Dana Foote formed Sir Chloe during her senior year at Bennington College in Vermont. As a music student at Bennington College, she got the band together for her senior thesis concert. That was how Teddy joined, who’s still the lead guitarist and producer for the band. The group consists of Dana Foote, Teddy O’Mara, Palmer Foote, Emma Welch, and Austin Holmes. Together, they created full band versions of Dana’s songs, developing a sound with a lot of inspiration from The Pixies. Dana sights St. Vincent, Lianne La Havas and Andy Shauf as inspiration for her songwriting. With a mix of rock, pop, and punk influences, Sir Chloe delivers an electrifying sound. Written with the help of Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, Angel Olsen) with songwriting contributions from Teddy Geiger (Caroline Polachek, Sylvan Esso, Lizzo) and Sarah Tudzin (Weyes Blood, Amen Dunes, Slowdive).

Should I: The album opens up with this catchy tune about a strong desire for connection and physical intimacy. Wrestling with their own impulses and the potential consequences of acting on them. Desire creates a tension that’s both exciting and a bit unsettling.

Salivate: The lyrics describe the pull of addiction and the internal battle of wanting to give into it, but feeling guilty about it. The person feels isolated and alone in their struggle. The lyrics convey a sense of inner conflict and struggle. The intensity of the lyrics is supported by layers of crunchy guitar.

Center: This song opens up with a 60s surf guitar hook. The lyrics in this song use the metaphor of a cherry-flavored tootsie-pop to describe a desire for someone.

Know Better: I would describe the music in this song as surf-rock adjacent. The opening lines “think I’d rather not know, think I’d rather stay home” describes the relatable desire to avoid the world outside. The struggle between appeasing people against their better judgment. It’s unclear if this song is about a lover or not.

Leash: This song describes a dark relationship where the writer has control and dominance over their partner. The imagery and metaphors are centered on the partner being a dog. The writer, the antagonist in this case, is conditioning their partner to accept the imbalance of power.

Hooves: This is an upbeat rock song, a haunting and melancholic track with tightly compressed vocals. The lyrics describe a surreal and animalistic relationship, with imagery of goats, hooves, and biting. It describes a relationship that the writer is sort of indifferent to.

Obsession: The lyrics describe the writer’s infatuation with someone new. They don’t care if they’re wasting time, they’re happy to do so. “Brand new obsession, I’ll add it to my collection,” tells us that this is an unhealthy but familiar pattern.

Daddy’s Car: This song seems to be a change of pace for the album opening with a delicate toy piano introduction. It unfolded into another laid-back rock song. The lyrics show that the writer is haunted by guilt. Despite them feeling broken and coming apart, they still have a sense of longing for someone who is no longer theirs. This song has an interesting bridge/ breakdown section where Dana sings:

It was haunted, I was asked to leave it 

Politely, a warning

Early evening I set out for desert

Away from the water

Write a letter under a wall of taxidermy

A warning.

Cake: This is another song that incorporates themes of desire, power, and control. The writer has a sense of resentment or jealousy towards the person, with the narrator feeling that they themselves are more deserving. The song is about desire with a lack of restraint or self-control, consuming them and keeping them awake at night.

I Am The Dog: This was the first song that Dana wrote for the album, thus it became the title track. In an interview with LADYGUNN she said “At the time I was living with this really violent dog, who I absolutely loved but you know… She had been through a lot and she was very reactive, and it became very dangerous to live in the same house. I had written that song about two months into living with her. I liked the title, I thought it was fun and you know cool.” 

Interview: https://www.ladygunn.com/music/interviews-music/sir-chloe-is-the-dog-interview-with-dana-foote/

Feel Again: These lyrics express the craving for the thrill of new experiences. “Turn me on, help me along, I want to feel again” suggests a desire to be stimulated.

Sir Chloe’s debut album “I Am The Dog” is a solid blend of rock, pop, and punk influences, delivering an electrifying sound. It captures the intensity and inner conflicts of modern life, the lyrics touch on themes of desire, addiction, power, and control. The songs throughout the album play off of each other in references and repeating words. The lyrics are emotionally charged, simple and effective in creating an album full of angsty garage-rock tunes.

Follow Sir Chloe on Instagram.