INTERVIEW: Pop Rock from Chloey Indica

Seattle-born and Nashville-based, Chloey Indica is making a name for herself with an uncompromising blend of pop rock power and emotional candour. Raised in a musical household, with her mother playing in a band and her grandfather leaving a lasting artistic imprint, that early exposure shaped not only her love for music but also her identity, something she continues to explore and express through her art.

After leaving college to chase a creative path, Chloey found herself immersed in Nashville’s music community. “The network of musicians I’ve met here has changed my life,” she reflects, a sentiment that echoes in her work. First sharing her sound in 2022 with her debut three-track release COLLECTION 1, she’s since shared multiple well-received singles and an EP while linking up with the likes of Riot House, Sierra Annie and Jack The Underdog for collaborative releases along the way.

Framing themes of heartbreak and healing, offering catharsis through tight songwriting and performance panache, Chloey’s music speaks to those tackling the chaos of self-discovery, relationships and recovery. Her sound is toroughly modern yet tinged with the timeless aesthetic of the 90s and 2000s; a nod to her influences Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne and Paramore.

Now she brings us her latest outing with her new single titled “Identity Crisis,” a track that once again confirms her status in today’s pop rock resurgence. It’s a song born from a period of intense personal growth, penned during therapy and driven by the desire to peel back layers of self built on trauma. As with much of her work, vulnerability becomes a strength, but this time, it’s paired with grit, with anthemic hooks and distorted guitars delivering a sonic punch worthy of her musical inspirations like Demi Lovato and Knox.

The track unpacks the disorientation of letting go of past versions of yourself, the ones built in survival mode and daring to step into something more honest. Opened by the swell of instrumental textures, the buzz of lively guitar rhythms and Chloey’s compelling vocals set the track in motion as the arrangement builds up around her voice with striking drums and the mix of punchy guitar chords and jangly lead notes.

Gliding through a sweeping build up, the chorus rises into an engrossing slice of infectious pop focused rock as her soaring vocals spin instantly memorable lines above the charging instrumentation. With her upcoming single “Lonely in a Crowded Room” landing at the end of this month, Chloey Indica shows no signs of slowing down on her thrilling musical adventure.

We caught up with Chloey Indica to find out more about her musical journey so far, her new single “Identity Crisis” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Chloey Indica below.

Hey Chloey, how’s things?

Hello!! Things are going, things are moving and overall pretty good! Thanks for asking.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

Ooh man, that is a toughie. I think the earliest memory I can recall right now, is when I was about 9 or so, I had this song I had written the lyrics to on a loose piece of paper and it had no instrumentation, but I was really proud of it and I remember walking around with that piece of paper and singing it to just about anyone who would listen. I remember bringing it camping with us on a trip with a lot of our friends and family and walking around the sites singing people this song. I am told this type of thing happened a lot and earlier than I can remember but I think this is the earliest concrete memory I have of it.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

This is also always a tough question for me because I am so inspired by so many artists and I listen to such a large scope of genres but over all of my time as a singer/songwriter, I think the ones that have popped up the most for me are, Avril Lavinge, Jonas Brothers, Christina Aguilera, Alanis Morisette, Bonnie Rait and later into my life, Julia Michaels & Ariana Grande, Chelsea Cutler and honestly my friends in the music industry, more than anyone, they are my biggest inspiration.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

Feelings, processing them and trying to make sense of them. Making sense of them through music sometimes feels like the most honest way to, because it doesn’t have to make perfect sense in perfect English. It’s just real, confusing, messy, up for interpretation, just like emotions & feelings and situations are never black and white. I think writing music is the best therapy for me. I can’t be anxious when I am being creative and singing. & I think I draw the same inspiration from watching my loved ones go through things as well. Honestly sometimes watching a movie or a TV show will spark inspiration to tell that story in a new way.

What’s been your highlight for the year so far?

I think the highlight of this year so far has been having my debut single as myself “Chloey Indica” hit New Music Friday on spotify and a very close second would be hearing the demo for the title track of the album for the first time. I had actual tears listening to it.

What do you love about the Nashville music scene?

