Perpetually performing in a black suit jacket and white dress shirt with her short, wavy bob and dark, bushy eyebrows, Dana Foote fronts the indie-rock band Sir Chloe alongside bandmates Teddy O’Mara, Austin Holmes and brother Palmer Foote. Adorned frequently with pink and red lights, Dana faces the audience with a distant expression that reads mystery and says, “I know you want to be me.” Their latest single “Hooves,” released Feb. 23, is a volatile taste of their debut album under Atlanta Records, set to release May 19, called “I Am The Dog.”
With Dana’s lips resembling a glass of red wine, the band is all pearl necklaces and lacey undergarments. Their 2020 album “Party Favors” took off with the track “Michelle” scoring big on TikTok with over 182 million streams on Spotify. Since then, the band has steadily grown, amassing nearly 3 million monthly listeners.
In “Hooves,” Dana’s angelic, nearly ghostly voice from “Party Favors” has evolved to take on a more polished indie-rock clarity, as her echoey, emotional sighs are replaced with a harsher tone and decisive studio maturity.
This stylistic transition does not come as a surprise. Singles “Mercy” and “Company” which were both released in 2022, slowly introduced fans to Sir Chloe’s evolution.
“Hooves” was made alongside producer John Congleton, who has also worked with Lana Del Rey, Wallows, Peach Pit, Death Cab for Cutie and Honeyblood. Before signing with Atlantic Records, Sir Chloe had been working under LA-based Terrible Records.
“Hooves” hits the ground running, exemplifying what we might expect from “I Am The Dog” while setting firm boundaries in response to and juxtaposing the lovesick lyrics of “Party Favors.”
From portraying a victim of a tortured love affair in the song “Animal” — “You were telling me I’m such a fool / To say no / Number one / Make me behave / Like an animal / I’m asking nicely / Give me what I want” — to an empowered boundary-setter in “Hooves” — “I don’t wanna hold hands / You’ve been chewing my hair / Over and over again” — Sir Chloe makes strides in their animal metaphors, marking a clear shift in tone from the band’s artistry moving forward.
In their new highly-produced sound, Sir Chloe’s latest single is a relaxed concert dance bop, both energetic and subdued at the same time as Dana’s cool lyrics sink into the beat. The song reminds listeners to take control and agency over their lives without getting walked all over.
At just under three minutes, the single leaves much to the imagination despite the ongoing, invasive goat metaphor and indie-rock instrumentation.
Deleting all of their Instagram posts except for ones relating to “Hooves,” “I Am The Dog” is set to be a total reset for the band. With a refreshed take on their conversational tone of voice, “I Am The Dog” is looking to be a career-conscious step in the right direction for Sir Chloe, taking on a darker narrative than their previous work.
Some songs from the upcoming album’s tracklist have already had the opportunity to grace the stage, like “Daddy’s Car,” which the band has been playing live since 2021. This track features Dana’s haunting voice, reminiscent of familiar Sir Chloe motifs and stylistic touches that reassure listeners that we are not losing the band to a new tune completely.
Long-awaited songs like “Home Where” did not find a place in the upcoming album.
While Dana’s signature spectral melancholy vocals are quickly missed in “Hooves,” Sir Chloe’s new rocker bite is welcome, and “I am The Dog” is likely to be a chillingly successful revamp for the band.
With a refurbished website, Sir Chloe is already accepting pre-orders on CDs, signed, limited-run vinyls and “I Am The Dog” sweatshirts. Their album is available for pre-order today. On Feb. 28, Sir Chloe took to Instagram to announce their upcoming tour of the UK, EU and North America, called “I Am The Tour.” Tickets go on sale March 3.
Lillian Dunn is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at lbdunn@uci.edu.