By her own admission, Chloe Dolandis had been living a charmed life. The singer/songwriter’s passion, persistence and rich, soulful sound had paved a road filled with milestones—from having former mayor Steven Abrams recognize Jan. 13 as “Chloe Dolandis Day” in Boca Raton back in 2004 to the release of her debut album, “Bring Back the Fever” in 2011.
But a period marked by a professional high also resulted in a series of personal lows for the Florida Atlantic University graduate, most profoundly, the death of her best friend, Tali. Over the next few years, Dolandis would endure further loss, including the death of family members and the end of a relationship.
For the first time, Dolandis felt somewhat adrift, shaken by episodes of tragedy and heartbreak. But rather than putting her career on hold, the Boca resident continued to write and perform—and grow as an artist. This past June, Dolandis released an EP entitled “There’s More,” a raw five-song set that represents her most personal work to date.
“It’s taken awhile to start feeling like I have healed,” the 30-year-old says. “[The pain helped to] shape me in a positive way. It could’ve destroyed me, but I wouldn’t let it.”
Unlike her first album, “There’s More” bears a stripped-down feel that features only her voice and one other instrument in each song. Each number comes from the artist’s collection of songs that she wrote while dealing with the emotions and fallout of the past few years.
The result is a collection of pieces inspired by the idea that there’s always more to life and to maturing.
“So often as we live our lives, we’re so wrapped up in whatever we’re doing and whatever we’re thinking,” Dolandis says. “The idea that there’s a whole entire world out there, and beyond, is really important.”
Dolandis attributes her inspiration for the album to Tali, to whom she officially dedicates “There’s More” on her blog. The EP’s fifth song, “Isn’t That Far,” is about how not even death can separate the pair.
Dolandis and her band currently play locally at private parties and around South Florida. They play every Friday at Whiskey Blue in Fort Lauderdale. In addition, Dolandis will be the vocalist for the Florida Wind Symphony Jazz Orchestra at FAU’s Big Band Hits from the Golden Age concert this July.
She hopes to write music for other artists in the future, go on tours and get some of her work on the radio. As for producing music, Dolandis says her fans can expect “that, and then some.”
With Dolandis, there always seems to be more.
To download her new EP for free, visit shop.chloedolandis.com and type in the code “theresmore.”
Did You Know?
Chloe Dolandis is the proud owner of more than 1,000 pig replicas.
Dolandis received her first pig replica as a good-luck charm after snagging her first leading role at the Hollywood Playhouse—as Piglet in “Winnie the Pooh.” It soon became tradition for people to give Dolandis pig replicas when she performed or for special occasions. Today the collection remains at her parents’ house.
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About Cresonia
Cresonia Hsieh is a journalism junior minoring in business administration and Spanish at the University of Florida. When she’s not writing a story or doing a photo shoot, she enjoys Netflix binge watching, trying out new restaurants and listening to others attempt to pronounce her last name. (Hint: It’s pronounced “shay”.) You can reach Cresonia at cresoniahsieh@yahoo.com.
