November 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Join host Buzz Knight for an intimate conversation with Canadian singer-songwriter Chloe Stroll, whose debut BBC Radio 2 play of “I Stood My Ground” marks a milestone moment in contemporary music history. Known for her raw, relatable storytelling (Sunday Mirror), Stroll opens up about the extraordinary creative process behind her debut album Bloom in the Break.
In this episode, we explore Stroll’s remarkable journey of writing over seventy songs and the vulnerable process of selecting just twelve tracks that would tell her story. This deeply personal album represents a full spectrum portrait of her past experiences, struggles, and the healing that came from standing her ground. As we walk through the music history she’s creating in real-time, Stroll reveals how each song became a stepping stone toward self-discovery and artistic authenticity.
Discover how this emerging artist is carving her place in music history with honest narratives that resonate with listeners seeking comfort and connection. From her songwriting process to her hopes that others will find the same healing she experienced, this conversation captures the heart of what makes Stroll’s work so powerfully relatable.
Perfect for fans of authentic singer-songwriter storytelling, indie folk, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of music.
Topics: Singer-songwriter process, debut album stories, BBC Radio 2, Canadian music, healing through songwriting, authentic storytelling, indie folk
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I've always tried to just be authentic. If you don't
like it, the same with my music. If you don't
like it, it's not for you. I get it. That's fine.
Not everyone has to.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm Buzzsnight and welcome to the Take in a Walk Podcast. Now, today,
we're going to be strolling with someone who's been making
serious waves in the music scene while navigating one of
the most high octane family dynamics you can imagine. Her
name is Chloe Stroll. She's a singer songwriter, turning heads
with her dreamy pop sound, brutally honest lyrics about love, identity,
(00:37):
and finding yourself. Oh yes, and she's Lance Stroll's sister.
But trust me, five minutes into this interview, you're going
to understand why Chloe's story is entirely her own. We'll
be talking about her newest music, the creative process, and then,
of course, what it's like to build an artistic career
when your family's name happens to be plastered on race
(00:58):
cars Chloe's Stroll. Next, I'm taking a walk, Taking a Walk,
Chloe Stroll. Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I could rename it Taking a Stroll.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
You would be surprised, But I've heard that joke before.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I know I wouldn't be surprised. Are you going to
think do you think less of me? Thirty seconds into
the interview.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Already not at all, not at all.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
So, since we call this a podcast taking a walk,
I want to ask you our proverbial opening question, Chloe Stroll,
if you could take a walk with somebody living or dead,
who would you take a walk with? And where would
you take that walk?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Ooh, oh my god, who would I take a walk with.
I feel like I'd want to take a walk with
Adele because I feel her banter let alone to ask
her questions about music. Firstly, but I think that her
banter would just be on point. And I love someone
(02:09):
with a very good sense of humor.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm told she's rather salty in her language too.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I've not heard that, but considering the UK dry humor,
it wouldn't surprise me.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
It wouldn't put you off right. You would still get
to the root of musician to musician understanding what is
really going on there. Talk to me about the earliest
influences that you had that shaped you musically.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
The earliest influences for me were probably A big one
was Kelly Clarkson, a big one with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston.
I think that for me it was really the women
who had this big voice, who just belted these notes
(03:02):
that seemed so out of this world impossible. I really
that is what I wanted to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I'd say, you've done that. I loved the performance on
the Kelly Clarkson Show that was so outstanding. Congratulations on
Bloom and the break as well.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, it was very surreal.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I have to say, Yeah, had you run into her
before or was that the first time?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
No, I didn't meet her. It was the first time.
And I think it was such a huge full circle
moment for me where I grew up really singing at
you know, my parents' dinner parties and friends' houses and
things like that, and I would always sing Breakaway. That
was my go to song. And so when I had
(03:55):
heard that she wanted me to perform on the show,
it was so this full sent for my younger self
and for me as an artist to be like, wow,
she just said my name out loud, and she knows
who I am because she was such a pivotal part
of me learning my voice and learning to discover who
I was as an artist.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
When you're in that moment, do you realize as you're
in that moment, how I was standing that moment? Really is.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Definitely I try my best to be in that moment
when I'm there, but if I go too far in it,
I get really nervous. I'm a very nervous person. So
there has to be a way where you are so
grateful to be there, but also keep yourself in control.
(04:48):
So I tried my best, but yes, I definitely was like,
pinch yourself, look at where you are.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
This is incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I mean, there are so many times in life that
we oh my god, that was an unbelievable moment. I
didn't realize at that moment how special that moment was
and all of that. So that's really why I asked it.
