Exclusive Interview with Chloe Baker of Bitter’s Kiss

Where are you originally from, and where do you reside now, Chloe?

I have always lived in Northern New Jersey and now live right across the Hudson River from midtown Manhattan.

When did you know you wanted to be a singer?

I started singing from the time I was born and have always imagined myself having the opportunity to have a career in the music industry.

When did your musical career begin?

I’ve been active in musical theater from the time I could speak and started writing and recording seriously just over a year ago.  Growing up in a musical home, I had access to instruments and a full studio, so had the ability to try out recording different songs with my dad and my older sister and then sharing them.

Who were your biggest inspirations?

I grew up listening to all kinds of music as my parents had very eclectic tastes.  In terms of inspiring my writing, I’m influenced by great female singer-songwriters, from Carole King to Sarah McLachlan to Regina Spektor and so many others.  My dad was also a big influence as he made music a part of the family home.

Your father takes on many roles in your music.  Could you perhaps give us some insight into what it’s like to work creatively with someone so close to you? 

Working with my dad is actually really great.  He’s always enjoyed my interest in music and encouraged me to use music as a way to explore my ideas and feelings.  It’s convenient because when I want to record something, the studio is right there.  He’s good at helping me without taking over.  Lately I’ve been working with different producers and experimenting with my sound, and that has been really interesting as well.

 Have you always written your own music, or was it a collaborative process?

I free write a lot, so have a lot of lyrical material.  A little over a year ago I started really working to match my words to melodies.  When we recorded the album, my dad would make some chord and arrangement suggestions, but the final songs stayed pretty close to the original writings.

Your self-titled album, Bitter’s Kiss, takes on some heavy material in terms of growing up in the suburbs. Has this always been something you wanted to explore with your music? Or did it just happen?

I think it comes from my free writing and the way I tend to see the world.  I’ve been called cynical, but I don’t think that’s it.  I want my music to identify with the way people are feeling beneath the surface.  The things that happen in the world, to my friends, family, people around me, all have meaning and effects; I guess I’m trying to capture that.

What was it like recording your first album? Where did you record it? What did you find most interesting about the process?

I recorded the first song at the end of summer last year without the idea of an album in mind.  All the recording was done in my home studio, so it was very comfortable.  The positive feedback from the first couple of songs led to doing the whole album.  I guess what I found most interesting was the ability to completely change a song with a few small adjustments, either to the music or the mix, often just by removing an instrument or changing a chord.

Is there a running theme throughout the album? What message do you think is most important that you tried to convey with Bitter’s Kiss?

We shouldn’t be afraid of or resist the bitter parts of life because there is something real and valuable in them.

You recently released a music video for your single, “The Rope”. What does this specific song mean to you, and why did you choose that particular song to put visuals to?

Before I released anything, this song got the most attention from the people who had heard it.  It’s about a real event that really affected me and I wanted to explore it.  The message is that we can lose ourselves if we measure ourselves against the expectations of others, even when it’s only our perception of what their expectations are.  The message is the importance of finding and being who we are.  I chose it for the first video because I felt very strongly about its message and thought that I was the right age to be singing about it as many people start to struggle with these issues in their teenage years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pJXlSk7cKc

What, as a musician, do you feel is most important about becoming a part of the music industry?

Adding something new, having something to say, and honoring the influences that led to it.  I think there is a movement towards message in music and I really hope to be a bigger part of it.

What is next for you in your musical endeavors?

I am working on a new EP and getting ready to release some more videos.  I hope for more live play, travel and collaboration with other artists.