“I permanently feel like a lost alien from out of space” – Chloe & The Brainwaves Interview

Tired of the materialistic crap the world is constantly numbing us with? So are Chloe & The Brainwaves in their latest single Expensive Things.

Today, probably more than ever, retail therapy has become a huge part of culture. I know personally if I’m feeling pretty crappy ordering something online (most likely clothes) seems to fill the void for a little while, until it arrives and I am left with the question of why did I actually even buy this? and will most likely never even wear it.

These flaws of mine were reflected in Chloe & The Brainwaves’ new tune Expensive Things. The song exposes the retail therapy lovers with the lyrics We can all buy expensive things / Hide the way we truly feel.

When I first listened to this song, I saw myself and many other people I know in the lyrics, and I can imagine a lot of you can see yourself or people you know in the song too.

“The inspiration [for Expensive Things] came from a couple of people I knew years ago, all they wanted to do was flaunt the material crap they owned to make themselves feel more superior to everyone else. It makes me laugh when people do it because it comes from their deep-rooted insecurities. I’m not saying we don’t all have them, because I definitely do, however having the self-awareness to avoid putting other people down because of it determines whether you’re an asshole or not. It’s sad really.”

If Chloe wants you to learn anything about her from this song, it's that she "feels permanently like an alien from out of space.” She told me this when I asked her what she wants the Sound of the Toon readers to learn about her as an artist.

The song clearly comes from having experience with these sorts of people, which we all do some way or another. Chloe’s lyricism shines through on this song. To get some insight into the lyrics, I asked her to describe her song writing process.

“It usually comes naturally from past memories, a lot of bad ones and then flows freely. I find that I write the best stuff when I’m processing feelings or situations that I need to write down to get them out of my system. I swear that I am happy sometimes as well…”

Melodically, the song is hauntingly beautiful, and Chloe’s euphonious vocals lay gracefully atop the resonant riff. It sounds beautifully black and white, like an old picture or memory. The song has been written over quite a period, but Chloe tells me how she’s approaching the industry now the song is finished and out for the world to hear:

“I started writing the song in 2019 and then life got in the way, but now I’m really making a conscious effort to throw it all out there. I’m ready.”

The band itself is made up of Chloe, Michael, Alex and Lewis. Since their teens, they have been making music together. They state that their inspirations range from Taylor Swift to Led Zeppelin, amongst others.

Forgetting music style, Chloe also has a unique, grungy style that you can see in the music video for Expensive Things.

I asked Chloe to name some of her biggest fashion inspirations:

“I’m a Kurt Cobain fan. The lazy, thrown together grungy look is my vibe. I love the minimalist look too… Zoe Kravitz feels.”

As a band, they only have Expensive Things currently out on streaming platforms, but by listening to that one song, you can tell they are destined for big things.

If you haven’t already, you can click here to listen to Expensive Things on Spotify. I advise you all to jump on the Chloe & The Brainwaves train early, as this won’t be the last you hear of them.