A Tale of Two Characters

Los Angeles artist Chloe Gallardo opens up about the fear of not being good enough, getting kicked out of a motel, and shares the video to her latest single, “Cutting It Close”.

Los Angeles, United States

Who is Chloe Gallardo?

I started writing music in high school, and taught myself how to play guitar. I started out writing dumb little songs but then I went through my first breakup and wrote a couple songs I was proud of. I put out an EP, and the song “Lovesick,” and was surprised at the positive response and streams, so I just kept the ball rolling. I met Noah Kurtz in 2019 and we started writing music together, which helped me create more of the sound I wanted. All my recent releases were co-written and produced by him, including “Cutting it Close.”

You just released a new single and music video for, "Cutting It Close." What story are you trying to tell with this single? How does it differ from your previously released songs?

“Cutting it Close” is the third single in a series of new releases this past year. It’s definitely different from past songs, because it’s a dive into my personal headspace and not just a song about heartbreak. By nature, it has a darker tone than what I’ve done in the past—it explores my fear of not being good enough to achieve what I want, for the people in my life, or just to get by.

How does the music video represent the song?

In the video, there’s two characters: the ideal version of myself and the characterization of my insecurity and fear. Throughout the video you see both versions coexisting, until both are destroyed and a new version of myself emerges—dressed in white and triumphant.

What was filming like?

It was originally supposed to be filmed over the course of one weekend, but Covid created some complications. Overall it took about three days, spread out over a month. The first day, we filmed in Joshua Tree where all the outdoor shots took place. Then we filmed at my friend’s bomb shelter the next day, and about a month later, we filmed at a motel in Long Beach for the bathtub and opening shots.

What were some highs and lows while filming?

The first day of filming, we got to our location and got a call that we had all been exposed to covid by a friend of a friend, even though we had all been tested and quarantined the week before. Following that weekend, we all had to quarantine together for two weeks until we all tested negative—we spent Thanksgiving in total lockdown. I also sprained my wrist during filming! But overall, it was a great bonding experience with the whole crew, and I met some really talented filmmakers, who I’m still close with.

What is the story behind the pink dress?

I gave the director, Davis, complete creative control. But, my one request was to include this light pink dress to contrast with the dark tones of the song and video. It represents a doll-like, idealized version of myself that’s pretty but unrealistic.

There's a rumor that you got kicked out of a hotel while filming....

Yeah so we booked this motel prior to filming, which was our first location. We checked in, and as soon as we walked in the door the phone rang and it the guy from the front desk saying we could only have two people in a room at a time, and filming wasn’t allowed. We tried to bribe him with $50, but he made us leave. We didn’t get our money back.

What's next for you?

I have one more single coming out sometime in the next couple months, and an album in the works set to release later this year. We’re in the process of writing the album, and will hopefully get the chance to go on a west coast tour sometime in the near future. The upcoming album has a heavy 90’s grunge influence, and was all written in 2020—so it’s a lot more emotional, raw, and real.