And it is a bit unfair because as you're trying
to manage the situation, you've got to be very focused
in one way thinking and I definitely understand that for sure.
(05:23):
Let's talk about the song I Stood My Ground. What's
the story behind that? Walk me through the moment? You
knew that that song had to be put out and created.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You know, I think that I wrote that song in
a funny place in my life. I was six and
a half months pregnant and I was in a writing session,
and it was probably one of the things that I
really wanted to say on the album, but I didn't
know how I wanted to approach it yet. And I
think that all of us in life have had moments
(05:57):
where you come to a place where your values are
put into question. You have there's a fork in the
road and you have to pick left or right to
keep moving forward, and not everybody will agree with every
choice that you make. And I think that there's a
very scary moment, and it's a part of growing up,
a part of becoming an adult that I definitely had
(06:21):
different ones in my life where I was like, Okay,
what do I do? Where do I stand if? And
you know, I think that it's the scariest bit is
when you have people that you've maybe trusted for a
long time who no longer feel the same way that
you do, and you are forced to stand your ground.
(06:41):
And that's how the song came up. It was really
just kind of walking through those moments of whether they're
big or small. It could be, you know, the insecure
teenage years that I had, or that you know, I'm
sure all of us have gone through versus different things
adulthood has thrown at me. I think that it's really
important to have your values and the for them to
(07:04):
guide you through your life. And so I think that
that was really when I Stood my Ground was born.
It was I want to convey this message that your
values are what you have, stands your ground for those.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And similar path of creativity for the song You're Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Similar ish, I think You're Okay. Similar in that I
always try and pick a theme or an experience that
I've lived through that I feel others have shared so
similar in that respect. But You're Okay and I Stood
My Ground are very different songs, very different emotions. You know,
(07:47):
You're Okay was really about the death of my grandmother
and I zoned in on her and unfortunately, you know,
I think that loss is something that everyone experiences somehow,
and my grandma was the one that I connected with
for this song. But I think that if you're able,
I get it. Like my childhood dog died and I
(08:07):
cried for four days, and I've had unfortunately lost in
my life. So I think that I didn't want to
narrow it too much that you didn't relate to it
if you had never lost a grandmother. But I wanted
it to evoke that same emotion, and that's where they're
the same. I never like to pinpoint it so much
that you have to do the exact thing I did
(08:29):
to feel that emotion.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Is there somebody you're listening to now that maybe has
even a minor influence in this incredibly cool, dreamy atmosphere
quality that your music has.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Am I listening to right now?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
You know? It's funny. I think that a lot people
have asked me, But when you're in the middle of
making an album and it's your music, the music that
you're listening to is yours on repeat because you're like,
I'm I am at heart of perfectionists, and I'm like,
change this note, do this. So when I emerged from
my album, there was a lot of new music out
(09:08):
and it's been very cool. And I think that if
I were to really pinpoint someone who I think is
trying to do something similar and maybe not the same sound,
but that modern, timeless approach, would be Alex Warren I
think that he's got that kind of ballady but modern,
that timeless music.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Going take our audience inside a typical writing session for you.
Are you a lyrics first person or does the melody
come to you first or does it really depend on
the song.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I'm a lyrics first person. I think it does depend
on the song. Where I've been in situations that I've
played a couple chords and been like, wow, that sounds nice,
like what feelings does it evoke? And then I'll look
back and whether I've written lyrics that I'm trying to
match up with something or I'm just like, no, this
is the feeling. But typically I'm a lyrics first person.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Can you take us inside your feelings on some of
the other songs that you're particularly proud of? I'm sure
all of them, but maybe highlight a couple of more
off of Blooming The Break that you really would like
to share?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
A Lot to Give and Prisoner were probably two that
I was really I'm loving the dark. Those three I
had written so long ago. I had really kept them
for a moment to be like, Okay, they have to
be perfect, and they're very dear to me because I
(10:44):
think the way that they're interpreted is different than the
reason that I wrote them. And I think that A Lot,
specifically A Lot to Give and Prisoner. You know, Prisoner
is about for me, it's about anxiety. It was about
the fact that I was, you know, I experienced a
lot of it over my life and I was really
(11:05):
held prisoner to it and it bothered me a lot.
