Harloe is about to conquer the world. It’s a bold statement, sure but I believe this to be a true one. She’s already put her stamp on the music industry as a Grammy nominated songwriter for artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Zayn, Charlie XCX and Britney Spears. Now she’s about to launch her very own EP – ‘Rivers Run Dry‘ – that is due out in the Spring of 2020 via Roc Nation.
It’s unusual that I get an album or artist that I feel has the whole package. The majority of the time there always seems to be something missing. This one has the sound but no support. That one has support but doesn’t have the best product. The other one has the product but doesn’t want to put in the work. There are many examples I could throw at you but I think you get the picture. It is more often than not that I question whether the entire package has a chance to live in the rarefied air that few artists get to enjoy.
Harloe is the exception to that rule and I feel like she is destined to enter that air-space. Not only did her voice grab me right away, the production and musical qualities of her latest project sort of stunned me upon my first listen. She put, confronting her own personal heartache on hold and released something deep from within. She spent, what I can only imagine are probably too many hours making sure these songs came out just right. She also has the support of her team, Roc Nation and the many fans of her music. Harloe doesn’t care how she plays these songs. Full band.. her and a piano.. her and a mic.. she just wants to play them.
I’ve heard some of her prior work and I’ve always been a fan of her voice. But something is different this time. There’s that thing that can’t be contrived. Real emotion. It doesn’t just show up in her lyrics but the songs just feel like something bigger is going on.
I asked Harloe how she got here, to this point in her life where she’s about to release these songs to the world. She tells me, “We were writing in London, for this writing camp, we would call it, for Demi Lovato. Then me and Fred kind of clicked together and I had been going through.. I had been living with a boyfriend at the time that really inspired me to write these songs because I definitely knew that things were falling apart and it was such a big part of my emotional life, at that time. I remember being at the studio writing for Demi and then going back to my hotel room and being like okay.. I’m so excited about what I’m doing out here musically, but I had this void. I had this sense of.. you ever see something burning down in front of you but you’re like, I kind of need to run in and save it but I know that no matter what I say right now, on the other side of the world and a fifteen hour flight, nothing’s going to change this pain.”
Harloe then continues with, how the songs started to take shape. She says, “Fred and I just clicked and I spent an extra week in London. I just sat at the piano and I think the first song that was written on this project, was latest song that came out, One More Chance. I’ve never really sat and been inspired to play chords like that.” Harloe continues after we both express our admiration of and her being inspired by, the legendary Kate Bush, “So we just sat at the piano and he (Fred) would be on the drum machine and I would be on the keys and we would kind of be going back and forth and these songs kind of came from that. I feel like I almost manifested this, like, end of a really important relationship but I also know that it was a healing thing. This EP was very healing to write.”
I can tell you that it is among the most anticipated releases coming up in 2020 for me, personally. I’ve fallen in love with other records over the last two years but always remained level-headed when picturing where the album or artist might go. In 2018, I named a relatively unknown band of having the album of the year. Unequivocally. Best record I heard in YEARS. I still listen to the thing at least three to four times per week (seriously). But I never felt like it was going to take off and launch the band into Foo Fighters type of atmosphere. I just knew that all things being equal, it was the best album, hands down, that came out in 2018. Just not the most popular.
So, why am I telling you this? I think Harloe has a chance to release one of the best records of 2020 and feel like she has all of those other things going for her. Work ethic, support, fan base and a solid foundation of sound. So it would not surprise me at all to see her on a future telecast accepting an award for her own music. That’s what I’m saying. Only the future knows if my radar is correct about Harloe (I mean, heck, I did get the Leon Bridges Grammy-thing, right). In any case, even if it takes longer than I expect for her, go listen to what she has to say. I think you’ll be as impressed as I am and hey.. that’s how it starts.
To hear my entire conversation with Harloe, click on the link to your favorite place to listen to podcasts. We talk about many other things during the episode, including the video for One More Chance and we both sing a line from a Haim song. I’ll let you guess who sang it better. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t me.
-Tommy Marz
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