music. Inspired by the process of creating music, Chloe sets out to show us her raw starting point. All the Same, All Ok is something to grasp onto while you float around the weirdness of the 2020’s. A pure dose of stripped-back, raw, bedroom pop floating on top of grungy 90s guitars. Chloe is creating a vulnerable new dreamscape for all of us to escape to for a while. So step on in and hear more about Chloe's world below.
LUNA: From winning a major singing contest to working with a label, you’ve now decided to move away and release your music independently. What are some of the aspects of releasing this next album on your own that appeal to you as an artist?
CHLOE MK: I’ve been gigging and playing in bands all around Nashville since I was 18. And the truth of the matter is that after 3 years of doing that while working for Starbucks to pay the bills, I was kind of at the end of my rope. Like many people, I had always had this dream and I wanted it so bad, so I decided to go on The Voice. People don’t realize the intensity of a show like The Voice. It truly is like a crash course in making you into a mini icon. It was me going from one big thing to another big thing. And big things are awesome for big artists, but I was a small artist. I wanted to bring rock music back into pop culture, and that was getting lost in translation. From 2017-2019 I was trying to figure it all out and hold on to anything I could. I felt that I had to keep up this perfect persona and I wish I could’ve been more authentic. I feel a lot of this had to happen to get me to this point where I’m now making music I actually want to listen to.
LUNA: How has being an artist in these large productions like the show and major label influenced your own art and process of creating music?
CHLOE MK: When I started working with the label, I was writing these big anthemic pop songs that you hear on Fantasy. I don’t sit in my apartment and write that kind of music when I’m by myself. Covid shut down a lot of sessions, and writing partnerships went on pause. It gave me the time to ask myself, “what am I doing?”. I basically pulled a little bit of a “Britney,” minus the head shave, because I didn’t even know what I would write if I was in a room alone. I was in this big situation and now I’m in the complete opposite, which genuinely scares me. Now I’m chasing this beautiful destruction of perfection and pursuing artistic integrity.
LUNA: Was there a turning point for you that solidified your decision to go off on your own?
CHLOE MK: When I started working with producers in LA I met my good friend Pete Nappi and artist Sizzy Rocket. Sizzy Rocket is a complete DIY artist and that was my first experience seeing someone that had complete control over their artistry. At the time I had no control over my artistry so I remember asking her so many questions. I went from playing bar gigs to then being signed to a major label as a pop artist. After seeing that DIY process and getting lost in all these big things, I realized I wanted to go in a different direction. I think a lot of artists start out doing their own thing their own way and build up to getting signed. But I started with the big, and now I’m going back to the homegrown DIY. That starting point was around me the whole time, but I just didn’t know it was going to be my path. I have no regrets about how I got to where I am now, and I get so excited when I think about the music I am making moving forward.
LUNA: Can you tell us more about Special Baby? I love the playful nature of the name and feel like it ties into the dreaminess of your songs.
CHLOE MK: Special Baby is my vanity label that I’m going to be releasing my music through. Maybe one day down the line I’ll feel like there is a partnership or somewhere I can call home. But right now, I feel the safest with myself. Knowing I get to decide how I want to talk on the internet, who I want to be, and what it’s going to look like, that just gives me so much peace.
LUNA: I feel like there’s a trend with the titles of your songs and EPs, “Wonder,” “Cosmic,” Fantasy. It’s almost like you are trying to create something otherworldly with your music, is that one of your goals?
CHLOE MK: Dreamy. That is literally my only goal. I want to create dreamy landscapes. I was nervous to put out “Wonder” because it feels so personal. I am aware that the new tracks have such a different sound from Fantasy, but I think people can understand that it’s all coming from me. I just want people to be taken to another place. That’s what music is for me.
LUNA: What do you hope your audience takes away from listening to your new album, All the Same, All Ok?
CHLOE MK: This album is the raw starting point. I co-produced this album with one of my best friends. We wrote every song together, recorded them together, and then worked with Zac Farro from Paramore to mix the record. It’s not perfect, but I want to have my starting point and give people something unapologetically raw. Nothing will ever hit as weird as 2021 ever again, so I figured, why not just put the album out this year? At first, I didn’t want to put something out this year because the album feels like an out-of-body experience, but it’s actually the perfect time to have this encapsulated in what it feels like. If I can pull you out of it all for a little while and get us all floating, that’s the goal.
LUNA: Your aesthetic in your photos and Instagram are so reminiscent of the early 2000s, is that a style that you take inspiration from?
CHLOE MK: I would say my aesthetic is a combo of 2006-2008, like Karen Oh and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.. The movie 13 is how I feel right now. I feel as if I’m growing up because I kind of lost myself for a second there. This is me going through a little bit of that rock and roll phase. I’m finding a lot of rock inspo from just dressing like a normal person and finding unique ways to tie rock into my style.
LUNA: What would be your dream artist to play with live?
CHLOE MK: Oh dream tour… it’s a tie between Hole or Radiohead. Radiohead is like the mecca, I listened to them a lot when making this album. That and Loveless by My Bloody Valentine.
LUNA: Did you have any other intentions in mind now that you are stepping out into the world with this new sound and look?
CHLOE MK: Something I wrote down to talk about was that for the first time ever, I did a ritual for this album. I had my table in my living room and laid out crystals that I’ve collected from different places. I wrote down the album name and had a locket and a small ring of salt. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I just wanted this to be different. I even got the sage, cleansed the whole space. How do you bring something new into a space that you’ve been in before? I’ve never done anything like that and I wanted to share because I highly recommend the cleansing of the past. I also just found a screenshot I took at the beginning of 2020 that said “in a dream world, could I make my own album?” This process of creating is only me with my close friends, thinking about how this album could take form. To see it happen is the most encouraging thing and I feel like I changed as a person.
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