Interview: 2016 Must-Know - Kloe

Scottish singer-songwriter Kloe - real name, Chloe Latimer - might wear her heart on her sleeve, but she'll also eat you up and spit you out if you treat her badly. No-one calls the shots but the 19-year-old, and curating club nights in her hometown Glasgow is quickly earning her a reputation for an independent work-ethic.
 
Oh, and she's been writing songs with Prides' Lewis Gardiner - so there's sure to be some bangers on the way.

"...something that's authentic, lyrically intriguing, and just fucking real."

COUP DE MAIN: How is work on your debut album going? When can we expect it?
KLOE: It's going!!! I'm doing that artist thing where I THINK I hate everything I've written and wanna scrap it all. But it's fine. There's a few songs I really love, actually… I have loads of time to write it so at the moment I'm just trying to find people I really like to help me do it. You can expect it early 2017. I think that's the plan. There's an EP coming at the very beginning of next year, though! Three of the songs are already out but there's one more on there that people haven't heard. I think I'm gonna do a second EP at some point next year too.

CDM: How does your songwriting process work?
KLOE: Usually I'll come up with a hook or a lyric. Usually it's a lyrical hook, (lol) and so I'll run with that. Maybe a song title… It's always different. I've been quite weird recently - just writing down things people say, like little social commentaries, when I'm out and about. I do this other thing too (which is really fucking embarrassing) where if I'm drunk (lol) and crying about a boy (lame) I'll write down every single thing I'm feeling in note-form and use it as song ammunition. I'm such a loser.

CDM: Do you write your lyrics specifically for the songs, or do you write poems or prose and then evolve them into song-form?
KLOE: I wrote the next single with a music video in mind! Which is quite strange. Usually the lyrics will write themselves - and once I've got them, I can take a step back and see what the song is about. I just write down what I'm thinking and hope for the best.

CDM: Lyrically, what's your favourite song that you've written?
KLOE: Definitely the next single. Oh my god. It literally says everything I want it to say and I'm so proud of it. It's nice because I feel like it sums up the EP and also shows what's to come from me - sonically and lyrically. It's more blatantly personal, too. The lyrics are really conversational. Like, I could speak one of the verses out to you normally and it wouldn't sound weird!

CDM: What do you think is the difference between a good song and a great song?
KLOE: Hmm. Oh god… I don't know. I hate it when you hear a song and it's so obvious how contrived it is. You know when you just listen to a song and you can tell straight away that it has about a million different writers on it? I hate that. So that's what makes a boring song, to me. What makes a good song, to me, is something that's authentic, lyrically intriguing, and just fucking real. Straight from the heart. None of this “hit” nonsense. What even makes a hit, anyway? I LOVE this band called MUNA - they have this incredible song called 'So Special'. I think that is the perfect example of a great song.

CDM: At what age did you write your very first song ever, and what was it about?
KLOE: I think it was called 'Big Brown Eyes'… hahaha. I wrote it about this boy I fancied in high school who fucked off with my mate. He had big brown eyes, of course. I must have been about 12-13. His name was Ryan and he was the hottest guy in my year. I think I eventually got with him but by then I didn't care. Soz Ryan :(

CDM: If you were a country, which song would be your national anthem?
KLOE: Ahhhhhhhhh I am SO uncultured. I don't know any!!! Can I just say Lana Del Rey's 'National Anthem'?
Wait. Lemme Google some…
Okay, I've found this:

It's six hours long. Nope.
Ummmmmm.
I'M GONNA SAY NEW ZEALAND 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE DA BEST!

CDM: Has it been fun curating your Glasgow club night BLAKOUT?
KLOE: YEAH!! It's been cool. I'm trying to bring more pop to Glasgow! The whole idea is to get AMAZING bands on board and just not announce them through promo etc. I want it to be a cool word of mouth thing - so we'll see how it gets on. I played the first one (shocker) and it was so so, SO fun. I had my first “jump into the crowd mid-song” moment - which was awesome. Nothing my audience loves more than a sweaty KLOE jumping on you and screaming in their faces. So I've just started planning the next one and I'm EXCITEDDDDD.

CDM: If K.L.O.E. were an acronym, what would each letter stand for?
KLOE: Oh god. I am so shit at this… Okay.
K - neecap (cause I have fluid in my knees and it is the bane of my life).
L - et's get really really, really drunk (coz… nuff said).
O - ver ur bullshit. (cause I'm so done with guys and bullshit in general).
E - ffy (because I'm watching 'Skins' right now and she is someone I always try to emulate. In life and in songs. Goals.).

CDM: What's on your bucket-list?
KLOE: A lot of the things I've actually ticked off already… which is fucking mental. So it was like: sign a record deal, release a song, have Zane Lowe play said song, play a festival… blah blah blah. I'm too scared to set my sights higher but I would fucking love to tour the world. And have my record be successful - obvz. AND OBVIOUSLY COME VISIT YOU BABES IN NEW ZEALAND!!

KLOE's single 'Touch' is out now - click HERE to purchase it via iTunes.

Watch the 'Touch' music video below…

P.S. Click HERE to check out more of CDM's 2016 Must-Know artists in CDM Issue #17!