_{Words by Zach Collier
Photos by Ryan Schmitz}

Chloe Gendrow has never been afraid of quiet. Long drives into the woods, radios turned off, letting discomfort sit in the passenger seat – this was the environment where Glow, her debut album, first took shape nearly a decade ago.

At the time, the isolation wasn’t a branding exercise or a romanticized retreat. It was practical. Necessary even. She was teaching herself how to produce, learning what she loved by ruling out what she didn’t, and doing everything she could to avoid absorbing someone else’s voice before fully discovering her own.

“Glow was the very first album I ever put out (almost 10 years ago now) and my sound has shifted significantly since then,” she says. “I think I placed an emphasis on going inward for inspiration which still reigns true to this day. What it has taught me and what I am continuing to learn is that most of what I’m looking for, creatively, already exists within. It’s just a matter of being willing to try to meet myself at certain depths that can be intimidating.”

In this sense, Glow feels less like a starting point and more like a philosophy that never left her. That inward-facing approach might suggest a guarded artist, but Gendrow’s presence tells a different story. There’s a warmth to her. On stage, in conversation, in the way her songs invite listeners in. This warmth never feels at odds with her introspection. For her, the two qualities are inseparable.

“As a person and an artist, I think that part of being introspective requires an element of complete honesty and if that translates as warm and approachable on the exterior, then I think that’s just a byproduct of said introspection,” she says. “I’m at the point where I’ve been putting music out and playing shows for a decade. I’ve started to shed any desire to come off in a specific kind of way when I’m sharing the work with the world. As long as it sounds the way I want, the way that that translates to the world is out of my hands.”

Needless to say, that kind of take-it-or-leave-it boldness didn’t come from fitting neatly into a scene. Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Gendrow didn’t see many artists making the down-tempo pop and R&B-leaning music she gravitated toward. While she holds deep affection for her hometown and the artists emerging from the state, she’s clear-eyed about the limitations of staying in one place for too long.

“There is a ceiling to what can be achieved by just staying in one place. And that goes with anywhere,” explains Gendrow. “Working with people from different parts of the world has pushed me to view the artistic process from all angles. I think it’s especially cool to work with folks who you may not have had anything in common with and be able to come out of a session with a piece of work that resonates with both of you.”

Those moments reinforced a belief that art requires curiosity and trust rather than sameness. Music has long been a source of grounding for Gendrow, especially during periods when she felt misunderstood or out of place. Streaming numbers rise and fall, audiences shift, and the pressure to maintain momentum is real. But she’s learned that staying anchored means continuing to make music that feels right, even if that means changing genres entirely.

Some of her most visible moments have come through collaboration. Tracks like “Feel Like” with Andrey Azizov and “When I’m Gone” with Nick Anthony marked huge turning points, with “Feel Like” amassing an impressive 16 million streams.

“Working with Andrey was so fun,” she remembers. “It was so long ago, but that was my first time collaborating with another producer on something. I wrote that song at work and didn’t think much of it, and it turned into something I could have never imagined.”

“When I’m Gone” also passed the 1 million mark. She explains that Nick Anthony has helped her bring many songs to life. “He continues to work with me as we sort of defy genre expectations and experiment, and having his perspective has contributed to my growth as a musician overall,” Gendrow says. “You can’t have too many expectations for songs; the goal is to just make as much music I can with the people I love working with and to find the joy in that. The lasting impact of that is far greater than just sitting down trying to write a hit song.”

If there’s a through-line in Gendrow’s career, it’s a resistance to both self-imposed expectation and external pressures. She loves and respects where she comes from while fearlessly embracing outside influences. She sits down to write with people she loves working with, to make as much music as possible, and to find joy in the process itself. Any lasting impact comes from that commitment to authenticity rather than from chasing outcomes.

Sometimes, the most important creative breakthroughs happen far from the busy noise of life, on a long drive into the woods, with nothing playing but your own thoughts.

Catch Chloe Gendrow at The Cache on Friday, January 16 with Sky Olson & The Valley. You can also catch her at Kilby Court on Saturday, January 17 with Grace Wawro. Make sure to follow Chloe Gendrow on Instagram and check out her latest release, “Cabin Fever,” below.