We spoke with Chloe Kibble on music, life, Tokyo music scene, and the difference between being recognized vs.remembered.
TWE: What is your name, introduce what you do/ aspire to be, & a brief backstory of your life
Chloe Kibble: Hey TWE! I’m Chloe, a black and queer singer-songwriter based in Tokyo, JP, and I use my full name Chloe Kibble for my music. I was born and raised in Nashville, TN in a gospel/jazz-filled household with both of my parents as singers. I moved to Tokyo after uni on a whim and ended up starting my music career there at the top of covid. I write my own solo music and also participate in two Japanese bands— Pajaumi (パジャマで海なんかいかない) and a duo called Jasmine High. Some artists who inspire my sound are not limited to Brandy, Esperanza Spalding, Erykah Badu, Imogen Heap, etc.
I aspire to build a global listenership through Japan and the U.S. and see myself migrating often between the two countries.
Down the line, I would love to experience a world tour–as myself or supporting an artist whom I love and respect.
Tell us the story behind the song “matter” in 3 words? What made you want to create this project?
My 3 words: Collaboration, percussion, light
Collaboration: This song was a collab with a Japanese neo-soul trio called Nezumi Coo. I love their songwriting and was excited to hop on board for a sound new to both of us, based on Latin groove. I had the artist Kimbra in mind when writing this tune—a little experimental, funky, and vocally percussive, which brings me to my next word…
Percussion: On the more technical side, the groove is a great feature behind this song. The track features these Latin rhythm moments and some bossanova-esque vocal scat breakdowns. Overall the song is pretty busy and stimulating.
Light: A nice motif of this love song is light. Not only the imagery, but a lot of the way we approached the harmonies and light-hearted pop melodies all contribute to this playful flirty energy.
You have this encompassing and convicting voice is this something that comes naturally to you which is having conviction when you sing?
Wow, thank you for those words! That’s definitely coming from my background in gospel and soul. In my journey so far, I find myself naturally writing uplifting music. I like the idea of putting some good healing energy out there.
I’m curious when it comes to the music scene in Tokyo how is it?
There’s a lot happening out here! Historically jazz is significant in Tokyo and has a dedicated listenership (along with hundreds of tiny bars!). The 80s city pop sound is making its way back into circulation, which I personally love.
There’s a deep hip-hop scene here as well. On the mainstream level J-pop and J-rock are absolutely the champions at the end of the day, but I’m happy to see more r&b and genre fusion getting attention. Lots of opportunities to play live music in the city.
I’d also like to comment on the fan culture, which I think is really unique. Fans here are dedicated. If they dig you, they are pulling up at every. single. show. No matter how “big” or “small” you might be. It’s really beautiful. Audience connection is a really big part of this culture, too. I’ve seen acts where the artist sings maybe four songs, but talks for a half hour. Perhaps it’s the influence of the Japanese idol culture—who’s to say? As someone who’s not a huge talker on stage that makes me the most nervous, lol. But I digress.
In your song “Unhiding” what is this song about? And is “Unhiding” a metaphor for something that you are hiding from or what is the meaning behind the song?
I wrote unhiding peak of the pandemic as a sort of reflective stream of consciousness. “Unhiding” from all this shit I’ve been processing. Haha. I’d describe it as a series of musings related to internal self-worth, external systems of oppression, and generational trauma. Looking in, out, and up.
In your song “ Prayer for Rain” there is a slight tempo change in this project is that made by design as your way of letting go of what was holding you back and you move on? Or what is the reason/story behind it?
This song was a composition for a festival (“Grandscape”) in this lake town called Hamamatsu. The lyrics are actually a Shinto prayer for rain during a season of drought. I and the producer imagined a yearning, desperate feeling when writing the chord and melody progression.
When everything is all said and done and you’ve accomplished everything that you’ve done do you want to be remembered or recognized?
Oh man, the big questions!
I hope that my art touches people and brings people together. It’s all about sharing experience and feeling it as a community. As I say in my Spotify bio, my goal is “to leave her listeners feeling seen, their souls soothed, and their wanderlust activated.”
You can follow Chloe Kibble on Instagram, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok.
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