And I think that being able to personify is that
that's a word, right, yeah, there you go. It's something
like that, but making it come to life. I think
that people it's something that they wouldn't know, and it
was something I was very proud of the way that
I wrote it. And it was similar with a Lot
(11:26):
to Give, you know, I think that it tells a
story of just something that you wouldn't realize. And when
you listen to the lyrics really intently, you're actually talking
about yourself and you're saying, I'm the one who has
a lot to give. I'm the one where the whole
song that's not all the perception it gives until the end.
And so I think those were two songs, and I
(11:48):
loop Love in the Dark in there because I wrote
them around the same time and I kept them for
three years. I didn't produce them, I didn't do anything
with them, and I was like, I really want to
be to make sure that the music really connects with
these lyrics. And they were the hardest to produce on
the album for sure.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Masterful storytelling from you, Chloe, who influence taught you the
artist storytelling?
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You know, it's funny. I don't think anyone really taught me.
The best credit I can give is to my books.
I love Disney and fantasy and romanticy and I grew
up I mean, like most people in my time, we
(12:37):
grew up reading Harry Potter and all of that. But
I was hooked to any story that had to do.
When I was a kid, it was about Disney and
princesses and romantic fairy tales and all of that. And
as I grew up it turned into the Judy Bloom
books and from the Harry Potters, and you know, there
was so many stories, and I would lose myself in
(12:59):
this creative literature, in this world, and I loved telling stories.
Literature was my favorite class in English growing up, and
I think that that is how I and I love
to write anything. I could write stories, poems, So I
think through that. I just loved storytelling.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
We'll be right back with more of the Taken a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Is there a song ever in your career or your
life that you've written that you felt it was two
personal to release or to share or is it one
that surprised you about how people connected in particular with it.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
There's definitely been songs that I've written that I've been like, Wow,
should we release this or not? Because they're either very personal.
But I think that as time went on, I realized
that I was like, it's if someone can connect with
(14:11):
that and it can help make their day better or
make them feel like there's someone who understands them, you know,
there was no point in hiding that, so I did.
There's definitely a couple of songs that are out that
I've had a moment or two of pause before I've
released them because it is personal and it's vulnerable, and
(14:32):
it's scary to express yourself like that in such a
public way. So yeah, I mean, it's a yeah, there's
been a couple.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Your brother Lance is pretty vulnerable when he's racing cars.
How do you mirror that? Do you? Guys? Talk about
each other's careers. Do you keep this separate because that
is in that role only its own form of vulnerability
(15:03):
in the public manner.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
You know, I think it's funny. I think if people
really looked under the hood of my relationship with Lens,
everyone would be like, oh, that's it, Like we're so
hilariously normal.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I liked that was good.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, now you're good. Thank you. You know, we talk
about our careers, we talk about life, we talk about
we're super close. It's not necessarily something that it's like, Okay,
let's talk about this now. It's he face times to
see my son and I FaceTime to be like what
country are you? And again, and we're very close. Everything
(15:39):
is very just easy and fun and yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I was recently talking to the singer songwriter Maggie Rose,
who recently became a mom, and she talked about how
that sort of changed your view of of the world
and of her career and her writing. What has that
(16:05):
part of your life changed, if anything, in terms of
the creative process and the way you write and create.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
It's changed a lot. I think that becoming a mom
has changed my perspective in a lot of ways of life.
It's the best gift to be given and at the
same time, probably the most humbling thing to do, because
you're in charge of a life and you can think
(16:33):
that everyone's going to warn you and prepare you, but
no one does because it's really a I can tell
you this twenty times, but until you experience it, you
don't really understand what I'm saying. And you know, I
wrote probably my favorite song that I've ever written that
I've been really the most that gave me the biggest
(16:54):
emotional reaction was Home on the album Bloom in the Break.
But I would never have been able to write it
if I wasn't pregnant, if I didn't have that journey
coming for me, because that was the inspiration where it
came from. I see it today in my writing. I
see it in my even my voice has changed. I've
(17:14):
got physical changes that have happened to me as well
through that journey, but all for the better. And I
think that it's really cool to see what different things
come up for me where my inspirations go, what I
lean more towards since becoming a mom, and you don't
(17:35):
always expect it, so it's been really cool.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
We are so Bravo artist. Independence on this show and
your independence in an industry that's constantly changing is really
something to marvel about. What has that a journey been like?
And I mean the highs and the lows of that.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It's been a whirlwind and her best way, I think,
you know, I took a break for a really long
time when I was younger to go to college and
see if there was something else that I wanted to do.
And I'm glad that I did. I'm glad because it
reaffirmed how much I wanted to be in music. And
(18:20):
I think, like any career, I think the highs can
be very high, and I think that the lows can
be very low, and there's some things that you can't control.
