MY FRIEND CHLOE

Words: Keeley Thompson

Images: Liav Ricu Shalev (@soggybreadissad)

A guitar cries out, its echo slicing through the hum of the crowded room. A magnetic energy swirls over the audience like a fierce cloud. A storm is coming and it’s bringing rain. Hope you’re ready to dance.

My Friend Chloe is the five-piece post punk project of Meanjin locals, James Gartry (vox, guitar), Alice Headlam (bass, vox), Robbie Heyman (synth/keys), Tom Urdanoff (guitar) and Tyler Shilling (drums). Together, they shed light on darkness and offer a boisterous, yet lighthearted reminder that emotion is energy in motion.

My Friend Chloe understand that pain is relative to experience and provide a safe space to experience happiness, grief and pain. With gritty instrumentals and veracious lyrics, My Friend Chloe recognise the importance of expression, and that not all anger is destructive. 

It’s okay to not be okay. 

No, the kids are not alright.

But we will be, together.

KEELEY: We should start at the beginning. How did My Friend Chloe start? 

JAMES: The project started last year when I was attempting to write my first ever songs. I’ve never been in a band before but it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. 

Turns out starting a band when you’ve never played before is actually really fucking hard, to put it lightly. I spent a lot of last year kind of fleshing out my songs and collaborating with a lot of fantastic musicians along the way, but it was hard to find anything that ‘stuck’. 

This year we found our team and through that, our sound. It’s been fun watching the band become a collaborative result. 

ALICE: Yeah I remember Smoggie messaged me on Instagram asking me if I wanted to play bass. I didn’t even play bass at the time. He really thew me in the deep endr! At the first jam there was a photography team and he was like “Oh by the way, I’ve booked a gig for us all”.  I'll add, this was my first jam with them and he also hadn't told me about any of the photography thing or the gigs prior!

KEELEY: What’s been your most formative or memorable moments as a band? Do you have any moments you’ve loathed?

ALICE: My least favourite would be learning one of oursongs, When my Armour Turns to Rust. I’d been learning the chords Robbie had sent me but when we started playing it sounded shit. We had to sit there with a whiteboard and write them all out. Turns out we were all playing them wrong. 

I still hate that song. I like the song objectively, but I hate playing it. 

JAMES: A rough one would be trying to find a new drummer a week before a gig. Gosh that was stressful. We managed to make it work though and I think it was actually really bonding for us. Truly I just feel so blessed to live out one of my dreams and make music that hopefully people connect to.

ALICE: It’s funny you say that because I actually feel like some of the ‘worst’ times are also the best times for us. We have this ability to find the fun and the silliness in the chaos and I think that’s one of our strengths. 

KEELEY: Three desert island albums? 

ALICE: Oh my god I really hate when people ask me this question because my answer changes every time. 

KEELEY: That’s alright, I’ll make sure that it’s noted your responses are subject to change. 

NOTE: Alice’s responses are subject to change.

ALICE: I think a bunch of mine are going to be sad girl albums. I’m going to commit to Taking Back Sunday's Tell All Your Friends, DIIV’s Deceiver, and Soccer Mommy’s Colour Theory. 

JAMES: I’d go with The Libertines’ Up the Bracket, The Line is a Curve by Kae Tempest and Screamadelica by Primal Scream. 

KEELEY: How do you approach music and song creation? Do you have a method of approach or just play around and see what comes out?

ALICE: I’m going to say from what I know of James' song-writing that there’s zero to no structure to it. 

James: Yeah you would be correct Alice. I think that kind of works in my favour a bit though. I never went to music school so when people talk about music theory or scales and keys I have no idea what they’re talking about. I just play what I think sounds good which means I’m not limited by ‘rules’ (for lack of a better term). 

In terms of the song and lyric writing, I’m very influenced by the music I listen to and enjoy. The artists that I get inspiration from create music that feels real, authentic and genuine but that can be across a range of genres. For example, Jeff Buckley and Mobb Deep. Two very different sounds but it’s straight from the heart and that’s what I’m all about. 

KEELEY: It’s interesting how you spoke about the beginners mindset. I’m reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin at the moment and he actually talks about it a lot. He talks about how sometimes, increasing your knowledge on something can actually be limiting as it can create ‘rules’ or expectations. 

KEELEY: Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians or creatives? 

ALICE: You don’t need to know everything! Chase your dreams, do the thing! 

You’ll always be at a zero percent ‘success’ rate if you never try, so why not give it a shot? What have you got to lose? 

JAMES: I’d agree with that. 

Believe in yourself and back yourself. It’s hard work and you will be let down, but don’t let that stop you. It’s really easy to think “what if it doesn’t work out”. But what if it does work out?! 

KEELEY: The music scene has changed a lot in recent times (looking at you streaming services and social media!). How do you navigate those changes? 

JAMES: I really struggle with it to be honest. I’m quite an anxious person generally, but there’s something about social media that makes me particularly anxious. I think I just overthink things a lot. 

Alice seems to give less of a fuck which is good because I can use her as a bit of a sounding board. 

ALICE: I think the thing I’ve learnt about social media this year is that really, no one gives a fuck. It’s easy to get caught up in whether the photo is "good’’ or the words are "cool", but at the end of the day no one really cares that much. We’re all just scrolling. 

It should be used more as a fun thing, in particular for bands. If you overthink it, it’s not genuine. So post the silly photo, fuck it. 

KEELEY: Silly one now. What’s your go-to joke? 

JAMES: Okay here we go. 

A grasshopper walks into a bar. The bartender says “We’ve got a beer named after you”. The grasshopper says “No way! You’ve got a beer named Steve?”. 

KEELEY: Is that the end of the joke?

JAMES: Yeah.

KEELEY: Oh dear. I’ve gotta be honest, that was an average joke Smog. 

ALICE: Look, mine isn't much better. It’s completely fucked. 

“What’s worse than a pile of dead babies?”

One live one in the middle eating its way out. 

JAMES: What the fuck. Alice, that’s grim babe. 

KEELEY: Oh you were right, that wasn’t any better at all Alice. 

ALICE: It’s like an intrusive thought! I don’t know how to forget it. 

KEELEY: Shiiiiit. Well… Moving on. 

KEELEY: Final question. What’s coming up for My Friend Chloe? (This is your chance to plug yourself)

SMOG: We’re recording songs!

ALICE: Yeah two singles! Some of our faves. Definitely not the song I hate. 

JAMES: Do you think we’ll ever record it? 

ALICE: Hopefully not... No, I'm just kidding.

We’re playing with City Piss at A Very Pissy Triffmas in December too! 

JAMES: Lots going on! More music, more fun, more friends. 

ALICE: Yeah! We’ll keep writing and singing about our feelings. 

TRIFFMAS TICKETS HERE

MFC: INSTAGRAM