Chloe Jessica is a singer-songwriter based in Birmingham, West Midlands. She creates pop music and blends her sound with other genres such as country, blues, rock, R&B etcetera to create a unique and authentic sound. Influenced by the likes of Lewis Capaldi’s truthful lyricism and intimacy, alongside the contagious energy of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Kelly Clarkson, Chloe Jessica fronts a four-piece band of students who perform in venues across Birmingham, occasionally branching out to the North in Liverpool, having just released her sophomore single following her debut, “The Middle,” in January.
With “B*tch in a Dress” out now, we took some time to hear from Chloe Jessica. Read below to learn more about Chloe Jessica, the story behind “B*tch in a Dress,” and what’s to come.
Hi Chloe Jessica! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
My artist name is actually not too intricate of a story, my full name is Chloe Jessica Wood and, whenever I was in trouble when I was younger, my family would refer to me as “Chloe Jessica.” It always had such a power to me and was also used affectionately by my aunts growing up, too, so it just seemed fitting. I feel it has more of a ring to it than “Chloe Wood.”
What city are you from, and where are you based now?
I am born and raised in Birmingham and am still based here today! I love the city, I think it’s diversity and inclusivity is beautiful, the grassroot music scene is super friendly and supportive with great venues to offer and promoters to work with, too, although we do branch out to other cities sometimes. I considered moving away for university, but I decided I didn’t want the eternal debt, and I enjoyed the quaintness of my university in Birmingham and I am so glad I didn’t move away, I never would have met my incredible band otherwise.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
Well, my family love to joke about my career aspirations when I was younger; they ranged from being an ice cream lady to a dolphin trainer in Orlando. Music was always a constant source of connection for me, I used it to connect with my grandad when he’d babysit, friends and, most notably, myself, something I have always struggled to do. A career in music always seemed so unreachable for me when I was younger, so I didn’t consider a career in it until I was about eleven years old and moving into secondary school. I realised that I had something to offer to the industry and, as I got older, I received more performance opportunities in school choirs and productions, you would never see me happier than on stage. It didn’t take me long to realise that I did not want to pursue an office career or even an ensemble career in music, I wanted to front a band, I hated every choir I ever went to as a child. However, I stuck to choirs, vocal lessons, school productions and GCSE music before moving to Birmingham Ormiston Academy to study music vocationally at a college level which is where I developed my industry knowledge and stagecraft before moving to BIMM University in Birmingham to hone my skills and, of course, form my band as it is today which unlocked gigs, releases and networking opportunities.
How has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound?
Growing up, my mum always favoured me training in classical music and musical theatre and, since I was unsure on my path in music at this point, I trained classically from a young age, singing opera classics for weddings and showcases before moving to training in musical theatre. I wholeheartedly have my mum to thank for finding my belt, which is my most comfortable placement when singing, if she hadn’t pushed me to train in theatre, I never would have found it and, whilst I do love theatre, I am not much of a dancer, so I decided to pursue popular music, instead. It combines my personal listening preferences, developed from the radio my mum used to play, the CDs my grandad used to play me growing up and my dad’s passion for rock music, with my writing style and allows me to utilise all the skills I have learned from vocal training as pop music is harder to sing than you’d think.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
We are a band of musicians with very different music tastes, so there are elements of many genres in our individual parts as we all have creative freedom in our music. However, largely, we are a pop band, blending our sound with other genres such as country, blues, R&B, rock, etcetera. From the perspective of my original music, I am largely influenced by Lewis Capaldi, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Kelly Clarkson when songwriting, each of these artists championing their sound in particular ways. I specifically take inspiration from Lewis Capaldi’s lyricism, Olivia Rodrigo’s wit, Kelly Clarkson’s vocal placement and melodic development and Taylor Swift’s ability to harness a range of genres.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Much of my time is spent in and around music, when not in rehearsals or university, I teach musical theatre at the Sophie Lauren Dance Company, which is a particular passion of mine, handing over my knowledge from my extensive training to other performers. My students are great, too, incredibly talented, so I’d consider it more of a hobby than a job, I really enjoy working alongside them and watching them develop and grow. I am also an avid reader, my room is dominated by bookshelves with endless different titles in colour order (I can be obsessive over my books), and I love engaging with different media, such as movies and tv shows. I live for heated debates about anything and everything.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
I’d say a huge influence on my outlook in the music industry would be Taylor Swift. I find it inspiring that she stands up for her beliefs, sets boundaries and appreciates what is important in her life. Some people may disagree with me, but she is a very powerful businesswoman and very humble considering her status, it hasn’t gone to her head. She is also a figurehead for promotional tactics. Musically, for many of my more emotional songs, I would cite Lewis Capaldi as an influence. His use of universal lyric and poignant phrasing, alongside being one of my favourite artists, is something I attempt to harness in my music. However, recently, I have really enjoyed working in the realm of pop rock music, so I would say Olivia Rodrigo and Kelly Clarkson are big influences, especially Olivia Rodrigo’s aesthetic, which heavily influenced my recent cover art.
