Sorry, the Michigan YouTube ukulele cover artist Chloe Moriondo can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ‘cause she’s dead. The Blood Bunny-era Chloe Moriondo killed her along with, presumably, a few other people — if her newest single “I Eat Boys” is to be believed. Though the 18-year-old alt-pop musician was initially inspired by the DIY stylings of British YouTubers like dodie, she’s ready to move on from her low-key lo-fi beginnings, and lean into some of her more murderous impulses. Also, pop-punk.
Having built an audience of three million subscribers on the platform, distancing herself from her internet origins is a very conscious choice. In a recent Q&A with NME, Chloe explains the rationale behind her decision to venture into guitar-based band territory, saying: “I’ve just wanted to explore newer sounds and make heavier stuff than I thought I was able to make.”
But the end result isn’t all blood and guts. Dropping on 7 May, Chloe’s new album Blood Bunny is a 13-track journey through one teenager’s kaleidoscopic imagination. On “Manta Rays”, Chloe muses about the size of the sea creatures, admitting a lack of knowledge before she “got high and had to Google it”. A relatable queen! Of course, things do get grisly too, particularly on the as-yet-unreleased “Bodybag”. Chloe is figuring out her feelings towards a girl, unsure whether “I hate you or if I want to date you” — a time-honoured question that turns into a less conventional one; whether she should “put you in a bodybag instead of my bed”.
It’s an interesting mix to say the least. i-D got to know Chloe a little better, and now you can too, with these 10 fun facts.
1. Chloe was a precocious child, especially when it came to music
“During my elementary years, I would run around in my back and front yard — mostly front, which is embarrassing — and I’d sing songs about my thoughts and my day at school, while simultaneously trying to climb the tree by my window.”
2. Besides a fervent love of music, Chloe is also a bit of a cinephile
“I believe every human should experience the film Jennifer’s Body. It’s hot and she’s hot.”
3. If she hadn’t found music, well, it would be a considerably darker timeline
“I would probably be either dead, going to college for something undecided, or working at Dairy Queen still.”
4. Everyone has a complicated relationship with their phone, but Chloe thinks that she has a tendency to over-journal on it
“My Notes app? She is overwhelmed by me.”
5. Social media is still something she’s getting to grips with
“TikTok is scary as fuck, but I eventually joined the bandwagon once I got over my intimidation of children and being viewed.”
6. But at least she can admire her phone wallpaper in times of strife
“It’s a picture of my girlfriend hehe!!!!!!!!”
7. Some days her choice of career weighs on her heavier than others
“Being watched by people and putting parts of myself that are sensitive out to the world are probably the hardest things about what I do.”
8. Though it’s far from the only problem she’s having to deal with at the moment
“It’s also really hard trying not to be so sexy and gorgeous all the time.”
9. While Chloe’s first full album was the 2018 lo-fi jewel Rabbit Hearted, her upcoming record will be her major-label debut
“This is my first ‘big kid’ album so I just hope people think that it’s cool, and that it was worth the wait!”
10. Start practising your best raccoon eyeliner and ready your fingerless gloves, because Blood Bunny will take after 00s greats like Hayley Williams and Avril Lavigne
“The new album is very pop-punk girl inspired, so expect to rock out and maybe also cry a few times.”
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