An Interview with Etheral Songstress, Cloe

Cloe

By: Amelia Zollner

It’s hard to take on a musical career at any age, but Cloe, a new Tampa-based musician, is breaking out into the music scene when she’s only 12. Her first major release is an impressive cover of Ariana Grande’s “breathin’”. Although it’s a cover, the depth that Cloe shows in her performance proves that her original music, which she plans to begin releasing this year, is bound to succeed. I had the chance to talk to Cloe about her inspirations, upcoming releases, and what being 12 and releasing music is like.

HEM: Congrats on your recently released cover of Ariana Grande’s “Breathin”! What inspired you to cover this song?

Thank you so much! I was inspired to cover this song because it speaks about the struggles of anxiety, which is something I’ve struggled with for years. I related to the song on an intense level.

HEM: How did you get into singing and songwriting?

There wasn’t really anything specific that caused me to start pursuing singing and songwriting. I’ve been an artist for forever. Music has always been my escape, and when I started creating it myself, I just kept on going.

HEM: I know you’re only twelve years old and relatively new to releasing music. Have you faced any challenges because of your age so far? Do you think being a musician at twelve is different than being an adult?

Even though I am twelve, I don’t feel like that at all. Being younger has almost made some people forget that my physical age isn’t exactly my emotional or mental age. My soul is old, and I’m almost certain that this life isn’t my first. I don’t know if I’d call them challenges, but because of my age, people seem to assume a certain type of person before meeting me. Whenever I meet people, there’s always that surprised look on their face when I start speaking, but I’ve gotten used to it. Once people get to know me, and start realizing what type of person I truly am, that surprised feeling fades. I think that everybody’s career is different, no matter what their age is. It’s altered by who you work with, what genre you’re in, how you handle things, your emotional capacity, and everything else about you. Individuality completely annihilates age.  

HEM: Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

When I first listened to Lana Del Rey, I actually felt her music. It crawled into my head, and it hasn’t left me ever since her song, “Video Games”. She’s definitely one of my most major musical inspirations. I don’t know what it is about her music, but it just takes me to a different place. The way she executes sadness, pain, and romance at the same time amazes me. I love Billie Eilish too - her music haunts me, and every song makes me feel like I’m a different person. Halsey tells stories with her albums, and creates these human beings through art. I just fell in love with the way she presents her music. In each album, there’s something about them that makes them beautifully broken. You can hear the pain, and you can understand the sadness, but the way it’s presented is almost magic. Sasha Sloan would also have to be a major inspiration for me. Her EP, “sad girl”, felt like it was made for me. It was one of those things that came at the perfect time in my life, where my whole mindset was pretty “sad girl”-like.

HEM: Can you tell us anything about any releases you have planned for this year?

Yes! This year, I will be consistently releasing more covers along with videos. I loved being able to twist songs into something personal to me. I will be releasing original music, with a similar dark vibe. This year is going to be the year I really begin my career, and I can’t wait to release everything. Make sure to follow me on Instagram (www.instagram.com/cloewilder) to stay updated!

HEM: Where do you hope to take your musical career in the future?

I want people to hear my voice, and I want people to relate my sadness. I want my music to be a place where people can escape, lose themselves, and find themselves. I would love to go on tour, because I want to see and feel my emotions connect with other people’s. That’s what I want my music to do, I want it to connect the dark areas of our minds. I would love to see that happen.

 Listen to Cloe’s cover of “breathin’” here and connect with her on Instagram here!