Like for me, I'm a perfectionist, and I'm a perfectionist
with my voice And just what a week ago, I
was going to do a gig in New York and
(18:41):
I had lost my voice twenty four hours before, and
I was like, I can't perform, I can't do it.
And I was so petrified of what I would sound like,
how other people would think. And in the end, you know,
you make it through. But the same with writing sessions,
putting your in studio for twelve hours and I could
be there for twenty four. I love it. But at
(19:02):
some point you're facing a writer's block and you want
to put you want to scrape your forehead because you're like,
why can't I just get past this? And of course
there's lower lows, and of course there's but it's I
think that's life. I think that's why when the great
moments come, you have to celebrate everything, and I do,
(19:24):
and I think that when the low moments come, you
have to remember that there's always a light at the
end of the tunnel, and it's up to you on
finding the strength to put one foot forward.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I'm guessing in my short time with you that the
ability to see things at certain times and have a
sense of humor about it also gets you through some
of those times as well.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Definitely, if you don't have a sense of humor, you
can't do anything. That's why I think a sense of
humor gets you through the lows and careers, the loads
in life, in marriage and friendships. I think that it's
I think that it's a necessity to have.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Do you remember the last time that you started laughing
and you laughed so hard? That you just started crying
with laughter, and if you could possibly remember that, could
you share what that was?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
It was somewhat recently. I think I have a very
funny thing that when I get tired, I laugh uncontrollably.
And I had just come home to my husband and
my son, and I think he said something that was
not funny, like no one else was laughing, and I
just fell off my chair and just crying. And I
(20:48):
was exhausted and jet lagged and had just finished work
and he was working, and I think it just took
hold of me, which happens more often than not all
that entertaining. But yeah, that's my secret thing. I just
I lash uncontrollably when I'm tired.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
It just happens.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, it just happens. No one can and everyone knows.
They're like, ah, here she goes.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
It's coming. It's just like with a sneezing fits sometimes, right.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You've been really open about mental health and self discovery.
We produce this other podcast which is called Music Save
Me that is about kind of the connection to music
from fans and the way artists talk about how music
is so helpful. I mean, do you find music having therapeutic.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Forces absolutely, and I there's a part of me that
hopes that, you know, bloom in the Break helps people
with that because I think that music, for me, at
least in those in my darkest moments, in the moments
where I thought that how do you get out of this?
Music's been there and I think that it's there through
(22:07):
the highest of moments as well. But that therapeutic element
that it has the notes, whether it's the note that
can just change your mind a little bit or trigger
something to be like, oh you know what, I'm I
can do this, or it's that one line in a
song that goes that you're like wow, that just resonated
(22:28):
with me, like I'm going to the chain, whatever it is.
I think that music to have that kind of power
is so incredible and it's astounding. So for sure, I
think music is extremely important in that role.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I think you'd agree that social media and streaming have
changed everything for artists. How do you balance staying true
to yourself and authentic with the pressure to constantly pre.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
I think for me, I've always tried to just be authentic.
If you don't like it, the same with my music.
If you don't like it. It's not for you. I
get it. That's fine. Not everyone has to. But that's
kind of how I approach social media as well. If
you're not being you, if you're not being authentic, and
(23:24):
it doesn't mean that you have to share every single
thing about you, but I think people see that and
in today, in today's world, we want a connection with
someone else. And everyone that I've loved and admired, I've
noticed that they lay it out and it's like, this
is how it is, and take it or leave it.
(23:44):
This is me and I respect that so much, and
it's difficult. So that's kind of the way that I
approach social media is I'm myself, take it or leave it.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
When you're not making music, what obviously, besides family, your son,
your husband, what fills your bucket when you're not making music,
and what helps you recharge.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
I'm an avid reader. I love reading books in the
kind of fantasy, romanticy. I love being taken to a
totally different world and just living through that and forgetting,
you know, everything else, and I think that emerging myself
and that helps me kind of recharge and put my
(24:30):
feet back on the ground and go okay, like you know,
you can. You got this. Now You've had your two
hours with your book, and now it's time to go back.
