Rising First Nations artist Cloe Terare loves calling Toowoomba home, ahead of release of debut EP

First Nations songwriter Cloe Terare’s star has exploded over the past year, working with top producers and earning national airplay. But despite the success, she has no plans to leave Toowoomba.

Toowoomba singer/songwriter Cloe Terare is gearing up for a massive 2021 after expanding her listenership during the past 12 months.

She’s been played on national radio and has more than 17,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, but Toowoomba singer/songwriter Cloe Terare has no intention of leaving the Garden City anytime soon.

Having enjoyed a meteoric 2020 where she was showcased at industry event Bigsound, the First Nations artist says she moved away to Toowoomba two years ago to deliberately get away from the noise and chaos of Brisbane.

“Brisbane was too busy for me and when my boyfriend brought me to Toowoomba to meet family, I asked if we could move here,” she said.

“I can’t see myself leaving — I just feel a lot calmer. I don’t feel I’m at work, I just feel I’m away from it and in this little private area.”

Drawing on contemporary artists like Lana Del Rey and Billie Eillish, Ms Terare’s music has been described as brooding and thoughtful by industry leaders.

This is reflected in her latest single ‘Intentions’ with producer JDG, which is currently being spun on national youth station Triple J.

But she said her upcoming debut EP, which is likely to drop next year, will build on what has already been established.

“(The EP) is an honest representation of me — I want something more upbeat and poppy,” Ms Terare said.

“Over the next six months, I want to have a full EP together and I want to have a hand in my full release.”

Ms Terare said while living and working regionally did have its drawbacks when the music industry was so focused on the metropolitan areas, she hoped to contribute and draw attention to a thriving local music scene.

“I was just talking to some of my friends about the music scene in Toowoomba,” she said.

“I think we have a strong music community here in Toowoomba, and we should show that we’re doing here (to the industry).”

A proud Gureng Gureng woman, Ms Terare said it was important for First Nations artists to be recognised and given greater opportunities to showcase their work as a starting point.

“In the industry, what they’re trying to do is give First Nations artists a platform,” she said.

You can follow Cloe Terare on Spotify, Facebook and Instagram.