12 Questions with Chloe Foy
We talk to Chloe Foy ahead of her debut album release, titled ‘Where Shall We Begin’,.Arriving June 11, ‘Where Shall We Begin’ closes the chapter on a formative period for the Gloucestershire-via-Manchester singer/songwriter. After losing her father to depression, Foy embarked on a ten-year period where she followed her career path tirelessly whilst also dealing with the internal and external fallout from losing an influential figure so young. An exciting British talent, whose songwriting and melodic harmonies will resonate deeply with the listener.
NSG: Hi Chloe and how are you? Been an odd year or so hasn’t it?
CF: Hi, I’m good thank you. It’s been an odd time indeed.
NSG: Prior to the pandemic you had a lot lined up although it doesn’t seem like this has held you back! How did you manage to write, record, and produce an entire album during this time?
CF: Ah the secret is, that it was already done. It was finished in early 2020 but the release was delayed due to Covid, amongst other things. I’m actually working on writing album 2 now.
NSG: You have been at this a long time haven’t you, starting your musical journey aged just 13. You mention artists like Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling were big inspirations to you? Could you tell us a little bit about that and this period in your musical journey?
CF: It’s true, it has been a while, although I didn’t start pursuing this as a career until I was 21 or so and it feels like things haven’t really even begun yet – that’s what a first album is for, right? I started listening to the ‘nu-folk scene when I was a teenager and fell in love with what they did. I already loved the influences they were drawing from like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell but was very taken with their contemporary take on things. So that’s where my songwriting started to flourish.
NSG: The new album focuses on a lot of personal things you have experienced either as being involved yourself or as a personal observation. Do you find therapeutic value in writing about these things, retrospectively?
CF: Absolutely. It’s always been a very therapeutic process for me. It’s my way of processing what I experience in the world and piecing it all together. Sometimes I don’t even realise an issue has come up for me until lyrics are spilling out onto the page.
Chloe Foy
NSG: You grew up in Gloucestershire in the middle of nowhere, then moved to Manchester to go to uni? Was this a big culture shock? Between Manchester and Gloucestershire, where do you feel most at home?
CF: Yep – I’m a quiet soul and most at home in amongst the green so a big concrete city can be daunting. However, there’s this pull to a city like Manchester which can be quite addictive. Plus I never would have grown musically had I not spread my wings a little. I can’t choose between them. There’s more for me musically in Manchester and a wonderful community of friends and musicians who I love dearly.
NSG: Do you have a favourite song off your new album and if so what is it and why?
CF: Perhaps not one but there’s a few that stand out. A song called ‘Work of Art‘ and also the last song on the record ‘Square Face’. Both were the more recently written songs on the record and so I feel they represent me where I’m at now. There’s also an acapella bit in Square Face which I think is quite special.
NSG: Reflecting on your song ‘Shining Star‘ from the album, I am extremely touched by it and wanted to ask you more about it. I read that it’s about your Father and his battle with depression and your personal regrets that he never followed his passion? I don’t think we hear enough on how depression also affects people who love the person who has depression do we?
CF: Ah, well thank you. And you’re right, we don’t. It takes a whole lot of energy and love to support someone with any mental illness and it can be extremely hard at times.
NSG: So you have a tour coming up! Congratulations, I bet it’s been hard not being able to play live all this time. What are you most looking forward to about the tour and are you nervous at all?
CF: Thanks! It’s been incredibly hard. I’m really looking forward to getting out there again and sharing music with people in a room. I’m not so much nervous as just sensitive to how people will be feeling about getting back into a room with strangers as it won’t be easy for everyone, and I want to make sure people are as comfortable and at ease as possible.
NSG: A bit of a fun Question. If Chloe Foy could form a band, let’s say with four other members from the world of music, past or present who would they be and why?
CF: It’d probably be a supergroup of females. Jody Giachello, Sharon Van Etten, Stevie Nicks, and Madison Cunningham.
NSG: Personally do you have any thoughts on how women are represented in the music industry? Do you see many obstacles being a female artist?
CF: A Lot of thoughts, probably not enough time to share here. There’s still a huge lack of representation and visibility and that’s only been highlighted again this year with the announcement of festival line-ups where the gender balance is far from equal. I think the obstacles aren’t obvious, they’re just all pervasive in the culture that we have, so it’ll take ongoing work to change. I think we need to start asking men this same question in interviews too, please.
Chloe Foy
NSG: My personal favourite song from the new album is ‘Left-Centred Weight ‘. I find it a very emotive song and so relatable. To someone listening for the first time, could you tell us what the songs about and do you remember the process and feelings you had when you wrote it?
CF: Thank you! The song is about death anxiety, in a nutshell. So nothing big. It’s about feeling that everyone’s going to die, which comes about from having grieved once before. But ultimately coming to terms with it and making peace. Left-Centred Weight itself is feeling off kilter, I think. The lyrics are quite abstract. It was written a really long time ago and it took this long to find an arrangement that I felt suited it.
NSG: To date what has been the most memorable moment in your career?
CF: Touring with Jesca Hoop – we played the UK, Europe, and the US and met so many wonderful people and played some amazing shows, including one in a cathedral in Seattle which was magical. It was hard work but incredibly rewarding and I think it’s the most content I’ve ever felt.
NSG: Thank you so much for your time, we wish you all the best with your new release and tour and can’t wait to see you at your Liverpool date, is there anything else you’d like to add?
CF: No, I think you’ve got it covered! Thank you for having me.
To pre-order Chloes New Album, buy tickets, and to follow her on social media click on the links in pink below.
Listen to Chloe Foy On Spotify!
