Chloe Moriondo continues her musical evolution with the anthemic "Girl On TV"

Building up a following on YouTube as early as 2014, a young Moriondo quickly began to grow a community of fans who simply adored her sound. Linking up with fellow bedroom pop newcomers like Cavetown, mxmtoon and Shortly for collaborations and support slots cemented the singer/songwriter’s place in this emerging DIY world.

Her acoustic-led independently-released album Rabbit Hearted. appeared in 2018, clocking in at just under half an hour in length, the project capitalised on Moriondo's penchant for soothing everything. “Luv Note”, a standout, features the chirping of creatures and the trickle of water painting a vivid soundscape which weaves their way throughout the track, it’s an ASMR enthusiast’s dream.

This year things have started to change and Moriondo's meditative crooning has made way for indie-flecked, guitar-led tracks which are increasingly urgent. Today’s release is her most urgent yet, “Girl On TV” is a track which Moriondo tells me is just as literal as the lyrics sound.

Teasing her evolution on April's Spirit Orb EP, produced by Cavetown, she offered a glimpse into the future and her progression. Singles “Manta Rays” and “I Wanna Be With You”, did the same. On the later guitars and pounding drums live in harmony with Moriondo’s singalong hooks and direct musings on mental health and her very own coping mechanisms.

Despite the hurdles the pandemic has thrown up, Moriondo has still had a pretty exciting year. “I graduated high school which was pretty cool,” she laughs, “it was a drive-through graduation thing and I’ve been doing a lot of sessions with new people from the comfort of home.”

“I guess I’m used to sharing,” Moriondo says explaining that working from home, via her webcam, is not an alien concept, after all, it’s where her musical journey began. “This is the only place I’ve ever really felt comfortable sharing with the world. If anyone can see me at all they can see all my clothes and that’s my stuffed animals in the background… I think it’s funny that everyone now has to do that and become accustomed to that.”

Embracing Zoom and FaceTime she’s quick to admit they sometimes get a little overwhelming, but mostly yield promising results – “Girl On TV” being a prime example. Co-written by Stephen Wrabel, who away from his solo material is well known for penning tracks like “Woman” and “Raising Hell” with Kesha. “I was this little 17-year-old, sitting in my little room, screaming over this,” Moriondo spills, “I was really into the idea of making some sort of anthemic, like teenager, insecurity moment where I could pretend to be someone else.”

Channelling the ‘90s and early ‘00s, “end of the movie songs” are a huge inspiration and that’s the kind of energy and atmosphere that she’s trying to emulate with this new batch of songs. We both note that the ‘80s revivalist wave is seeming to slow somewhat, but referencing these decades comes down to familiarity. “It reminds me of the core parts of my childhood that I can remember most,” she explains.

Avril Lavigne’s first two albums, Let Go and Under My Skin, are often a unifying reference with new collaborators, and while she’s not focusing a specific genre, there is something she’s pushing herself to do more.

“I’ve been trying to listen to more girl bands and women in music, I remember when I was younger another really big inspiration for me was Hayley Williams from Paramore. I was a little too young at the time [to go to shows], but I remember sitting in the back of my Dad’s 2007 Ford Escape with my little purple iPod Nano and “That’s What You Get” was blaring in my ears and I would not be quiet about it.”

With the release of Williams’ solo album earlier this year, Moriondo is glad “people are realising how talented and creative she is as an individual, not just in the band. I’m really happy to see her prosper.”

“Girl On TV” comes hot on the heels of a Tessa Violet collaboration and as Moriondo gets back into the swing of consistently dropping new music she explains the sense of relief she feels when she finally gets to share her hard work with the world.

With her fans just a tweet away, teasing them and leaking hints at what’s to come just heightens Moriondo's excitement which peaks when she asterisks future song titles to the point they’re virtually impossible to guess. Speaking about her fans Moriondo says they’re hilarious, but also that having them there is “reassuring and validating,” especially the ones who have stuck around over the past four years.

“I’ve gone through a pretty big change from 14 until now, everyone goes through pretty big changes between 14 to 18, but mine was very public. I recognise a lot of people’s handles and profile pictures, people like that getting excited about the new stuff is really reassuring.”

While live shows may still be a way off, Moriondo is determined that one day you could see her on stage fronting a full band. With tracks like “Girl On TV” it’s not hard to imagine Chloe tearing up the stage and commanding the attention of both fans old and new. A future rock star? That's certainly a possibility. One thing that is certain is Chloe Moriondo will continue to evolve into whoever she wants to be.