“James Dean, twisted daydream, head on into traffic on a Friday night…” sings Chloe Hawes as they opens their conceptual song, James Dean. Laced with metaphors and accompanied by textured drums and a dimensional guitar soundscape, the star shares poetic prowess and introspective depth.
We appreciate the intelligence, the self-realized reflective nature of the lyricism and the cohesive tapestry of sound that the song manifests as it grows with an anthemic presence. The non-binary artist, who truly resembles James Dean in the accompanying press images for the song, writes with eloquence and delivers their thoughts with charisma.
The track holds a cinematic allure, making it perfect for a range of sync deals – notably a Netflix or Amazon Prime coming of age film or TV show. James Dean is raw and confessional. It feels somewhat like a late-night reckoning.
There’s grit, but also tenderness – and a smoky intimacy with their voice! Lyrically, Chloe trades rebellion for honesty. There’s no glamour in self-destruction here. Instead, relatable catharsis and notions of mental evolution.
In recent years, Chloe has toured across the UK, USA and Europe, performing at events including Manchester Pride, The Fest, and Puzza, and is set to support Will Varley on the northern dates of his UK tour in December!
James Dean was recorded with Dan Kiener (Lucky Number You) and mastered by Sam Cook. It features Chloe on all instruments except drums, which are played by Anna Reed (Loose Articles, Lunar Sounds, The False Peak), with artwork by Manchester-based tattoo artist pigskinmayhem!
Naturally, we are in awe, and have added James Dean to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream Chloe Hawes‘ wider discography, including the entirety of their album, Remains/Reminders.