Klo

Fame can either be a rapid affair or a slow burning rise to that longed for position in the industry. For Klo, consisting of Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam, after releasing their single ‘Make Me Wonder’ things seemed to happen overnight and the quick realisation came that they needed to get to work on a follow up.
“We didn’t really have anything else behind us, so we just kind of jumped into it and made as many tracks as we could and tried to get the best out of it,” says Simon.
Mere months after ‘Make Me Wonder’ hit the airwaves, the band followed it up with two more singles and as of November 14 a debut five-track EP. Klo seem to be onto the perfect formula to make it in the industry, though things could have worked out very differently for the duo.
After a few tries in other bands, it was a common link – Simon and Chloe are actually cousins – that helped them to form the band. “My mum had told me that through high school Chloe had done a lot of singing lessons and was a damn good singer,” Simon says.
“I was doing sound engineering at the time so I thought it would just be good practice to record her and then I found out she was really good – that’s when our relationship really kicked off I think. Before that we were really just forced in the same room and told to get along. Now that we’re adults it’s self motivated and the relationship is a lot tighter.”
With the awkward get-to-know-you stage out of the way, Simon and Chloe were able to pursue their love for melodic electronic beats – and so far things couldn’t be better.
“It’s just really fun and it’s like we’re in the deep end,” he says. “We’re just trying to stay afloat and hopefully when we get some breathing space, we’ll just keep working as hard as we can so we can prepare as much as we can.”
Following on from the rushed pattern so far in the industry, Klo performed their debut show on September 5 only a few days before playing Bigsound Festival. While they’ve both got significant experience performing live, getting the perfect balance is still something the pair are fine-tuning in each performance.
“We’re concentrating less on what we’re playing now and more on getting into the performance and being entertaining in the performances. That’s something you can’t really rush – it’s something that comes with time. But we’re on the right track anyway,” he says.
Even though they’re yet to release the new EP, there’s already talks for the next one, so chances are you’ll be hearing – and seeing – a lot more Klo in 2015. “Now that the EPs done I really want to take advantage of that fact that we won’t be releasing anything, like another EP or an album, until next year,” Simon says.
“I just want to get in early so we’ve got more options and I can develop the ideas.”
When&Where: Melbourne Music Week Hub – November 15, Kelvin Club, Melbourne – November 20, Strawberry Fields Festival – November 22, Paradise Music Festival – November 22 & Beyond the Valley Music Festival – December 31
By Amanda Sherring