Who would be a dream to collaborate with?
My dream music collaboration would be, if Taylor Swift eventually gives in and produces a rock version of one of her albums, I would love to feature on one of those tracks! Or, a traditional duet style ballad with Lewis Capaldi would make my entire life! If we wanted to touch on Musical Theatre, I’d die to sing with Jonathan Groff, he’s phenomenal.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
This is super difficult because there are so many notable achievements that I am beyond proud of, but I have to say the release of my first single. Releasing music has always been an aspiration of mine, but I used to severely struggle to write music, only ever really beginning to hone my sound when I came to university. The fact that I now have two singles out in the world is incredible to me as it has been years in the making and a lot of nagging from my friends and family around me, so I would say I am very proud to have my music out there. However, I am also very proud that we have played two headline gigs over the years, which has been an incredible experience.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
Comparison gets you absolutely nowhere. A huge hinderance on my development as a songwriter was my own fault. Throughout college, I would continuously compare my own songwriting skills to others in my class, constantly putting down my own skills to lift other people. However, they may have been better songwriters than me back then, but I now know that I had other strengths such as my technique and I have always had a tight grasp on my own sound. If only I had realised that comparing myself to those other songwriters was the reason I was not developing as a songwriter, I’d have reached my goal of releasing my own music years ago. Another big lesson I have learned is that it is okay to say ‘no’ and set boundaries. For years, the music industry has been widely perceived as a sector with no personal space, you say yes to everything and take what you can get. However, I have been in so many uncomfortable recording sessions, rushed deadlines and worked with too many people who do not align with my own brand or beliefs, compromising my own comfort to prove myself to people to continue to sacrifice my own peace of mind for others.
Now onto your release, “B*tch in a Dress.” What inspired this song? What is “B*tch in a Dress” about?
This song is about being torn down by somebody else’s victim complex. I find that there are too many instances in people’s lives where they do the right thing, yet end up on the other end of someone’s beating stick just to disguise the light you’ve shone on them. Often times, you will learn someone’s true colours after you are honest with them and this song is about taking their words that are meant to tear you down and harnessing them into self-empowerment and assurance. It’s honest, loud, sarcastic and witty, traits I feel describe my personality quite well, so I am very proud to share this song. Sometimes people cannot handle the harsh truth but that does not make it your problem to burden.
What was the inspiration behind the cover artwork for “B*tch in a Dress?”
