Chloe Trujillo – Mothers of a New Nation

By starrymag | December 27, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Very eclectic…Actually, I am so in it, it’s hard for me to describe….I think the best I can say is that it’s a mix of music styles that have influenced and impacted me over the years. You will find heavy riffs, hip hop beats, spoken words, bass groves and random instruments like violin or percussions.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I’m a big metal fan: always been, death metal, heavy metal, thrash, grindcore, etc… And I always loved extreme music, even hardcore rap tunes. As a funk-jazz dancer, I listened to a lot of funk, and hip-hop as well. My grandfather, who was always around, was an opera singer, so I grew up with Beethoven and Schubert too! And being born and raised in Paris, I was always surrounded by French music and gypsy vibes….

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Melodies come to me first, along with words. I start from that and then grab an instrument, guitar or piano, and built up the idea with chords and notes patterns.

But it happens that I play around with the keyboard or the guitar and write like that, too.

Songs like “Light and Love,” for example, was created from a guitar riff I came up with, I then added beats and bass from my keyboard and then wrote the vocal melody and lyrics.

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your second studio album Mothers of a New Nation?

 

A) My lyrics come from this meditative, open-hearted space, so a lot of subject matters in these songs are about mystical experiences, the human condition and truths.

 

Q) There are some amazing artists included on the album. How did you come to work with them?

 

A) Before the pandemic hit, I was working in Tommy D’s studio downtown LA and there was a lot of musicians coming and going. So, we just asked, sent them the music and let them add their magic to the tunes! Most of them, like Chris Poland, had a studio space in that same building. For Stephen Perkins, we asked him, he had played with Tommy D a bunch and I’ve known him for years. It was fun having him play on a couple of tracks!

 

Q) What tracks hold a special place in your heart and what makes them so significant to you?

 

A) I write from the heart, so all tracks have that special place!! It’s a very hard question to answer…I’ve come to love “Here We Are” for the special message it holds. But now that I’m almost completed writing my third solo album, there are plenty of new songs that are even more eclectic and even more meaningful to me today!!

 

Q) Anne Pruvost directed the music videos for your new album. Did you collab for the visions behind the videos or did you trust her insight and ideas?

 

A) Well, after chatting with her about my music, I immediately felt this deep connection with her. You know when you meet someone and you feel that you’ve known that person for years, even though you just met? That feeling! So, I gave her carte blanche on all videos!!! I just send her my music and she gets inspired, lets me know what, where, when and with who and we film!! It’s a lot of fun!!

 

Q) Tommy Daugherty lent a hand with production for Mothers of a New Nation, but how much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I have total control! He had some amazing ideas and I always welcomed and loved his inputs! It was a total collaboration on the production part pre-COVID days! But to be able to finish this album after lockdown, I had no choice but to finally learn to use a DAW and create my own mini-studio space and do it alone with the help of mixing form Jason Valesio and mastering from Luke Pimentel.

 

Q) What songs on the album challenged you the most to create?

 

A) “Here We Are” and “Cosmic Power.” “Here We Are” because I wanted a certain feel to it. That was a bit of a challenge to grab, but we did it!! “Cosmic Power” because I wrote it as a spoken word tune and adding music behind it was no easy task….

“Tide” was not challenging, per say. It just involved a lot of lyrics writing!!!

All the songs were flowing to me. I knew how I wanted each to sound like. The challenge really was to make those specific sounds and vibes come to life

 

Q) What are you hoping listeners take away from checking out Mothers of a New Nation?

 

A) I hope they feel inspired, energized, uplifted and moved.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) The list is endless…There are so many musicians who inspire me!!!

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

 

A) My son has two bands, Otto and Feed the Beast, and he’s been playing a lot of shows lately. I love both bands!! It’s so inspiring to see them play and create music old school style!! It really motivates me!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) I think it’s a chance we have nowadays to be able to connect like that! I am currently re-building my website and plan to include a blog, to increase that special connection I have with everyone who loves and supports my work!

It’s my fans who get me going working hard and who bring a whole other meaning and purpose behind my work! I am so grateful for that.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you! Like I said earlier, you bring another level of meaning and purpose behind my work. I am inspired by you and so I hope to keep uplifting you, inspiring you and helping to expand your senses and awareness with good vibes, nice beats and plenty of colors!!!