In the depths of ‘oyster’, Chloe Moriondo finds herself swimming in familiar waters with newfound grace. The album emerges from the aftermath of her most public heartbreak, yet its aquatic themes run deeper than mere metaphor – reaching back to her earliest moments.
“I always consider myself an oyster baby because my mom, when she had me and my two older brothers, immediately made my dad go get her oysters to have in the delivery room – they’re such a treat for her.” It’s also Chloe’s outlook these days. “I wanted the overarching message to be that the world is my oyster.”
Since her 2014 bedroom YouTube beginnings, Moriondo’s artistic evolution has lived up to this statement, each layer building upon the last, from the ukulele-toting intimacy of 2018’s ‘Rabbit Hearted’ through the pop-punk leanings of ‘Blood Bunny’ to 2022’s ‘SUCKERPUNCH’, her most ambitious swerve to date. Erring more into the internet-piping, hyper-pop space, it threw her fanbase for a loop. Each iteration maintained its essential Chloe-ness while pushing into new territory.
“This album feels very strong to me and the most all-encompassing; for sure, it feels the most intentional,” she explains. “It feels like it has the most of me in it. It feels like a good combination of all of the sounds that I’ve ever enjoyed in the past handful of years of making music, and I’m lucky enough that every new album that I make is my favourite.”
The oceanic theme emerged naturally, with Chloe following her love for bodies of water. “After a period of isolation throwing around new music, and after a really big breakup too, I felt super moody and wanted to stick to the ‘bottom of the ocean’ vibes for a while.” Submerging herself amongst all the weird and wonderful marine life has been her way of dealing with these emotional battles. Now 22, she feels more equipped with this creation of hers. “I was imagining fantasy worlds and places that I wish I could visit, being at the very bottom of the sea, curled up in a little ball, and what it would sound like around me, and what it would feel like, and what the pressure would be like down there.”
“I have a certain sense of abandon now with myself and my emotions and with vulnerability,” she continues. “The most recent single as of right now [‘shoreline’] was about the heaviest breakup of my entire life, so I think I’ve grown a nice shell that’s translucent enough that I can see through it and say everything I want and show everything I want. But I don’t think much is going to get to me at this point.”
Navigating the aftermath of a creative partnership’s dissolution — particularly one deeply embedded in artistic direction and merchandise — proved transformative. “I had to learn a lot by myself that I didn’t think I’d have to learn,” she sighs. “I’m still learning stuff by myself all the time, but it’s given me a lot more confidence, and I feel stronger and much better because of it, even though the circumstances were unfortunate. It helped me create this album that I’ve just been head over heels with since it came to fruition.”
“The world is my oyster”
A perpetual goal for Chloe is to understand herself better. Over the years, she’s inhabited many different forms. “I’ve been so many different people since I started making music because I was so young when I started,” Chloe explains. “When I just started making YouTube covers, I was like 12 and when they started getting popular, I was like, maybe 15/16, and I think almost every year… or maybe even every handful of months back then, I would almost completely change my hair or my style or the way that I like like to listen to music or make music. And now I think I may be slowing down just a little bit,” she laughs.
Still, the future remains gloriously uncertain. “I do think every year I feel like a different me still, and I’m not sure exactly where that’s going to take me in the next couple of years.” Her artistic ambitions remain boundless. “I do still know that I want to make every type of music possible, like every genre ever before. I’m sick of all this. So maybe, my next metamorphosis will be like a folk album or something.”
Growing up in the public eye presents its own unique challenges, especially when authenticity is paramount. “My relationship with myself has definitely been a whirlwind,” she offers. “Especially since there’s not really a separation between me and who I am as an artist – the artist Chloe Moriondo is just me. I always wanted that to be intentional, too.” It’s why she never chose a stage name – she offers up a direct line to her life, and this transparency came with its own learning curve. “That was a challenge at first,” she acknowledges. “When I was a teenager, first learning what the music industry is, first learning what it’s like to write with other people, first learning what it’s like to see people maybe dislike the choices that I’m making, not like the fact that I’m growing older, not like the fact that I turned like 18 and changed styles a little bit.
“I definitely had to grapple with my sense of self and identity and remember what I truly like and not just cater to this. At the end of the day, anonymous masses of people are going to be critiquing what I like and what I do, no matter what. So I’ve had to learn to take things at face value and enjoy what I enjoy and write what I like.”
This mindset defines Chloe’s charm. From YouTube covers to touring with Ashnikko and frequent collaborator Cavetown, Moriondo’s artistic vision remains steadfast. “From the beginning, all I’ve ever wanted is to just keep making music that I love and other people can connect to,” she beams. Her creative drive burns eternal. “Hopefully, for the rest of my life, no matter what sound I love at the time, no matter what sound I’m gonna love in 20 years, in 40 years, I’ve always been passionate and excited about being able to share what I love. It is all very important to me, and I have this hunger inside of me to keep making stuff forever.”
Chloe Moriondo’s album ‘oyster’ is out 28th March.
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