Spotlight: Chloe Sofia

Hidden Beats

We Are Story Tellers

Spotlight: Chloe Sofia is shining brighter than ever. The rising singer-songwriter brings raw emotion, poetic lyrics, and genre-blending sound to every track she creates. In this exclusive interview, Chloe opens up about her artistic journey, the stories behind her latest music, and how she’s carving out a space that’s entirely her own. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering her, get ready to step into the mind of an artist who’s only just getting started.

What got you started in music?

From the beginning I think my family has been musically inclined. My mom always loved to sing to me, my dad played the piano and the guitar, and my brother was also in a band playing mainly the keyboard. Then my mom decided to enroll me and my cousin into a show choir called Sparks, which is really what started my love for singing and performing. My show choir sang mainly pop music, which I thought was so cool and it’s also a big part of why I’m so into pop, I grew up with it and I performed it. Then I also started to learn instruments like the guitar and some basic piano, which then got me writing my own songs.

How was the music scene at home for you and how did that influence you?

My family has always loved music, whether it be to sing, dance, or even just listen. My dad is more of a rock kind of person, which I think plays a role in my interest in pop-rock, but me and my mom listen to mainly pop music because we just love how catchy it is to sing. Often when a good pop song comes on the radio we like to do a good scream-along and dance in our seats.

Who are some of the out of the box people that influence your sound today?

There’s a smaller artist that I love to listen to, Ally Salort. My style is definitely very different from hers but I think it’s her lyrics that inspire me a lot, she tends to have very interesting perspectives in her songs and clever lines, which I like to think about for my songs. Though I hadn’t heard of her at the time, I hear a lot of my earlier songs sounding more like her.

With Pulse out now can you tell us the story behind putting this one together?

In terms of writing the song, it was actually quite the struggle to finish everything off. I had first come up with the idea for the hook around late August, but ended up finishing the rest of the song in December, a week before I was set to start recording with my producer. I think I just had a lot of trouble trying to piece a story together, sound clever whilst doing it, and have a more self-reflective/relatable element to it. I don’t usually get stuck when writing songs, but this one was a more complicated plot.

What is your process like when putting together a project like this?

In terms of writing the song, for this project I liked to plan out how I wanted each section to sound and arrange it according. For example, if I wanted the verses to be more of a story that I’m telling or broken up sentences I could use to describe the scene. And based on that I would choose if I wanted something more fluid or a lot of different breaks/pauses in the music.

What's the most interesting thing you've learned about yourself so far in your music career?

The most interesting thing I’ve learned so far is what I’m capable of. Looking back at where I was a couple years ago, I’ve improved so much it’s hard to tell I’m the same singer. Not only has my vocal ability improved, but my songwriting and knowledge about music theory and production has grown so much. I go to a regional arts school in Canada for music, but at the beginning of the year I couldn’t even read sheet music, but now I even write my own sheet music for my originals sometimes.

What do you think it takes to make people take notice of you in today's industry?

I’m very new to the music scene and I’m honestly not certain what makes people want to listen to you, but I’m trying to just be myself and let people see my talent for themselves. However, I do know that to stand out, it’s a lot to do with marketing and how you present your song.

What do you do to stay grounded outside of music?

My mom always says that you need to feed your mind, your body, and your soul. I like to do a lot of reading because I feel that reading a novel all the way through requires patience and it’s a really good way to exercise your mind. I like to do yoga and weightlifting for my body, and though I’ve recently quit playing club, I will always love to play indoor and beach volleyball as it’s been my main sport for a long time. And finally, I just do little things that make me happy for my soul, like watching modern family, or eating mango jello, or going on a walk in the evening.

What is one thing you think should be asked more in an interview that isn't worded by the asked enough?

I tend to get a lot of questions surrounding other artists, like who I would want to collaborate with, or who inspires me the most. And though I love to talk about who I listen to and look up to, my songs are very much their own style and don’t completely reflect those of my favourite artists, which is why I find those kinds of questions difficult to answer sometimes.

What do you hope people take away from your music?

I hope people feel like they’re heard when they hear my music. I tend to write about my own experiences in my songs, and I feel that they’re shared experiences often so I hope people can relate. I also hope they can connect in some way, whether it be through the lyrics, the melody, or the vibe.

What motivates you to keep working on music?

I think it’s seeing the progress I’ve made so far and just wanting to continue. Making it in the industry has and will be a dream of mine for a very long time. However, I know I have so much work to do in order to get there, and it’s also going to take a lot of time, which is why I just try to take it day by day and set smaller goals for myself.

If you couldn't be a musician what else would you be doing?

I think I would be a french teacher, I’m half french-canadian and fully bilingual, which is perfect because of the demand for french teachers in Canada.

Is a hotdog a sandwich?

No, it’s a hotdog.

What is one piece of advice you've had so far that has really helped you?

In terms of my career, the best advice I’ve received is when someone told me it’s better to inch your way into the music scene step by step instead of thinking of it like a wall you need to break through. This has really helped me break down what I need to do to get where I want to go. In terms of life in general, the best advice I’ve received is when someone told me to always use upward strokes when combing a slick back.

What are some of the future milestones you are looking to hit next?

In the near future, I’d like to release at least a couple more songs on streaming platforms and be able to perform at festivals as an artist. In the distant future, I want to hit 1 million streams and attend the Junos, which I know is very ambitious but I really believe I can make it possible.

Spotlight: Chloe Sofia is a wrap! Big thanks for taking the time to chat

Check out Pulse right now!

Stay up to date right here

If you want your own Spotlight all you have to do is send us a message here