Sir Chloe’s Michelle: PJ Harvey and Riot Grrrls Would be Proud

In an age of technology, trust my daughter to show me a song on Tic Toc that sounds like I’m back in the 90s. She then played a Tic Toc with M.I.A.’s Paper Planes…maybe Tic Toc is not the technological evil I feared. Sir Chloe is a four piece, which was the brainchild of Dana Foote, who is the creative force behind the band. Sir Chloe follows a traditional band structure with Dana fronting the band, her brother Palmer Foote on drums, Teddy O’Mara on guitar and Austin Holmes on bass. Even though the band itself follows a classic 70s / 90s structure, Dana brings a fresh sound to pop music.

In the track Michelle Dana and Sir Chloe channel their inner PJ Harvey and Riot Grrrl sound. In an age where music is largely produced within an inch of its life, Sir Chloe embraces a 90s garage sound. I love the shoe gaze aesthetic with Dana’s raw powerful vocal. She seems to glide throughout the verses as she stumbles across a Pixies’ like guitar and drums. The song really shines when she cries out Michelle’s name during the chorus. I’m name dropping some killer alt / indie rock 90s bands, because Sir Chloe is clearly a 90s inspired band. Dana herself has talked about inspirations such as Bikini Kill and it shows. I mean their debut track Animal could easily be an unreleased track from Nevermind or In Utero. However, this is not a gimmicky throwback without substance. Sir Chloe, and Dana Foote especially, have musical and lyrical talent, which pulls it off.

Even though Michelle is a musical throwback to 90s garage / indie rock, the track is lyrically modern in its theme. Dana writes from a gender fluid / non – binary perspective in her relationship with Michelle. As a listener, you are unsure if Dana is singing from a male point of view or if she herself is in love with Michelle. I love the ambiguous nature of this track in how it mirrors the fluid nature of gender in modern society. Dana sings about how Michelle temps her with her movements and aurora, which she finds equally mesmerising and excruciating as she wonders if Michelle is as equally interested in her. Is Michelle’s body giving her signs to pursue her or is she reading too much into Michelle? This central conflict makes for an interesting coming of age love song that is very catchy.

Much like The Beths, Sir Chloe’s 1990s vibe feels honest and genuine. It is this honesty that makes Michelle such an enjoyable and fresh track. You feel that this isn’t a cheap copy of a 1990s original, but a fresh take on classic song structures. Sir Chloe only has one record out right now, but Dana has found a dedicated following, which bodes well for a sophomore release. I am excited to see what they come up with next and I think Dana Foote and Sir Chloe is a band to keep an eye on.

Listen to Michelle