The college experience is a choose your own adventure situation; you can go down well-worn roads, or you can take initiative and create your own path. I’ve made it my mission to find and celebrate those who chose authenticity and passion over the roads well traveled in my series Superlatives.
I had the opportunity to interview a member in my department, Chloe Gonzales (whom we call Chloe G), who embodies the type of initiative and dedication to individuality I admire. They founded the Rising Artist Spotlight here on the blog which uplifts smaller artists and has become a key series on our blog.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity purposes.
Photos courtesy of Chloe Gonzales
Interviewed by Olivia Aerin Lee
Olivia Aerin: First of all, since you have such a great taste in music, can you tell me about your favorite– Oh, wait! First of all, would you please introduce yourself?
Chloe: Yeahhhh!
OA: I skipped that part!
[laughs]
C: I appreciate that passion!
C: My name is Chloe Gonzales, also known as DJ Adderall Spritz, I use they/them pronouns, and I’m a fourth year here at UCLA.
OA: Amazing. What do you major in?
C: I’m double majoring in psychobiology and sociology, and minoring in environmental systems and society.
OA: So booked and busy is what I’m hearing.
C: [laughs] Maybe! We’ll see!
OA: Okay, now for my question! I was just so excited to hear your input- I got too excited earlier. What is your favorite walking song, your favorite ambiance song, and your favorite hype song? ‘Cause your taste in music is so magical.
C: Ahhhhhh! Don’t flatter me!
OA: [laughs]
C: Okay, I say walking song– ummm, I had this obsession with “Walkin” by Denzel Curry, and it just sings like, “keep on walking ain’t no stopping”, and I would just go through campus and there’s, like, multiple versions of the song– a jazz version, a regular version, stuff like that. And I would just play them over and over.
OA: I mean, period. That’s so on theme!
C: Literally!
C: Umm ambiance, I’ve really been enjoying Ethel Cain’s Perverts. So I would say, “Pulldrone” by Ethel Cain . It’s like a drone song. And the last one was hype song. I’ve been listening to a lot of EDM and electronic stuff. So I would say, I guess, more accessible, “Bon Bon” by Fcukers.
OA: Mmmmmm, okay! Amazing picks.
OA: You’re a proud Indiana native, and it really isn’t talked about enough, the way every city in the US is so unique and has such a unique culture. What’s your favorite thing about Indiana culture?
C: Ooh, okay. Um, I really appreciate the pride in Indiana– like, if you’re a farmer, proud of your crops, for example. Or just like the homegrown, rooted in family heritage that’s in Indiana. Or, I don’t know, my mom owns a business. She started it there, and I feel she has a lot of pride in that. And it’s not even boasting about it, it’s like a silent pride of what you have and stuff like that. And it’s not, like I said, it’s not boastfulness. You know?
OA: I get it. It’s like grit.
C: Yeah!
OA: It takes a lot of work to accomplish those things, and you don’t really see that type of small, locally owned business in California as much as you probably do in the Midwest.
C: Yeah, for sure. I wish I could take back the nature [from California]. It’s so beautiful in Indiana. But like man! Like the mountains and the beaches here, like, mannnnn!
[laughs]
C: I would also say the different perspectives here. I feel like it’s very narrow in Indiana, not saying that we don’t appreciate different perspectives, it’s just not offered there. Versus here, you have so many walks of life and even the neighborhoods are vastly different than each other, you know, it’s more homogenous in Indiana.
OA: Interesting. Did you have a culture shock moment when moving over here?
C: I had a delayed culture shock. It wasn’t until I got back to Indiana after spending a bigger time in California that I was like, wait, why is it so religious in Indiana? [laughs] Like, the bumper stickers, like, “Take back America” or like, “you’re going to hell”!
OA: Oh my gosh!
C: Like, the Cemetery of Innocents for, like, abortion. It’s kind of crazy. I’m like, wait– that’s not normal. Now I’m like, I went to a Catholic school… that’s kind of weird. [laughs] Compared to now going to a public school where this is the norm, so yeah.
OA: That’s crazy!
C: Like pause.
[laughs]
OA: You’re the creator and the director of the Rising Artist Spotlight. Okay! [claps] Can you tell me about how that came to be, how you came up with that idea?
C: Yeah! So I was doing a playlist series with different record labels and record stores last year, and I came across a record label in Kansas. I forgot their name, something with record machine, or something like that, and they sent me some songs for their playlist and one of them was the artist Dinner Time. I listened to them back in high school, so I was like oh my gosh, that’s so cool. Like, I’m rediscovering them. So I interviewed Dinner Time.
C: And I was like, they’re such a small band that if I just do an interview with Dinner Time, it’s still gonna be on the blog, but I don’t know, I wanted to place context with that. So I was like, what if I started like a series for smaller artists, to be like “hey this is a smaller artist that’s up and coming that we think that really deserves a push”. I really wanted to use UCLA Radio’s platform, because when I was contacting these labels and stuff like that, or even later on with college radios and stuff like that, it was just like, “oh UCLA Radio, I know them”. It’s like, oh we do have a platform that I feel like we need to use. Because it’s so easy just to interview your favorite artists that are bigger and stuff like that, but to go out of your way and be like hey, these are small artists that I really think deserve something more. And if I can give that to them, I would love to.
OA: Wow, that’s crazy! What do they call that, the butterfly effect?
C: Oh yeah!
OA: Yeah! Okay, so you are a prominent and prolific interviewer in our department–
C: [squeals]
OA: [laughs] The giggling, I love it haha.
OA: Who has been the most impactful interview that you’ve had, and what about that experience has made it the most memorable?
