“There’s only two types of people from what I’ve heard: the ones that fit the mold and the ones that change the world.” Chloe Wheeler, under the stage name Spider Kid, starts off singing in her newly released song, ‘‘Strings.”
On Wednesday, October 18th, sophomore Chloe Wheeler announced on Instagram and Twitter that she had released her first single, ‘‘Strings’’. She and Nelian Thunblom, another sophomore, had met at a studio and recorded a final version of the song. Over the past couple years, Wheeler has posted covers and original songs on her Instagram.
“I first wrote ‘Strings’ almost three years ago. Then, it was only some seemingly random and nonsensical words. In seventh grade I wrote, ‘there’s only two types of people from what I’ve heard’ and I had left it alone. In eighth grade, I came back to it and wrote the part ‘your strings won’t hold me no more’ as a separate thing. Then I combined them together to create ‘Strings’” said Wheeler.
“Originally most of my songs were just piano and voice. [For the recording] I talked to Nelian and he added drums and bass. It now sounds how I want it to sound: very powerful.”
The chorus of “Strings” is a persuasive melody.
“Your strings won’t hold me no more. I’ve got both feet on the floor. Think you can stop me? You’re not my puppeteer anymore,” sang Wheeler.
“‘Strings’ is meant to be a power anthem–a hype song meant to motivate not only the listeners, but Wheeler herself.
“I want ‘Strings’ to make people want to go out and do something big. ‘Strings’ is me saying ‘I may be scared, but I’m going to do it anyway,’” said Wheeler.
Art is a weapon, use it wisely.
Releasing this single created the confidence that Wheeler has today.
“Everyone seems to assume that the metaphorical puppeteer [in “Strings”] is someone I know in real life, but in reality, it’s myself, my anxiety, and the fears that get in the way of what I want to do.”
“Strings” depicts Wheeler’s anxiety of following her dreams while analyzing reality. She portrays life as a checkerboard that isn’t just black and white. “Strings” is a song that fights conformity with art.
“When the world comes crashing under us, will you do what you can? I’ll keep fighting; I’ll keep singing…” sang Wheeler.
“Anything can be considered art if it means something to you. You’re a surgeon? It’s art. You’re an accountant? Art. You’re a pianist? Art,” Wheeler said.
“But if you’re doing something you don’t care about, it stops being art. The only way to combat the evils of society, and the hate of the world, is with art–whatever that means to you,” said Wheeler.
“Art is a weapon, use it wisely.”
Wheeler hopes to pursue music as a full time career in which she can create change.
“I’ve known I wanted to be a musician since I was very young. This is the first step to, hopefully, a real career,” Wheeler said. “At the same time, I hope to change the world. I have dreams that are much bigger than I am. I want to save lives, I want world peace, and for everyone to be happy,” said Wheeler
“But I can’t do that, so I do what I can do: I write, I sing, and I create art. I want to make it. “
Wheeler posted her original songs on Instagram, of which she planned to make an album.
The album, called Checkerboard, consist of “Strings,” “Latchkey,” “Lost and Found,” “Insomnia,” “Inkwell,” “The Creeps,” “Surface,” “Only So Much,” ,“A Compendium of Complications,” “Touquet,” “FearNoMore,” and “Shut Me Down.”
Although in May, she announced that Checkerboard was on hold.
“I still have the entire album written, and I have a couple ideas of what I want to do with it, but I’ve been busy with the musical and theatre,” said Wheeler.
“It will happen eventually, just not right now.”
“I think I’m going to release ‘The Creeps’ or ‘Shut me Down’. Both songs continue to carry messages of confidence.
Wheeler focuses on theatre now, but she continues to write and build her future career.
She is uncertain if she will continue to go under her stage name, “Spider Kid,” but she plans on not using ‘Chole’.
“‘Chloe’ was the most popular name for the year I was born. There’s a lot of people named Chloe, and my whole thing is being different.”
“Strings” is available on iTunes, Googleplay, and Spotify.
Lain Iwakura • Mar 11, 2018 at 1:50 am
This was a surprisingly good song, especially in it’s production value. I would say that the idea of a general inspirational song about overcoming your demons is really really really overdone, and that pop art designed to convey a feeling to the largest possible audience is also going to convey that feeling less intensely than if what the song described was more specific and personal, but that aside, it was genuinely enjoyable. Keep up the good work, I can see you being great one day.