Meet Chloe Colton

 

We were lucky to catch up with Chloe Colton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Chloe with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
From my mother, she single handedly raised myself and my brother and had two jobs to afford childcare for my brother and I growing up. I watched a very independent and self-sufficient woman try to do everything. Thanks mum, love you!

Also my time spent working on luxury yachts for 15 years – that has helped enormously. I started at the bottom cleaning toilets for billionaires then I worked my way up to manage the interior as Chief Stewardess simultaneously running high end service, housekeeping and laundry with my team at the same time. Whilst motivating and training the team of course. More recently working as purser doing all of the vessel administration and assisting the Captain.
You work extremely long days. It’s high level performance under high pressure and endless problem solving and thinking outside the box. I have been extremely lucky to see a lot of the World through doing this. Which definitely helps my songwriting stories!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As an artist and a budding UK songwriter, I have truly loved every moment of turning story into emotion whether in lyric or melody form.

Music came later in life for me even though it was always inside of me.
Something that I had always wanted to do but didn’t believe it was possible. It wasn’t until after a break up and a soul search “Eat Pray Love” style trip to Bali that I tapped into the desire of music and songwriting, I channelled all my pain into passion. Never looked back. I have not stopped since that moment. Spending my high earning salary of the last four years on honing my craft as a writer and getting into some pretty solid writing collaborations. Which I am very grateful for.

I felt in such a rush trying to learn so much at a later age. I wasted my 20’s enjoying life and being in my 30’s I have really knuckled down. Made a million mistakes and had to dust myself off several times. Putting those lessons learnt into songs is such a joy. Creating authentic and sometimes fictitious stories putting pen to paper and then hearing the page come to life in a song is such a joy.

I am focussing now on the artist performance side and continuing to co-write with my selected circle. I have a passion for many things but songwriting is my favourite thing. I have spent the last 15 years galavanting around the World working on super yachts, which gives me a strong work ethic, I am used to long hours and no break, I also like to bring some travel stories into the writes I do. I am still trying to turn my hobby into a profession. Which I am working on. I would love to get paid for doing what I love ultimately.
I am planning gigs in December and more releases for next year and more writing of course. I am also looking for investment or funding right now if anybody can assist please get in touch via my webpage – www.chloeclouds.com

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three most important qualities would be:

Work ethic – I always loved working since I was 13 I had a job. It has always been a dream to love what you do though. To me writing doesn’t feel like work. I have this natural ability to create melodies – probably from the hours I spent as a child listening to classical music – we had a head teacher play us classical music at school and I just loved it I always had an affinity with the piano.
Then connecting with others deeply doesn’t feel like work. I really enjoy it. Both elements are fundamental for the songwriting room.

Secondly being vulnerable & teamwork.
Every writing room is so different but the learnings from each room you will take with you forever. I just had a difficult write recently where a writer claimed a lot of the song in front of a very influential character which really upset me. The point of collaboration is team work and that should never be overlooked. It just helps to guide you on who you will and won’t work with again.
It can be hard digging so deep – essentially it’s the emotions business – putting your fears and worries into a song that translates to the World. Finding a new perspective or outlook on life that can inspire others. Songs are such powerful tools.
A lot of my early songs were a little tongue in cheek with dating and being honest about me not being so good in that area! You go through phases of what is current in your life at that time too and your artist project songs will be the ones you feel emotionally then the ones you are not attached too or written from a fictional perspective will usually be the songs you pitch to other artists.

Learning & musicianship – you can never stop learning.
Mentors have been a huge part of my journey. Back in 2019 a friend became a mentor – he did some demo’s for me and showed me what an indie artist was – this really helped shape a path and fast track me in many ways. I am eternally grateful for all his help and I tell him that! Thank you Ryan.
Mentors really help to plan strategies and direction much quicker. It is so hard to navigate alone sometimes so this can really fast track your progress.
Then musicianship – being surrounded by kind people who are better than me hahahaha. I’m predominantly a top-liner I write killer melody and hooks. However, my composition skills are pretty basic. I am grateful for all the people who have taught me bits here and there as I started out, as there were so many gaps in my knowledge but everyone you work with teaches you a little bit and it’s important to pay that forward too.
You have to be able to be vulnerable and admit your weaknesses so you can improve them. Being analytical of yourself but then being able to create steps to better those weaknesses is really the gold. You cannot be perfect at everything! Getting into good daily discipline habits has really helped too. Daily dedication to craft speaks volumes. Plus the ability to just keep learning and the enthusiasm of loving something so much you naturally just soak it up.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I’m not sure I would say successful yet…but thank you. To me success would be platinum selling records so I’m still working on that part.

I would say two people and also my visits to Nashville which have turned me into a much better and more professional writer with a hunger to continually keep developing seeing musicians there at top level just brings my feet to the ground and makes me realise how much more I have to work to get to where I want to….i’m making baby steps.
The first person is Ryan Koriya – who I mentioned earlier – he is the first person who really helped me to shape a new direction in life. Forever grateful.

Then Seth Mosley as the second person for teaching me the art of collaboration amongst many other things. His circle is very special to me. Time and again I have visited Nashville and he just knows the best kindest people there and I am forever grateful to his community at Full Circle Music. I haven’t been the most exemplary student – often I am dipping in and out but I have learnt a tonne from his group and his retreats that I will cherish for life. It was with his group retreats where I have learnt all the necessary skills for collaboration.

Seth has a saying “Dare to Suck” and its true – the idea might be naff but you have to turn up to each writing room with some solid ideas every time – its ok if other’s don’t jump onto that idea. Or it could lead to another great idea and act as the springboard for it. Also, he does a lot of UP writing which has really helped me to learn in each room. I have taken nuggets of golden information from each and every room I have been in. Working with some incredibly talented published writers in Nashville. I admire them all. I see them grafting.

Collaboration is key, two minds are better than one and allowing yourself to be vulnerable and feel the room and vibe that day and honour it. Sometimes you think you are on a great idea, then the song gets stuck and you re-pivot and then the song is written in ten minutes. It’s amazing how quickly it can come together but the best writers are the re-writers. To really work a song into the best it can be. I think if every song had a short follow up session to listen again to the scratch and suggest edits then the songs would be 20 times better!

Also, Tyler Spicer my first real producer – he helped me so much at the beginning when I was absolutely clueless. He has seen my writing grow over the years.

Thanks so much for your questions today. I really appreciate this opportunity to share some of my journey with you.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Nelson Teixeira Photography

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