Scottville native Chloe Kimes releases debut single, ‘I’ll Be Going.’

Chloe Kimes

Scottville native Chloe Kimes releases debut single, ‘I’ll Be Going.’

#MasonCountyTalent #SpartanProud.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Life is filled with milestones. One of the biggest milestones in a person’s life is leaving home and defining one’s self. That was the inspiration for  “I’ll Be Going,” singer/songwriter Chloe Kimes’ debut single now available for purchase.

The 19-year-old Scottville native left her Riverton Township home in August 2016 for Nashville where she enrolled in Middle Tennessee State University, majoring in commercial songwriting.

The song reflects the change Chloe experienced during her first semester at college.

Cover art by Olivia Kimes.

“A lot of different inspirations went into writing it but ultimately, it came out of all the change my life was undergoing that fall,” Chloe says. “It was an intense season of growth and learning for sure, but also one of beautifully rich and raw human experience. ‘I’ll Be Going’ has a lot of meanings, but at its core, it’s about identifying who you are by nobody’s standards but your own. It’s also a nod to letting go of ‘the plan’ because plans always change and life isn’t meant to be a straight line. This idea of embracing change along with who I wanted to be was a really present theme in my life at that point.”

Chloe wrote the song in November 2016.

“Producing the song was a lot of fun because it came to be in both of my two homes,” Chloe says. “The birth of the project is thanks to Ludington native, Dave Claire, who invited me to start a recording project with him as producer. We did a lot of pre production planning together and recorded a bundle of tracks in his bedroom at his parents house. They turned out absolutely stellar, too. The same week we started recording, my buddy and guitarist, Sam Varughese, was up in Ludington from Nashville, visiting and gigging with my sister, Olivia, and I.

“Naturally, we tracked a bunch of his guitar magic, which really made the recording what it is. It was important to me to include Olivia on the recording as well, considering how fundamental she has been to the sound my songs have developed. She can be heard playing a soaring harmonica part. It’s really a key piece to the song.

Chloe and Olivia Kimes

“David made for an awesome producer – he’s got this mad creative mind, yet he’s really technically sharp. Working with him was a blast but I decided to finish the project in Tennessee and take my time recording the rest of the parts after I moved back down for the new term at college. At this point, we passed the producer hat on to Moose. Moose (his producer name) had engineered the Live EP I put out this summer so it was an easy decision to have him finish out my project for me.

“Drums were tracked in Shelbyville, TN by David Key and bass was tracked by Nashville cat, PJ George. I was on Cloud 9 about having PJ on the track – he is the bassist of my all time favorite band/biggest influence, Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys.

“I felt like I was going out on a big limb reaching out to him to record with me, but he was stoked about the song! If you were to ask me my favorite part of the recording, it’s probably the bass line. He is genius and it’s an honor to have his hands bless my record. Moose picked up production where Dave left off and mixed/mastered the whole thing too.

“I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”

The song was released last week and has already gained attention from professionals in the music industry.

“Chloe’s talent grows brighter each time I hear her,” says Edgar Struble, who is also a native of Scottville and a producer/songwriter known throughout the music industry. “This is a great piece of Americana – well-produced and well-performed. It’s so cool to hear stuff at this level from a hometown gal.”

Chloe is the daughter of Kevin and Lisa Kimes and a 2016 graduate of Mason County Central High School. She can be seen performing locally during her winter and summer breaks from college, along with her sister, Olivia, who is currently a senior at MCC.

“Regarding my future, I’m really happy with where I’m at right now and the future is looking bright,” Chloe says. “School has an incredible amount to offer, as does Nashville. I’d like to write for a bigger publishing company in Nashville down the road, that would pair wonderfully with my artist career.

“I’m currently booking shows and performing in a couple different projects. Two that I’m really focusing on right now include my solo project which Sam is now an official piece of, and an Americana duo I started with a friend called Sawyer + Kimes. That one is a lot of fun – it came about when my buddy Austin and I started writing a bunch of songs together.

“I recently booked myself for Dunesville Music Fest in Lake Ann, Mich. this summer, so I’ll be coming back to Michigan for a tour this July.

“With all that said, I’m still trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight so who knows exactly what will happen tomorrow or later this semester or next year. I’m just blessed to be exactly where I am and bursting with gratitude for each and every person who listens to this song. It really means the world to me. •

“I’ll Be Going” is available for download on ITunes as well as all streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, etc.

This story is copyrighted © 2018, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. Photograph and cover art used by permission, copyrighted © 2018 by Chloe Kimes.No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.