ION INDIE MAGAZINE October 2014, Volume 5 | Page 33

By Mark Uricheck
Photography by Amina Al H
“I wish Andrew would go into the other
room so I can say what I really think
about him,” jokes CHLOE LOWERY, one
half of the New York City-based
Pop/Rock/Electronica/Acoustic duo
CHAMELEON (there are seemingly about
another 15 genres with which you can
tag her and partner ANDREW ROSS).
These two are not only some of the
sharpest wits you’ll find; they’re also two
of the most vibrantly creative musical
minds you’ll find in a city already overrun by
such talent.
“Yeah, and when we really disagree with
each other, we REALLY disagree with
each other,” laughs Ross, chiming in at
one point on the topic of studio
mechanics during an interview that was
as off-the-cuff and lighthearted as it was
insightful and stimulating. Yes, if there’s
one word that can sum up the music, as
well as the soul of Chameleon, it might
as well be “personality”.
The name of the band may be new to
most of the listening public, but the
players shouldn’t be. Lowery, a professional vocalist since the age of 9, was signed to her first record deal at 12 with RCA (a
track for the movie “Joe Somebody” soundtrack called “Get You Off My Mind”), and continuing onward with vocal stints for
BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY, and eventually, YANNI–she was a featured vocalist for the famed Greek
composer’s 2009 “Voices” tour. Lowery’s been firmly entrenched with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since 2010–touring
steadily with the TSO West troupe each winter season, as well as for the group’s recent spring “Beethoven’s Last Night” tours.
Andrew Ross comes from similar stock. A musician since his early teens, the North Carolina native became versatile on a
number of instruments, thanks in part to a musical family upbringing. Ross eventually made the move to New York City, where
while waiting tables, he became heavily involved with the theater–landing roles in productions of “Jesus Christ Superstar”,
“Godspell”, and “Hair”, catching the eye of TSO mastermind PAUL O’NEILL. Since 2007, like Lowery, Ross has been a vocalist
with the West troupe of TSO–first lending his vocals on TSO recorded work with the band’s 2009 “Night Castle” album. In
addition, Ross also moonlights with DAREDEVIL SQUADRON, a NYC Rock band in which he performs with fellow TSO West
member, guitarist ANGUS CLARK.
The Chameleon collaboration began, innocently enough, with the rather organic process of two musicians introducing each
other to some of their favorite music.
“We began trading music with each other,” Ross recalls. “Trading playlists, mix tapes, stuff like that. We became friends on a
musical level that way. Then, one day we decided to write a song. We said, ‘Hey, we can do this. Let’s write music that we both
like.”