Photo Credit: She Is Aphrodite (@sheisaphrodite)
By Alissa Arunarsirakul // October 21, 2020
CXLOE is one of Australia’s best dark pop acts, and it’s about time she shares her once-in-a-blue-moon talent with the world. With her debut EP, CXLOE finds a balance between her life as a young woman and as a thriving musician. For those of you who haven’t added CXLOE to your radar yet, Heavy, Pt. 1 will prove exactly why you should get behind this popstar in the making.
On Heavy, Pt. 1, CXLOE explained,
“For a long time I struggled with the two sides – I thought I had to choose one way or the other. But as I’ve grown as a person and an artist, and in the process of creating my music and this EP, I’ve realized that both sides wouldn’t function without the other.”
To celebrate the release of her new music, we recently chatted with CXLOE about her stage persona, addiction, and of course, Heavy, Pt. 1.
HH: How did you first get into music?
C: For as long as I can remember, I’ve been singing all through high school, and then I started taking songwriting lessons once I graduated. I really loved writing my own songs and it kind of took off from there!
HH: You’ve struggled with finding a balance between CXLOE and Chloe, which are considerably different personalities. How have you learned to accept both as they are?
C: For soooo long I thought it was such a problem having two sides to myself and that I had to choose one. I’ve learnt to accept both because one can’t survive without the other. When I’m on stage, CXLOE lets me put up a front and be bold for when I can’t find the strength in myself to. These two sides need each other to co-exist. I’ve found a really nice balance that is going to be helpful to stay in the music industry.
HH: Heavy, Pt. 1 is an impressive collection of six songs that perfectly showcase your natural talent and broadening horizons. What was your favorite memory of making this EP?
C: For the past few years, I haven’t really been writing songs with an EP in mind. So my favorite memory was looking at all of these songs and realizing I had written an album without even knowing it. It all kind of fell together really beautifully with a throughline concept; feeling “Heavy.”
HH: The title track resonates with those of us who’ve been through rough relationships–whether they be romantic, platonic, or internal. What’s your advice for someone who’s having trouble escaping these relationships?
C: PROTECT YOUR PEACE. This year I’ve been so protective of what keeps me at peace, so when something or someone is disrupting that, they need to be removed! Stat!
HH: “12 Steps” is all about addiction and what that can do to a person. Why was this so important for you to write? How can we all be more informed about mental health and addiction?
C: This was the hardest, but more important song for me to write on the EP. Addiction comes in many forms, and although the title of the track makes reference to an Alcoholics Anonymous program, the song explores all types of addictions. I wanted to bring awareness to all of them, whether it be drugs, drinking, shopping, eating, someone! They shouldn’t be taboo topics and we should be bringing them up in conversations, to listen and learn from others. That’s how we can be empathetic and stay informed about mental health.
HH: What’s been your favorite music video shoot so far?
C: “One and Lonely!”
HH: If you could collaborate with anyone in the music industry, who would you pick?
C: BANKS or Allie X!
HH: What are your three hidden hits?
C: “Talk About” – Seaforth
“Yes” – Kota Banks
“Love Me For Me” – Carla Wehbe
The Hidden Hits 