An artist works so hard to create, record and perform the music that they want to get it in front of people - at least make the audience make the choice. How is all this arranged and what is it like dealing with the press?

“I don’t mind it to be honest. I always find it interesting to see what other people make of what you do. I’ve got a certain perspective of things, then somebody will come and ask me a question and I’ll be like “Oh! you’ve seen it that way!” and it makes you look at your work in a different way.

“The only time it’s a bit of a drag is when you’re on the road and you’re really shattered and maybe you’d rather go back to the hotel and maybe you haven’t eaten but you have to go see someone straight from soundcheck and be all coherent and stuff. But even then I like it, it’s nice to meet people.” 

She cannot resist reading her own press. “I do! Sometimes I wish I didn’t! Especially with the internet, people can be really...there’s an art to critique and if somebody doesn’t like something they can be really over the top just to make an entertaining read. It can be pretty nasty.”

Unusually, it was Chloé, rather than the label, who chose the company to promote My Friend in the UK. C.A.R. has a stronger following in France due to the success of her previous band Battant and because her label Kill The DJ is based in Paris and has a higher profile there. 

She says: “They’ve always struggled with press in the UK. So with previous projects, with Battant, they’d selected people and it hadn’t really worked over here.”

“But I also think it’s a bit tricky because I’m a bit older and I’ve never been part of a particular scene.” 

Having a clear brand is important, but when it comes to art this can be inherently cloudy. If the terms don’t exist to describe what an artist does then you have to invent new ones or take pieces from other more recognisable genres, but this can water-down or blur the message. As a result, magazines can be reluctant to approach and fans more difficult to attract because you are not part of a specific movement.

“I can’t actually describe the music I do and I think the less labels you have, the harder it is to define what you do...”

When language falters, visuals become even more important. Imagery is something that Chloé has given great consideration. The album cover of My Friend, created by graphic designer Jesse Holborn, depicts a woman smoking a cigarette and is designed to recall the moment when advertising guru Edward L. Bernays’ 'Torches of Freedom' 1929 publicity stunt encouraged a whole generation of women to smoke. It is a statement on women’s role in music and reflects C.A.R.’s studied cynicism. 

While she may struggle with the English press, the fashion world has embraced her (“even though I wouldn’t say I’m fashionable or follow fashion”) performing frequently at events such as the Hyeres festival last year. Famous designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac is an admirer and her tracks are often used for runway shows.

Marketing budgets can only stretch so far, so for the video for her latest EP Glock’d, being a fan of fairground rides, Chloé took C.A.R. backing musician Thor Kolbrunarson and a GoPro camera to Brighton to shoot the video on a rollercoaster.

“We spent a day in Brighton and rode the rollercoaster about six times and that shot was the final shot. We went round a few times first to get the angle right. We thought we had it and I decided that I didn’t like the way my hair was!”, laughs Chloé. 

“So I fixed it and put some lipstick on and we did it one more time. That take turned out to be perfect to the last word. We didn’t time it or anything, we just did it by chance and the last word happened right as the ride stopped.”

To achieve that sunburnt dreamy tint on the video she refilmed it through her TV with plastic over the lens.

“At the end you can see the little red light from the camera reflecting in the TV screen! It was one of those serendipitous things that kind of worked without too much effort and it all kind of came together. Winged it totally.”

Does she ever worry about being famous?

“Worry about being famous?” she repeats. She’s surprised at the question.

 “No” she laughs. I think the chances of me becoming famous are slim to non-existent.”

Does she ever consider it?

“I did...when I was younger, but now I don’t. I don’t want to become famous - it doesn’t seem like I’m doing anything that would make me either. But yeah when I was a kid or even with the first Battant things, we thought…”

“There’s a difference though between being famous and actually making a living and being successful and I think if I can be successful in music...

“Because it would be brilliant if I could solely rely on C.A.R. to make a living but I don’t think it works like that anymore, unless you’re like… I think it’s a lot easier for DJs to make a living now.”

The single Glock'd is out now.

Macho Zapp would like to thank:

Chloé Raunet

Angie Towse

Rupert Cross

Ivan Smagghe 

Kill The DJ