A singer-songwriter from the Gold Coast, the past five years has seen Chloe Styler quietly building a reputation as an emerging voice in the country music and indie pop scenes.
Chloe has performed at a string of festivals – including Tamworth Country Music Festival, Big Red Bash and Groundwater Country Music Festival (multiple times) – as well as written songs with the likes if Fanny Lumsden.She has also been a finalist multiple times for Gold Coast Music Awards and Queensland Music Awards; and was a Top 10 Grand Finalist for the 2020 Toyota Star Maker competition.
With a sound inspired by the likes of Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Middle Kids and Gretta Ray, Chloe's current project is her newest EP titled 'Side A'.
"These songs played such a special role in my growth as a human navigating life in my early 20s and the only way I could do them justice was to wrap them up nice and pretty in an EP for you," Chloe says.
"'Side A' is the first instalment of a two-part project that's been three years in the making."
Ahead of her EP launch show this weekend in Brisbane, here Chloe sits down for an in-depth chinwag about her new music, her creative journey so far and what she's planning in 2023.
For those new to you, can you describe your style which fits somewhere between pop and country (are you also open to continually exploring other genres as well)?
I'm an independent singer-songwriter from the Gold Coast releasing indie pop/ country music.
I love exploring new genres, sounds and ideas when I'm in the studio, and truly believe in giving each song the life it deserves sonically. That means some songs may sound more pop (or country) than others, but at the end of the day, I'm a songwriter at heart and feel most at peace when I know the songs have been brought to life in the best possible way for them individually.
Indie pop/ country describes my sound perfectly. Think early Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Middle Kids and Gretta Ray all wrapped up in one present just for you.
Influences – both sonically and lyrically; who are some of the people who have had a major impact on your own music?
Over the years I've been heavily inspired by artists like Kacey Musgraves, Fleetwood Mac, Jewel, Dido and Taylor Swift.
I picked up a guitar around the same time I heard Taylor's 'Speak Now' album so I can honestly thank her for influencing me to learn to play and, inevitably, write songs on the guitar.
Tell us about your new EP 'Side A'; how does this collection of songs showcase Chloe Styler and what do they mean personally for you as your career begins to build momentum?
'Side A' has been two years in the making, having recorded the tracks in July 2020 and the first single lifted off the record in November 2021.
It is so nice to finally have it out in the world as a complete body of work. For me, it's a snapshot of a time in my life where emotions were high and songwriting was therapeutic.
Now, on the other side of those emotions, it is really heart-warming to listen back through the EP and be reminded of how I was feeling at the time of writing each song. It's also a great reminder that nothing lasts forever, even emotions!
I think 'Side A' has been released at the perfect time for me in my career. The last six months have been really full-steam ahead since the release of my single 'Girlfriend' (co-written with Sarah Buckley) and I'm really excited to see how 'Side A' finds its feet in the world.
You also included a couple of acoustic versions of the songs on the EP; why was that?
Both 'Consider Me Gone' and 'Girlfriend' are so special to me, so I just knew I had to reimagine them in a more stripped-back way.
I visited my producer, Andy Mak, at his home studio in July 2022 and let him in on my plan and he was all for it. The acoustic versions bring a whole new meaning to the lyrics, so it's really nice to have both options depending on your mood.
The songs came to life with live band sessions at The Grove Studios on the Central Coast led by producer Andy Mak; how important was it to capture the songs in such an environment?
The week we spent at The Grove Studios tracking the songs was one of the best weeks of my life!
I feel very fortunate to have collaborated with Andy as he took the role of producer, bass and keys, Harry Day (Middle Kids) on drums, Sam Telford on guitars and Jackson Barclay as the mix engineer.
Being able to bounce ideas off one another while tracking was really important to the overall vibe of the EP, and it was also really important to me to have live instruments on the record as well. There's nothing quite like live drums.
Andy is an accomplished producer (The McClymomts, Vera Blue); how integral was he to the development of the songs; as well as also getting the best performance out of you?
Andy is just the best. Obviously, the songs wouldn't sound the same without him, but also, I don't think I would have been so confident in these songs if it weren't for him. He truly believed in the vision for the EP and understood my sound completely.
Each day at The Grove Studios we would all sit around and go through the demos, making sure the best songs were making the final cut. There's a song that is going to be released on 'Side B' next year that I genuinely didn't want to record at all, but thanks to Andy's vision and guidance it's now one of my favourites and I'm so excited for people to hear it.
You have a launch show this Friday in Brisbane that will be an acoustic performance; why the stripped-back approach to the show?
The songs off 'Side A' were all written about experiences I lived and learnt from in Brisbane, so it was only fitting to bring the songs home for the launch show. They were also all written with an acoustic guitar, pen and paper in hand so it was really important for me to showcase them how they were written – acoustically.
How has your live show developed over the last couple of years?
Over the last 12 months I've started playing with a live band and really honing a full-band performance. We've played Suncorp Stadium, Groundwater Country Music Festival and will soon be playing Black Bear Lodge. It's still quite new to me but I absolutely love it.
Are you a performer who likes to engage with the audience, share stories between songs etc?
Yes! There's nothing I love more than telling the story before I perform a song. I truly feel like it's so important as a songwriter to give the ins and outs of what each song means, and how it came to be. You can definitely count on some dad jokes in between each song too.
You recently played the Groundwater Country Music Festival; how was that experience and did you get to mingle, check out any of the other performers on the bill?
I love playing Groundwater Country Music Festival.
This year it was my fourth [time playing the] festival and I'm so thankful to the team for continuing to support Gold Coast country artists and inviting me back. I made sure to check out some of the other artists and was lucky enough to catch Freight Train Foxes, Darlinghurst, and Dozzi doing their thing.
What doors opened up; opportunities present themselves after you were a grand finalist in the 2020 Toyota Starmaker competition?
Starmaker is a really great springboard to help artists achieve radio play, spots on festival line-ups and opportunities to support touring artists.
The main door that opened for me after 2020 Starmaker was the invite to perform at CMA Fest in Nashville in June 2020, however, we all know what happened that year that unfortunately meant I wasn't able to make it.
Also, the experience of competing in such a famed competition that has launched a who's who of the Australian country music scene; did your confidence grow exponentially?
Having the opportunity to perform in front of 5,000-plus people alongside a world-class live band was priceless.
I learnt so much from my experience with Toyota Starmaker and take those lessons with me to each show I play. I definitely think a performance of that calibre helped with my confidence.
You're a Gold Coast native; the local music scene has really begun to flourish in recent years with many indie artists-bands blossoming; have you found an inclusive community of creatives where everyone can lean on each other?
Definitely! The talent on the Gold Coast is insane and it's so nice to be a part of such a welcoming community.
Each year we all get to catch up at the Gold Coast Music Awards, and at industry mingles held throughout the year. It's really nice to be able to cheer each other on from the sidelines and sometimes even from the crowd (if we don't have our own gigs on).
What's the plan for you creatively the next few months? Any other projects in the works?
I've been keeping myself busy with co-writing sessions, booking in recording sessions and planning the release of my follow up EP 'Side B'.
Listeners can expect a new single early next year and definitely more shows. I also think I might take a bit of a break over Christmas/ New Year as it's been a hectic few months but come January, I'll be back in the saddle ready for a huge 2023.
Thanks for your time; anything else you'd like to add?
Thank YOU for your time. I'm so appreciative of the support and really hope you love my new EP 'Side A'.
Chloe Styler launches 'Side A' EP at The Junk Bar (Brisbane) 25 November.