And I think for me that's really important. Where to
find your kind of happy placed Chloe?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Before we close, what is something you believed about yourself
five years ago that you've completely changed your mind.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
About something I believe about myself. But I've changed my
mind about that.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I couldn't do this, Honestly, I think that five years ago,
maybe a little more maybe so, I think that there
was a part of me that always thought that this
would be a really amazing dream, and that going after
a passion like this in today's world would be a
bit of a you know, a bit of a fool's
(25:27):
errand for me and God, I'm so glad I proved
myself wrong. And I'm glad that I'm here.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I'm glad too, We're all glad. Glad we stroll. Thanks,
I'm glad you were, I'm glad you are on taking
a walk. I'm glad we spent some time. Congratulations on
bloom in the break and everything great going on, and
here's ten more of it.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Thank you so much, Thank you for having me, Thanks
so much.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
I've always tried to just be authentic. If you don't
like it, the same with my music. If you don't
like it, it's not for you. I get it. That's fine.
Not everyone has to.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'm Buzzsnight and welcome to the Take in a Walk Podcast. Now, today,
we're going to be strolling with someone who's been making
serious waves in the music scene while navigating one of
the most high octane family dynamics you can imagine. Her
name is Chloe Stroll. She's a singer songwriter, turning heads
with her dreamy pop sound, brutally honest lyrics about love, identity,
(00:37):
and finding yourself. Oh yes, and she's Lance Stroll's sister.
But trust me, five minutes into this interview, you're going
to understand why Chloe's story is entirely her own. We'll
be talking about her newest music, the creative process, and then,
of course, what it's like to build an artistic career
when your family's name happens to be plastered on race
(00:58):
cars Chloe's Stroll. Next, I'm taking a walk, Taking a Walk,
Chloe Stroll. Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Thank you, thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I could rename it Taking a Stroll.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
You would be surprised, But I've heard that joke before.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I know I wouldn't be surprised. Are you going to
think do you think less of me? Thirty seconds into
the interview.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Already not at all, not at all.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
So, since we call this a podcast taking a walk,
I want to ask you our proverbial opening question, Chloe Stroll,
if you could take a walk with somebody living or dead,
who would you take a walk with? And where would
you take that walk?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Ooh, oh my god, who would I take a walk with.
I feel like I'd want to take a walk with
Adele because I feel her banter let alone to ask
her questions about music. Firstly, but I think that her
banter would just be on point. And I love someone
(02:09):
with a very good sense of humor.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I'm told she's rather salty in her language too.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I've not heard that, but considering the UK dry humor,
it wouldn't surprise me.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
It wouldn't put you off right. You would still get
to the root of musician to musician understanding what is
really going on there. Talk to me about the earliest
influences that you had that shaped you musically.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
The earliest influences for me were probably A big one
was Kelly Clarkson, a big one with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston.
I think that for me it was really the women
who had this big voice, who just belted these notes
(03:02):
that seemed so out of this world impossible. I really
that is what I wanted to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
I'd say, you've done that. I loved the performance on
the Kelly Clarkson Show that was so outstanding. Congratulations on
Bloom and the break as well.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Yeah, it was very surreal.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
I have to say, Yeah, had you run into her
before or was that the first time?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
No, I didn't meet her. It was the first time.
And I think it was such a huge full circle
moment for me where I grew up really singing at
you know, my parents' dinner parties and friends' houses and
things like that, and I would always sing Breakaway. That
was my go to song. And so when I had
(03:55):
heard that she wanted me to perform on the show,
it was so this full sent for my younger self
and for me as an artist to be like, wow,
she just said my name out loud, and she knows
who I am because she was such a pivotal part
of me learning my voice and learning to discover who
I was as an artist.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
When you're in that moment, do you realize as you're
in that moment, how I was standing that moment? Really is.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Definitely I try my best to be in that moment
when I'm there, but if I go too far in it,
I get really nervous. I'm a very nervous person. So
there has to be a way where you are so
grateful to be there, but also keep yourself in control.
(04:48):
So I tried my best, but yes, I definitely was like,
pinch yourself, look at where you are.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
This is incredible.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I mean, there are so many times in life that
we oh my god, that was an unbelievable moment. I
didn't realize at that moment how special that moment was
and all of that. So that's really why I asked it.
And it is a bit unfair because as you're trying
to manage the situation, you've got to be very focused
in one way thinking and I definitely understand that for sure.