I love that it is a community! You find your people, your group and you can really lean on them. It’s becoming a big town but in some ways, it really still feels like a small one. You run into people you know everywhere and your people know other people you know and it just has that “small world” feeling. Most people try to show up for you in any way they can and that is HUGE. It is a really tough industry and when you have a village behind you that will pull you out of the trenches when you are going through it and cheer for your wins, that is incredible. I love that so many of the people I know in the Nashville music scene have a “we rise together” mentality. I have seen that not be the case in a lot of other music scenes, so I am really grateful to be here and be surrounded by the people I am.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

Live, in concert, for sure. There is nothing better. But a close second would be in the car with the windows down or dancing around in your bedroom!

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

It has evolved a ton!! When I first started in music I was told I had a country sound to my writing and vocals, so I pursued country even though that wasn’t who I was. I wish I had grown out of that and realised it wasn’t me sooner but that’s not my story. After having lived in Nashville a while, I made a switch to pop music but I was leaning toward an r&b influenced vocal on pop tracks like Ariana Grande. It wasn’t until I started a duo by accident with one of my closest friends in 2021 or so that I realised I loved alternative pop and that was where my heart was. Since then, I have really just allowed myself to continue to fall into that. When I started my own project last year, I was processing a lot of stuff that I was really angry & upset about and so the music has kind of followed that and I have ended up in the pop-rock world. I think I will probably always dance around alternative pop and stay around the world I am in now. It feels so authentic to who I am as a writer and a performer.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with SO many different artists but the first that comes to mind would be maybe Billie Eilish and then Sleeping With Sirens. Sleeping With Sirens is one of my all time favorite bands and so that would just be such a treat haha. But I think Billie & Finneas are geniuses and it would be such an honor to be in a room with them and to be witness to their process and be able to contribute to that. I think our vocals would compliment one another as well as style too. That would be so sick.

How did you find making your new single “Identity Crisis”?

It was easy and wonderful. I wrote it with two of my close friends and that is always wonderful because the session is just honest and it flows so easily. I came in with the concept and they just got it, instantly. We found some reference tracks that we collectively were diggin and then we wrote everything but the post guitar solo section in like a 4-5 hour session and came back and wrapped it up in a second session. & of course fine tuning the production & tracking vocals etc. is less of the fun part but it was all pretty easy on this song, it just came together and made sense.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

Just that it’s okay if you are still not sure who you are or who you want to be or if you are entirely sure you understand yourself. For people to know that having an identity crisis, while very confusing and emotionally exhausting, is really a good thing. For them to just know, coming out the other side of it, things will be so much better because you won’t be living in a version of yourself that is weighed down by circumstance and programming any longer but rather free of those things and living in the you you choose to be.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

I have been listening to RAYE, Wild Rivers & Julia Michaels a lot lately & then recently pulled The Jonas Brothers discography back up haha.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I guess that there is no better and more lovable version of yourself than the honest one. Trust your instincts & your thoughts. You have it all inside of you. You are already capable and you are already enough. So just live in the most honest version of you, unapologetically. Scream it from the rooftops.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

Probably the last one I played, in east Nashville at the East Room. I played with two of my favorite humans, Tyler Skye & Chris Rayner on a sick bill with Jack The Underdog, DAVVN & Caroline Romano. It was a great night, so many people came out and I got to play a lot of new material for the first time.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

I am gonna go with Sleeping with Sirens, Paramore & Avril Lavinge. But ask me again at another time and my answer might be slightly different haha.

It would probably be in Utah, somewhere in its beautiful landscape. It would get a little chilly at night so you’d have to put a hoodie on and could sleep peacefully in your tent but it would be all sunshine and heat during the day.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Believe in yourself and trust yourself and when you don’t fake it. Everyone is gonna give you a lot of advice but you have to trust your voice and instincts more than what anyone else has to say. And if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will, so convince them you deserve a place in every room you want to be in because that’s what it takes. You have to leap, you have to just keep stepping forward, persevering and believing in yourself.

Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of the year?

I have 3 more singles from the album set to come out this year and then an EP of covers from my tiktok scheduled to release in November. I am hoping to get some more shows lined up too, outside of Nashville so keep your eyes peeled for that! But honestly, I am most excited to keep working on and getting this album out into the world. I’ve never been more proud of any work I have done and I really believe people will resonate with it and love it. Other than that, I will just be writing for the next project because the grind never stops.

Listen to Identity Crisis below