Sydney’s Chloe Dickson caught our ears with her latest track called "Seven Years". It’s not your usual indie-folk; it’s got a bit of a scientific edge to it.
We asked her where she first got the idea that our bodies completely replace themselves every seven years.
Chloe: "I first stumbled across the biological 'fact', or myth depending on who you ask, that our bodies replace every single cells over a seven-year cycle during a late-night deep dive into biology and change. What made it stick wasn't just the science, but the existential weight of it. As a songwriter, I'm constantly looking at the 'old versions' of myself. Realising that I am quite literally not the same person who write my first song or felt my first heartbreak. I wanted my song to capture that friction between memories we keep and the bodies that move on without them."
The final track has a massive, cinematic feel, but it didn't start out that way. We wanted to know how the production changed the initial vibe of the song.
Chloe: "Initially, Seven Years, existed in my head as a very raw and emotional, 'one mic and a guitar' Folk track. But as I brought it into the DAW, the production started to demand more space. I began experimenting with layers and vocal harmonies and processing that mimic that feeling of time blurring. I think the final production acts as a landscape for the lyrics; it shifted from a simple narrative into something much more cinematic. Using specific textures in the mix allowed me to bridge the gap between that organic indie-folk foundation into something more modern like folk-rock."
What really struck us was how honest the song feels. Chloe admitted that the writing process actually caught her off guard.
Chloe: "What surprised me most was how much the lyrics actually spoke back to me after I’d written them. I originally started 'Seven Years' focusing on that biological concept of cellular regeneration, I thought it was just a clever, slightly detached way to express the heavy emotions I was feeling at the time. However, by the time I hit the second verse, the 'metaphor' fell away. I had this sudden realisation that I wasn't just writing about a scientific theory; I was documenting a very specific, difficult period of my life that I was right in the middle of. It was a bit of a shock to see my own reality staring back at me from the page. Ultimately, the song became the very thing that helped me process those events. It taught me that sometimes your subconscious knows exactly what you need to say before your conscious mind is even ready to admit it."
You might not hear it immediately, but there’s a real technicality to her sound. She’s got a bit of a "theory nerd" streak that comes from an unlikely place.
Chloe: "People might not guess it just by listening, but I’m a massive fan of Classic Rock and the logic behind how songs are built. I’m a bit of a theory nerd at heart, I love playing around with unexpected chord changes and structural 'rules' to see how I can break them. I’m inspired by those classic rock artists who could write a huge, emotional song that was secretly full of clever musical tricks. I try to bring that same balance to my music: I want it to feel raw and rocky, but I also want there to be a lot of intentional detail 'under the hood' for people to find."
Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, We asked if we could expect a full project soon.
Chloe: "At the moment I have no official plans for releasing new music. But I am writing an EP at the moment..."
Finally, given the theme of the song, We asked if she’d rather jump seven years back or seven years into the future.
Chloe: "I would definitely go seven years forward. I'm a very nostalgic person. I'd love to see where my music has taken me and if I've finally figured out all the answers to all the things I've been writing about. Plus I want to see how much the world has changed by then!!!
Listen to Seven Years by Chloe Dickson on Local Sounds:
https://localsounds.com.au/song/chloe-dickson/seven-years