(05:23):
Let's talk about the song I Stood My Ground. What's
the story behind that? Walk me through the moment? You
knew that that song had to be put out and created.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
You know, I think that I wrote that song in
a funny place in my life. I was six and
a half months pregnant and I was in a writing session,
and it was probably one of the things that I
really wanted to say on the album, but I didn't
know how I wanted to approach it yet. And I
think that all of us in life have had moments
(05:57):
where you come to a place where your values are
put into question. You have there's a fork in the
road and you have to pick left or right to
keep moving forward, and not everybody will agree with every
choice that you make. And I think that there's a
very scary moment, and it's a part of growing up,
a part of becoming an adult that I definitely had
(06:21):
different ones in my life where I was like, Okay,
what do I do? Where do I stand if? And
you know, I think that it's the scariest bit is
when you have people that you've maybe trusted for a
long time who no longer feel the same way that
you do, and you are forced to stand your ground.
(06:41):
And that's how the song came up. It was really
just kind of walking through those moments of whether they're
big or small. It could be, you know, the insecure
teenage years that I had, or that you know, I'm
sure all of us have gone through versus different things
adulthood has thrown at me. I think that it's really
important to have your values and the for them to
(07:04):
guide you through your life. And so I think that
that was really when I Stood my Ground was born.
It was I want to convey this message that your
values are what you have, stands your ground for those.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And similar path of creativity for the song You're Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Similar ish, I think You're Okay. Similar in that I
always try and pick a theme or an experience that
I've lived through that I feel others have shared so
similar in that respect. But You're Okay and I Stood
My Ground are very different songs, very different emotions. You know,
(07:47):
You're Okay was really about the death of my grandmother
and I zoned in on her and unfortunately, you know,
I think that loss is something that everyone experiences somehow,
and my grandma was the one that I connected with
for this song. But I think that if you're able,
I get it. Like my childhood dog died and I
(08:07):
cried for four days, and I've had unfortunately lost in
my life. So I think that I didn't want to
narrow it too much that you didn't relate to it
if you had never lost a grandmother. But I wanted
it to evoke that same emotion, and that's where they're
the same. I never like to pinpoint it so much
that you have to do the exact thing I did
(08:29):
to feel that emotion.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Is there somebody you're listening to now that maybe has
even a minor influence in this incredibly cool, dreamy atmosphere
quality that your music has.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
Am I listening to right now?
Speaker 1 (08:48):
You know? It's funny. I think that a lot people
have asked me, But when you're in the middle of
making an album and it's your music, the music that
you're listening to is yours on repeat because you're like,
I'm I am at heart of perfectionists, and I'm like,
change this note, do this. So when I emerged from
my album, there was a lot of new music out
(09:08):
and it's been very cool. And I think that if
I were to really pinpoint someone who I think is
trying to do something similar and maybe not the same sound,
but that modern, timeless approach, would be Alex Warren I
think that he's got that kind of ballady but modern,
that timeless music.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Going take our audience inside a typical writing session for you.
Are you a lyrics first person or does the melody
come to you first or does it really depend on
the song.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
I'm a lyrics first person. I think it does depend
on the song. Where I've been in situations that I've
played a couple chords and been like, wow, that sounds nice,
like what feelings does it evoke? And then I'll look
back and whether I've written lyrics that I'm trying to
match up with something or I'm just like, no, this
is the feeling. But typically I'm a lyrics first person.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Can you take us inside your feelings on some of
the other songs that you're particularly proud of? I'm sure
all of them, but maybe highlight a couple of more
off of Blooming The Break that you really would like
to share?
Speaker 1 (10:23):
A Lot to Give and Prisoner were probably two that
I was really I'm loving the dark. Those three I
had written so long ago. I had really kept them
for a moment to be like, Okay, they have to
be perfect, and they're very dear to me because I
(10:44):
think the way that they're interpreted is different than the
reason that I wrote them. And I think that A Lot,
specifically A Lot to Give and Prisoner. You know, Prisoner
is about for me, it's about anxiety. It was about
the fact that I was, you know, I experienced a
lot of it over my life and I was really
(11:05):
held prisoner to it and it bothered me a lot.
And I think that being able to personify is that
that's a word, right, yeah, there you go. It's something
like that, but making it come to life. I think
that people it's something that they wouldn't know, and it
was something I was very proud of the way that
I wrote it. And it was similar with a Lot
(11:26):
to Give, you know, I think that it tells a
story of just something that you wouldn't realize. And when
you listen to the lyrics really intently, you're actually talking
about yourself and you're saying, I'm the one who has
a lot to give. I'm the one where the whole
song that's not all the perception it gives until the end.
And so I think those were two songs, and I
(11:48):
loop Love in the Dark in there because I wrote
them around the same time and I kept them for
three years. I didn't produce them, I didn't do anything
with them, and I was like, I really want to
be to make sure that the music really connects with
these lyrics. And they were the hardest to produce on
the album for sure.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Masterful storytelling from you, Chloe, who influence taught you the
artist storytelling?
