After breaking through with her highly-praised debut single ‘Made For You’ in 2023, London’s Sloane Monroe has made her eagerly-awaited return to deliver her vibrant new offering ‘Clueless’.
Adopting more of that bold and innovative alt-pop aesthetic she first arrived with, ‘Clueless’ makes for an incredibly rich and compelling listen. So we caught up with her to discuss her origins and influences over the years.
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Can you tell us a bit about your musical background and how you got started in music?
I started playing violin at 4 years old. My mum had asked me if I wanted to play an instrument and obviously every child knows exactly what they want to do in life, so I insisted on playing the violin. I spent my childhood and teenage years throwing myself into anything that had to do with music. I played classical music in orchestras, participated in a summer chamber music camp, and sat in a contra dance band with one of my teachers playing fiddle music. My brother also played violin so we would go around our local community playing at nursing homes and community centres. I started writing my own songs when I got a loop pedal for Christmas. I would spend hours in my basement with my violin just creating textures and worlds that I dreamt up through one instrument. When I discovered Garageband it was all downhill from there haha but seriously I fell in love with production from that point on.
I remember being adamant that I would study something practical so I could have an easier time at making money, but someone gave me the advice that if you can’t see yourself doing anything else other than music, then music is the right choice for you. I’m incredibly grateful to my parents for supporting my decision and I ended up going to university for classical violin performance. I moved to the UK to study jazz violin and eventually did a course in music production as well. I’ve done a lot of session violin playing for other artists, including Jamie Campbell Bower, Chinchilla, and most recently Yungblud. I just like making music and collaborating with other people. There’s nothing that feels better to me than performing material that moves both myself and an audience.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, both past and present?
Led Zeppelin is a big influence on me. I love how cinematic their music is while maintaining that raw rock emotion. Their storytelling is incredible, and their tunes always make my heart burn a bit brighter. Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse and Little Feat also had a large part in developing how I sing. I would spend hours in the car driving to school and rehearsals moulding my singing style along to their warmly toned voices and straight forward lyrics. Over the past few years, I’ve really been inspired by the productions of MUNA, Maggie Rogers, and St Vincent. There’s a drive and grit to their music that I identify with. They’re also all women who produce their own music so it’s refreshing and inspiring for me to continue down that same path.
Are there any specific artists or bands that have had a significant impact on your music style or approach?
My music style is constantly being shaped by bands that I listen to. This past year alone I’ve had so much fun analysing songs by Mk.gee, Abby Holiday, Ryan Beatty and A.G.Cook. I love trying new techniques and experimenting in different genres by pulling them into my own productions. While I love their music, there’s no point for me to try and copy them. It’s already been done. I want to create something new and interesting that’s unique to me.
Regarding my artistic approach, Charli XCX, Doechii and Chappell Roan have had a big impact on me in the last year. It’s easy to loose sight of yourself and what makes you unique, but their authenticity in their own projects have given me a freedom to believe in my own.
Could you share any memorable moments or experiences that have shaped your musical journey so far?
I think a big turning point in my journey was singing for the first time in public. I had grown up singing in choirs in church and at school, but I never had much confidence in my voice. I had friends with angelic smooth voices and a higher range, so I always assumed I just wasn’t built for singing. That all changed when I stumbled upon Nina Simone. I immediately identified with her warm tone and grit. My high school had a battle of the bands competition, so I decided to sign up by myself. Everyone thought I was just going to play some violin songs that I had composed for loop pedal. A lot of people assumed I only played and listened to classical music (little did they know I had an ipod classic full of limewire downloads of Skrillex, Lady Gaga and Avenged Sevenfold). I did a cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’ with just my violin and voice. When I hit the climax of the song, cheers erupted through the auditorium. I was shocked with their response. I had friends, teachers, and even my parents coming up to me after expressing ‘I had no idea you had a voice like THAT where has it been hiding?’. I started to trust my own voice a lot more from that moment on.
How do you express your personal experiences and identity through your music?
I’m a pretty straight shooting, read me like an open book kind of person, and I think a lot of my lyrics reflect that. I used to be very quiet (still am from time to time) because I loved listening to the stories people would tell. I found that the most interesting and relatable parts of those stories are the feelings we get in the gray areas of relationships. Interesting stories are made in the moment we make decisions, the moments that we can finally put our finger on how we’re feeling. I’ve had a lot of frustrations in romantic relationships and friendships, as well as struggling with what it means to be American in a time where the government has made it clear that they aren’t for the people. My music and lyrics reflect my attempts to understand those emotions.
Have you faced any challenges or obstacles as a female musician, and if so, how have you overcome them?
I never really noticed I was a woman in music until a man pointed it out to me haha I’m really grateful to have grown up around strong women who spoke their minds. Because I mainly played classical music growing up, there were a lot of other women in the orchestras and chamber groups I was in so I never felt like I was something other. Classical teachers also gave me pretty thick skin when it came to accepting critiques and I learned that people and the words that they say only hold power if you give it to them. It wasn’t until I started playing and recording with pop/ rock bands that I started to see less women in the rooms I was in. There have been a few times that I’ve felt like a visual ornament for bands that were all men, as well as receiving lewd comments from time to time, but I always see that as a reflection of how those individuals value women and not as a personal barrier.
Are there any particular themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
Confidence is key in my music. Nothing is done or said with my foot halfway out the door. No apologies will be given just for existing. A lot of my songs are about trying to understand someone else’s point of view in a way that doesn’t diminish my own presence. I have a lot of frustration with trying to understand the intentions of other people as well as struggling with having them understand me. For my song ‘Clueless’ it’s genuinely about not knowing how much more crystal clear I can be when I’m flirting. They don’t realize I’m saying ‘hey I think you’re fit, wanna go get a drink at the next bar over?’. I have some more songs coming out that are all about having the confidence to trust in yourself, no matter the situation you find yourself in.
Can you talk about your creative process and how you go about writing and producing your music?
ADHD is such a blessing and a curse when it comes to creating. I can be pretty all over the map. Some days, I’ll get a lyric and vocal melody that pops into my head. Other days, I start mapping ideas out on the violin and then I usually transfer it over to bass lines, synth melodies etc. I love layering elements, but I’m continually having to remind myself that silence and space is just as powerful as harmony. When it comes to singing, sometimes I already have a melody line from workshopping on the violin, but most of the time I try to let my performance instincts kick in. What feels good to sing? What feels good to say? If I can give myself goosebumps, I know I’ll be able to give others that same feeling and I’m headed in the right direction.
How do you hope your music will resonate with your audience, especially with other aspiring female musicians?
I hope that other women, whether they’re musicians or not, feel inspired to trust their gut. I think we’re constantly encouraged to suppress our reactions to the world. I would want others to embrace expression of all emotions, especially the ones we consider ‘nasty’ or that we get told we should feel ‘guilt’ from. We feel for a reason and do ourselves a disservice by bottling it up.
Also, I just want one girl to think ‘hell yeah this slaps, let me put this on while I get ready before I go out for the night’. As serious as I respect myself, I like to think of my music as unserious as possible. It’s funny, it’s stupid, maybe I’ll play it one more time just to put a smile on my face. Maybe I’ll hear something new next time around. Maybe the words might sink in a bit more and I can let my imagination wander.
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Listen to Sloane Monroe’s new single ‘Clueless’ below.