C: That’s a hard question, because I feel like I get so many little things from different interviews, and I’ll even bring those pieces with me for other interviews. Like, “oh, the artists have said this, do you feel the same way?” So it’s hard to pinpoint, a specific interview, and it’d be easy for me to be like, “oh, Dinner Time” because that’s my first one. But I would say one that I really enjoyed was this band, a shoegaze band, called Smush, and I did that during the summer time. I remember I was sitting in my room, my parents were at the bonfire in the backyard, and I was ready to go and stuff like that. I wouldn’t even say it’s that different from other interviews, it went pretty smoothly and stuff like that, but they’re just very kind individuals and they were like, “we want to know more about you!” after the fact. We just talked for like an hour after and everything. And it was so cute.
OA: Aweee, I love that!
C: I do fall back to that one a little bit. And then also, I guess the more recent one, was Ribbon Skirt, which is like a duo from Canada, and it’s like, indigenous… and then there’s like a guy from UK [laughs].
OA: [laughs]
C: Which is cool, which is cool, but I don’t know, I really like getting feedback. So there’s a moment there and stuff like that.
OA: You’ve highlighted so many wonderful bands– and I think you’ve really encouraged this culture within our own department of like, we have to focus on the smaller bands as well. We can’t just be doing Flog Gnaw [laughs].
C: I know! I know! Real.
C: And everyone has smaller bands that they enjoy too, and you can get interviews with them. Like, come on. They would love to do one.
OA: Totally.
OA: Music, like all art, has a way of creating us through the way it resonates with us.
C: Yes!
OA: How has your deep involvement and love of music shaped who you are as a person?
C: Ooh! That’s a good question! Hmm, I feel like it has really affirmed my processes and thoughts. I would say that, for example, I did an interview with, well, there’s a couple of artists– I just did one with Morgan Nagler, but there was also Herr God and stuff like that. I guess those are technically for different publications, but like, the way I do art and poetry and stuff like that, it kind of just comes out through me. Like I just, I’m walking, and I think of a phrase of a word, like phrases or words, and then I just write it on my notes app and then I’ll pick it up later and make something, like sew it into something different. I feel like a lot of the artists are the same way. It’s like this shadow work, or something like that. I was like, it’s really affirming like ohhh I’m not crazy! Like I don’t have to think hard about this. It’s like, oh, and we both agree, you just ascribe meaning into it later, it comes on later. There’s a reason for that, and stuff like that. So it’s definitely affirmed, like I said, my processes.
C: But I think it’s just the people in general, just seeing how passionate they are about their music, it makes me excited, and it makes me happy for them. And I’m just like, wow, this is what art can do for you. It’s beautiful.
OA: I agree. When you look back on the past four years, is there anything you’d want to tell your freshman self or do differently if given the chance? That’s a loaded question!
[laughs]
OA: Four years doesn’t seem like a lot of time in scope of life, but these are like the formative years.
C: Yeah, no, you’re so right. I feel like, I feel like I would tell myself, like– you might peak in college, because you have such a good time-
OA: Bye [laughs] that’s not true, you haven’t peaked!
C: You make so many friends that like, want to hang out with you, and stuff like that, and it’s so dope, and you’re gonna have so much love and kindness with like everyone.
OA: Aweeee!
C: It’s like the LeBron James, “I can’t believe this my life”, likeee.
C: It’s crazy. Yeah, and you’re gonna get so many opportunities. And, you’re just gonna connect with so many people, maybe, if it’s through LinkedIn–
OA: [laughs]
C: Maybe you’re going to connect through LinkedIn, or maybe you’re going to connect in real life!
OA: Stop it, that’s hilarious.
C: It’s just like, very generic, but just, you’re gonna get what you want in the best way possible. Yeah, you should enjoy it. You should feel very grateful for it, and don’t let it slip by, because you’re gonna enjoy it but now people are gonna leave and you’re gonna find other people. So enjoy it.
OA: That’s so wonderful, though. It sounds like you don’t have regrets.
C: Yeah, I try to forget those if I can [laughs], so I don’t have any regrets at the moment.
OA: That’s what I like to hear.
OA: If you want to shout out anybody, or, like, you know, shout people back in Indiana!
C: Literally! Yeahh!
C: Umm, at least for college, just like anyone who’s just given me some sort of opportunity or chance, like, even, like, not even just in a professional way or, like, in a club way, but just like, a chance to talk and the opportunity to be friends and stuff like that. Ohhh it’s very cheesy, but just anyone I’ve interacted with, like, I greatly appreciate, because it is kind of a butterfly effect. Like, everything happens for a reason. But yeah, just everyone who’s been with me through college, like, I did not imagine my life would be this way. Just based off high school, middle school, I was a loner. Yeah, so I’m very grateful for everyone who I have.
OA: I think that’s such an interesting experience in college. You realize how just rubbing shoulders with people completely changes who you are–
C: Yes!
OA: And how it’s the little things. Like you hear somebody mention something and then you look it up, and now you have something new you really like! Small things like that completely change the paths of people’s lives.
C: Yes! Yeah! It’s so interesting how you can absorb those things because, I don’t know, I would say I’m original in the way that I take different people’s perspectives and however they influence me, and it’s become me. Maybe I’m like oh I hit up a new band and now I’m photographing them because I really like them, you know? So, yeah, exactly.
OA: Wait, my final question is gonna sound so silly compared to this. I have, like, one final question and it’s a goofy question in comparison!
C: Wait what is it!
OA: [clears throat] Actually it’s very serious.
C: Oh okay.
OA: So please center yourself and prepare yourself.
C: Yes, yes.
OA: Would you rather sweat maple syrup or cry strawberry jam?
C: Oh, cry strawberry jam! Are you kidding me?
[laughs]
C: Yes. Wait, that’s beautiful. Yes!