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You know, it's funny. I don't think anyone really taught me.
The best credit I can give is to my books.
I love Disney and fantasy and romanticy and I grew
up I mean, like most people in my time, we
(12:37):
grew up reading Harry Potter and all of that. But
I was hooked to any story that had to do.
When I was a kid, it was about Disney and
princesses and romantic fairy tales and all of that. And
as I grew up it turned into the Judy Bloom
books and from the Harry Potters, and you know, there
was so many stories, and I would lose myself in
(12:59):
this creative literature, in this world, and I loved telling stories.
Literature was my favorite class in English growing up, and
I think that that is how I and I love
to write anything. I could write stories, poems, So I
think through that. I just loved storytelling.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
We'll be right back with more of the Taken a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Is there a song ever in your career or your
life that you've written that you felt it was two
personal to release or to share or is it one
that surprised you about how people connected in particular with it.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
There's definitely been songs that I've written that I've been like, Wow,
should we release this or not? Because they're either very personal.
But I think that as time went on, I realized
that I was like, it's if someone can connect with
(14:11):
that and it can help make their day better or
make them feel like there's someone who understands them, you know,
there was no point in hiding that, so I did.
There's definitely a couple of songs that are out that
I've had a moment or two of pause before I've
released them because it is personal and it's vulnerable, and
(14:32):
it's scary to express yourself like that in such a
public way. So yeah, I mean, it's a yeah, there's
been a couple.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Your brother Lance is pretty vulnerable when he's racing cars.
How do you mirror that? Do you? Guys? Talk about
each other's careers. Do you keep this separate because that
is in that role only its own form of vulnerability
(15:03):
in the public manner.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
You know, I think it's funny. I think if people
really looked under the hood of my relationship with Lens,
everyone would be like, oh, that's it, Like we're so
hilariously normal.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I liked that was good.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Yeah, now you're good. Thank you. You know, we talk
about our careers, we talk about life, we talk about
we're super close. It's not necessarily something that it's like, Okay,
let's talk about this now. It's he face times to
see my son and I FaceTime to be like what
country are you? And again, and we're very close. Everything
(15:39):
is very just easy and fun and yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I was recently talking to the singer songwriter Maggie Rose,
who recently became a mom, and she talked about how
that sort of changed your view of of the world
and of her career and her writing. What has that
(16:05):
part of your life changed, if anything, in terms of
the creative process and the way you write and create.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
It's changed a lot. I think that becoming a mom
has changed my perspective in a lot of ways of life.
It's the best gift to be given and at the
same time, probably the most humbling thing to do, because
you're in charge of a life and you can think
(16:33):
that everyone's going to warn you and prepare you, but
no one does because it's really a I can tell
you this twenty times, but until you experience it, you
don't really understand what I'm saying. And you know, I
wrote probably my favorite song that I've ever written that
I've been really the most that gave me the biggest
(16:54):
emotional reaction was Home on the album Bloom in the Break.
But I would never have been able to write it
if I wasn't pregnant, if I didn't have that journey
coming for me, because that was the inspiration where it
came from. I see it today in my writing. I
see it in my even my voice has changed. I've
(17:14):
got physical changes that have happened to me as well
through that journey, but all for the better. And I
think that it's really cool to see what different things
come up for me where my inspirations go, what I
lean more towards since becoming a mom, and you don't
(17:35):
always expect it, so it's been really cool.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
We are so Bravo artist. Independence on this show and
your independence in an industry that's constantly changing is really
something to marvel about. What has that a journey been like?
And I mean the highs and the lows of that.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
It's been a whirlwind and her best way, I think,
you know, I took a break for a really long
time when I was younger to go to college and
see if there was something else that I wanted to do.
And I'm glad that I did. I'm glad because it
reaffirmed how much I wanted to be in music. And
(18:20):
I think, like any career, I think the highs can
be very high, and I think that the lows can
be very low, and there's some things that you can't control.
Like for me, I'm a perfectionist, and I'm a perfectionist
with my voice And just what a week ago, I
was going to do a gig in New York and
(18:41):
I had lost my voice twenty four hours before, and
I was like, I can't perform, I can't do it.
