On her debut record Teenage Lullabies Cloe Wilder has put together an indie pop package that is polished way beyond the singer’s 14 years. The seven songs on the EP exhibit a catchy charm that will please fans of Lana Del Rey and Lorde. The Florida native stepped onto The Jitney to talk about her new album, her songwriting process and her plans for the year ahead.
When did you fall in love with music?
Cloe Wilder: I never had a beautiful moment of discovering my love for music. It was always there. I started taking vocal and piano lessons when I was four. I think that’s when I really felt it.
What inspired your album “Teenage Lullabies”?
Honestly, myself and how I see things. I compiled every feeling and person from the past few years of my life. I took my own experiences and romanticized them until they sounded cool.
You have co-writing credit for all seven songs on the EP, can you walk us through your songwriting process?
I like to do mic passes, where I mumble melodies and lyrics. I listen back, until I hear what I like. Typically, the concept comes out of that if I didn’t have one already. Then, I pick apart the lyrics. I’ve learned from collaborators and simplified my process over time.
Has your home state of Florida influenced you at all as a musician and songwriter?
I don’t think Florida itself has influenced me at all, but the people have.
Great video for “I Wanna Be Alone With You”. Any fun stories from the making of it?
Thank you! My favorite part of the shoot was the diner. We didn’t even know what we were going to do in there. Plus, Tripp was so fun to film with. Those ended up being my favorite scenes. I really missed filming with real people. You have so much more to work with. My mom said it was like watching my first date on a monitor. Every time something cute happened, my whole team would squeal.
What are your musical plans for 2021?
I’ll be riding this EP wave for a while, but I’m already working on the next project. I’ll keep up my virtual shows and livestreams. I’m around!