Exclusive Interview with CLEO HANDLER

A longstanding lyricist in the Advanced BMI Songwriting Workshop and award-winning independent filmmaker, Cleo Handler is a LA native who was in Brooklyn for the past decade, but recently returned, recording “gold” at Wild Horizon Studios in Hollywood. In her words, this record – and accompanying lyric videos – were born out of need, in the aftermath of a highly unsettling, abrupt breakup with her long-term (musical) partner. Writing was the only thing that kept her afloat, and the intense drive to channel her own music was the only thing that made sense. That became an obsession and she clung on for dear life, singing and strumming, even when her voice cracked and my fingers bled.

“gold” is about what is gained when all is lost. The raw sound, honest storytelling, and highly intimate lyrics examine loss of love, community, reality, and even your notion of yourself… but, hopefully, it’s also sort of fun. And oh, right – it’s a breakup record.

These songs are about empowerment, self-actualization, and finding a reason to go on – and the strength to hope, sing, even laugh – amid the darkest moments. Musically, “gold” draws inspiration from beloved musicians like Liz Phair and Wet Leg, referring to the strength and sarcasm of Olivia Rodrigo and Hole. Visually, the videos explore nostalgic, introspective, and whimsical themes using a “home movie” palette. Check out the album and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

CLEO HANDLER: I grew up between NY and California, sort of half and half, and I feel very tied to both places. Music has always been a big part of my life… my parents were in a band when I was young, and my mom and I spent a lot of time watching old musicals together. Also, or maybe as a result, I have always been sort of obsessed with memorizing and analyzing lyrics. At this point, I feel like there are so many lyrics taking up space in my brain that I can barely remember any new people’s names! It’s kind of out of control.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

CLEO HANDLER: I took piano lessons as a kid, and my dad is a great guitarist who has given me a lesson every time I’ve visited him – and very kindly mailed me a ukulele in basically every city I’ve lived in! – since I was, I don’t know, 7? I took two musical theater lyric writing classes in college that really inspired me, which led me to go study as a lyricist at the BMI Musical Theater Workshop in NY. That was great because we were teamed up with a bunch of composers and got to collaborate with all kinds of different people. But as for songwriting in general, there’s been a whole lot of fiddling around and trial and error on my own too. I guess, overall, it’s been less of a formal education and more like a flurry of wonderful people sneaking pens into my pencil case over time, and then me eventually pulling them out and starting to doodle.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences?

CLEO HANDLER: The first band whose album I bought and memorized front to back was Blink-182… but throughout my life, I have been really, consistently influenced by Liz Phair. I just can’t stop listening to her music. I’ve also been blown away by The Magnetic Fields, Frightened Rabbit, The National, and more recently Wet Leg. I’m really drawn to raw, honest storytelling and specific lyrics – and humor – and I think those musicians are absolute masters at that.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

CLEO HANDLER: I hope people connect first with the lyrics! Sonically, I’d say the music is usually pretty low-fi and alternative and story-driven. And I have so much fun writing lyrics – there’s literally nothing I enjoy more – that when I get an idea of a hook or an image that just works or really nails the complicated mood I’m trying to pin down, it’s the best feeling in the world. I try to be really specific and hope that by doing so, the songs can actually be more universal because they invite people to really connect. That’s the hope at least.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style?

CLEO HANDLER:

For me, I think it’s been a journey of starting out by writing for other characters (through musical theater, web series, or whatever) and eventually building up toward writing for myself. I still love writing for a fictional moment or perspective – it’s such a blast to create that kind of world – but it felt a bit more vulnerable and scary to hone my personal voice and share so directly through my own music at first. That sort of honest style and self-expression is something I’m really proud to have developed musically.

6. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

CLEO HANDLER:

Oh that’s a cool question. Well, since I tend to write pretty heart-on-your-sleeve material, whether it’s for myself or a character in a fictional narrative, I guess I’d often expect listeners to naturally pick up some sense of whatever was really behind it. But if people feel something is more ambiguous and come up with their own interpretation based on their life experience or whatever mood they’re in that day, that’s awesome too. Bring it on!

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

CLEO HANDLER:

I get so much satisfaction from just making the work that anything else beyond that – fun collaborations or conversations, other people connecting with the material – is just a cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

CLEO HANDLER:

I always start with some kind of thematic kernel – a feeling, an image, a nagging thought – that I latch onto and obsess over, fleshing out from there. I’ll jot down a bunch of ideas (I always start with lyrics first on personal songwriting, like this album. For theater, sometimes, I’ll collaborate with a composer and we’ll get the hook together both lyrically & musically). But from there, regardless, I’ll spend a while shaping the lyrics… sometimes it’s more stream of consciousness, sometimes more of an intricate puzzle, but either way, the lyrics dictate the initial form of the song. And things can still get chopped up and changed of course, but if I’m satisfied enough with the story to see something there, I’ll start messing around musically and see what sticks.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

CLEO HANDLER: Oooh, I mean, that’s a big question! Professionally-speaking, from a musical standpoint, I co-wrote this musical in college that my collaborator and I poured our hearts into, and I was really proud of. It was inspired by some existing short stories, and we couldn’t get the rights to them, so that was the end of that. We couldn’t develop the show any further. For a minute we thought maybe we had a chance, and we scrambled to give it our best shot, but it didn’t pan out, and that was a pretty crushing disappointment. Because we’d worked so hard and written something really cool – and were just like “Come on! Can’t you see this is cool?!!? Let us do this please!” But even though there was heartbreak involved, the whole experience taught me the value of really throwing yourself into a project wholeheartedly no matter what, because not only did we learn a lot about writing, but also, it totally lived on. People still sing those songs to me and tell me that they were meaningful! Which is maybe even cooler.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

CLEO HANDLER: Hmm… I’m proud of this album! I’m proud of the collaboration with the other amazing artists I got to work with. I’m proud of the three lyric videos that accompany the songs, which I made with my good friend and her camera. And I’m proud of the writing and the way it helped me process a really difficult time in my life. I hope it helps other people too, and they can connect with the songs – and sing along.