And I was so petrified of what I would sound like,
how other people would think. And in the end, you know,
you make it through. But the same with writing sessions,
putting your in studio for twelve hours and I could
be there for twenty four. I love it. But at
(19:02):
some point you're facing a writer's block and you want
to put you want to scrape your forehead because you're like,
why can't I just get past this? And of course
there's lower lows, and of course there's but it's I
think that's life. I think that's why when the great
moments come, you have to celebrate everything, and I do,
(19:24):
and I think that when the low moments come, you
have to remember that there's always a light at the
end of the tunnel, and it's up to you on
finding the strength to put one foot forward.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
I'm guessing in my short time with you that the
ability to see things at certain times and have a
sense of humor about it also gets you through some
of those times as well.
Speaker 5 (19:49):
Definitely, if you don't have a sense of humor, you
can't do anything. That's why I think a sense of
humor gets you through the lows and careers, the loads
in life, in marriage and friendships. I think that it's
I think that it's a necessity to have.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Do you remember the last time that you started laughing
and you laughed so hard? That you just started crying
with laughter, and if you could possibly remember that, could
you share what that was?
Speaker 1 (20:25):
It was somewhat recently. I think I have a very
funny thing that when I get tired, I laugh uncontrollably.
And I had just come home to my husband and
my son, and I think he said something that was
not funny, like no one else was laughing, and I
just fell off my chair and just crying. And I
(20:48):
was exhausted and jet lagged and had just finished work
and he was working, and I think it just took
hold of me, which happens more often than not all
that entertaining. But yeah, that's my secret thing. I just
I lash uncontrollably when I'm tired.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
It just happens.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, it just happens. No one can and everyone knows.
They're like, ah, here she goes.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
It's coming. It's just like with a sneezing fits sometimes, right.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Exactly, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
You've been really open about mental health and self discovery.
We produce this other podcast which is called Music Save
Me that is about kind of the connection to music
from fans and the way artists talk about how music
is so helpful. I mean, do you find music having therapeutic.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Forces absolutely, and I there's a part of me that
hopes that, you know, bloom in the Break helps people
with that because I think that music, for me, at
least in those in my darkest moments, in the moments
where I thought that how do you get out of this?
Music's been there and I think that it's there through
(22:07):
the highest of moments as well. But that therapeutic element
that it has the notes, whether it's the note that
can just change your mind a little bit or trigger
something to be like, oh you know what, I'm I
can do this, or it's that one line in a
song that goes that you're like wow, that just resonated
(22:28):
with me, like I'm going to the chain, whatever it is.
I think that music to have that kind of power
is so incredible and it's astounding. So for sure, I
think music is extremely important in that role.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I think you'd agree that social media and streaming have
changed everything for artists. How do you balance staying true
to yourself and authentic with the pressure to constantly pre.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
I think for me, I've always tried to just be authentic.
If you don't like it, the same with my music.
If you don't like it. It's not for you. I
get it. That's fine. Not everyone has to. But that's
kind of how I approach social media as well. If
you're not being you, if you're not being authentic, and
(23:24):
it doesn't mean that you have to share every single
thing about you, but I think people see that and
in today, in today's world, we want a connection with
someone else. And everyone that I've loved and admired, I've
noticed that they lay it out and it's like, this
is how it is, and take it or leave it.
(23:44):
This is me and I respect that so much, and
it's difficult. So that's kind of the way that I
approach social media is I'm myself, take it or leave it.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
When you're not making music, what obviously, besides family, your son,
your husband, what fills your bucket when you're not making music,
and what helps you recharge.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
I'm an avid reader. I love reading books in the
kind of fantasy, romanticy. I love being taken to a
totally different world and just living through that and forgetting,
you know, everything else, and I think that emerging myself
and that helps me kind of recharge and put my
(24:30):
feet back on the ground and go okay, like you know,
you can. You got this. Now You've had your two
hours with your book, and now it's time to go back.
And I think for me that's really important. Where to
find your kind of happy placed Chloe?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Before we close, what is something you believed about yourself
five years ago that you've completely changed your mind.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
About something I believe about myself. But I've changed my
mind about that.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
I couldn't do this, Honestly, I think that five years ago,
maybe a little more maybe so, I think that there
was a part of me that always thought that this
would be a really amazing dream, and that going after
a passion like this in today's world would be a
bit of a you know, a bit of a fool's
(25:27):
errand for me and God, I'm so glad I proved
myself wrong. And I'm glad that I'm here.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I'm glad too, We're all glad. Glad we stroll. Thanks,
I'm glad you were, I'm glad you are on taking
a walk. I'm glad we spent some time. Congratulations on
bloom in the break and everything great going on, and
here's ten more of it.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Thank you so much, Thank you for having me, Thanks
so much.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
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