I had a clear concept for the cover artwork for this single, I wanted it to be a controlled chaos and a bit messy, really pulling from the aesthetic of Olivia Rodrigo in her press shots for Guts as this album heavily influenced the writing of the track. On stage, I always wear some sort of skirt with chunky boots and a baggy t-shirt, so I wanted to have reference to my own image so I went with a denim pleated skirt and my favourite Doc Marten boots, going for a slightly dressed version of my usual outfit choices, alongside my usual winged eyeliner which is a look I sport for any type of Chloe Jessica event. I collaborated with an incredible photographer from my university, Lotty Evans, and her wonderful mum came to help us out too, it was honestly the most fun and relaxed experience, especially considering I do not usually enjoy photoshoots. I genuinely showed up to the studio with a suitcase filled with everything I used to get ready that day and we dressed the set accordingly.
What was the creative process like when making “B*tch in a Dress?”
The creative process for this track wasn’t different to my usual process. I wrote the song acoustically in my bedroom, sent videos of it to trusted friends for validation and feedback, adjusted it and brought it to my band. I like to let my band have creative control over my original songs as I want them to enjoy playing it and four heads are better than one, in my opinion. They are insanely talented, so I trust their opinions implicitly. I already knew this was my angriest, angstiest song to date and I had drawn inspiration from Olivia Rodrigo’s lyricism in Guts and Kelly Clarkson’s melodic development, especially in “Since U Been Gone,” so I had an idea to lean into a pop-rock sound; however, this was validated by my band. We came up with our initial concept before performing it in our lectures for professional feedback, tweaking small sections until it sounds how we hear it today.
How long did it take to complete “B*tch in a Dress?”
I wrote the song in one evening, three hours maximum. I was particularly riled up that night about the situation at hand, so it was easy for the lyrics to flow and then make minor adjustments as I went. However, this was back in October, we first performed “B*tch in a Dress” live as it is today at our gig in February, so I would say it took roughly three months to perfect.
What is your favorite lyric in “B*tch in a Dress” and why?
There are so many lyrics that I love in the song, but a lyric that makes me smile every time I sing it would be “I’m everything to her that you never were.” It’s remarkably self-assured and has just the right amount of honesty to sting, which was my intention for this song. I didn’t write it to sugarcoat or politely ask someone to remove my name from their mouth, I wrote it to bite and burn. As Taylor Swift said, “if guys don’t want me to write bad songs about them, then they shouldn’t do bad things,” and I stand by that.
What do you hope fans take away from “B*tch in a Dress” and your music in general?
I want people to take away that it is okay to be honest. I pride my music on its honesty, whether it is “The Middle,” about a cheating ex, or surrounding mental health, or calling out a bad person with an unhinged, unfaltering victim complex, your feelings are valid. Our society can be very censored, people are discouraged to share their feelings, put on a brave face, even change yourself to fit in with trends and social groups. I think that’s dangerous. I think it harms people’s sense of self and only causes internal and external conflict. Find an outlet, express yourself, be yourself. Everybody matters.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
We do have some exciting projects on the horizon! If you enjoyed “B*tch in a Dress,” you’ll LOVE our newest project, especially if you are a fan of Billie Eilish. We are supporting an incredible band, Loft, at The Rainbow in Digbeth on Friday 17th April 2026, tickets can be found in my bio on Instagram. We are also performing at The Night Owl in Digbeth on Wednesday 22nd April 2026. Recently, we have been booked to play at Far East Festival in London on 30th May 2026, which will be our first gig in London! It is four days of music for just £12.95, so I would highly suggest purchasing tickets now! As a band, we are due to graduate this year, so we hope to have some more original music to be released very soon!
Where can we follow you on social media?
I would love to connect with as many people as possible on my social media pages, so please find me below:
Instagram: @chloejessicamusic https://www.instagram.com/chloejessicamusic
TikTok: @chloejessicamusic https://www.tiktok.com/@chloejessicamusic
X: @chloejessmusic https://x.com/chloejessmusic
YouTube: @chloejessicamusic https://www.youtube.com/@chloejessicamusic
Spotify: Chloe Jessica https://open.spotify.com/artist/27NQPx5wk4aXCytpcPacPg
Apple Music: Chloe Jessica https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/chloe-jessica/1866881761
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
