Like most 26-year-olds, Chloe Agnew is busy “figuring it all out”. The former member of Celtic Woman is already a music veteran, having recorded her first single at the age of 11, but the singer is now focusing on following her own path in the industry.

“I’m doing some very clichéd soul searching,” she tells Irish Country Living. “I feel like I’m starting phase two now, which is great at my age. There’s a lot that I want to achieve personally and professionally over the next few years. I spent 10 years in a group, and I needed a change and to do something for myself.

Chloe left Celtic Woman in 2013, after recording 14 albums with the group, all of which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s World Music chart. The group’s schedule, she says, was “gruelling”, and Chloe was glad to leave and focus on her own material.

“I made amazing friends through the group, but it was only when I left Celtic Woman that I thought life could really begin. You’re a cog in the machine, and when you step out of that, it’s you against the world. I’ve learned twice as much since I left. It’s been great for me.”

Going solo

She decided to base herself in LA two years ago, to work on solo material and explore other career options.

“LA is one of those places that you either love or hate,” she says. “It’s a tough city. Anyone who has lived here will say that. There’s competition and it keeps you on top of your game, striving to be better all the time. I actually really like that.

“This place keeps me driven and focused. I don’t think it’s permanent, but it’s the right thing in life for me right now. “Song-writing has been a huge love of mine for the past two years and I’ve been focusing on that.

“I also hope to do more acting and voice-over animation work. When you’re doing one thing for so long, you can get terrified about doing anything else. I’ve been using this time to try my hand at different things.”

Ireland Calling

Living in California and travelling across the world has made Chloe appreciate her Irish roots.

“The more I travel, I realise how proud I am of being Irish. It’s a real novelty out here, because most of the Irish are on the east coast,” she says.

“The funny thing is, when I have friends in town here I find myself welling up and being emotional and homesick.

“When you’re abroad, you realise the importance of home so much more. It’s amazing when people even come up to me here and say: ‘You look like your mammy.’”

As the daughter of Adele “Twink” King and Irish oboist David Agnew, Chloe is used to living in the public eye. Her younger sister Naomi also works in the entertainment industry in production.

“I realise how lucky I was to grow up in that kind of family. Entertainment was a way of life for us growing up – it’s a job, and we do it well. It’s funny, you do look at it like a family business,” she says. “My sister is much more involved in the creative, production side. She came out as a production co-ordinator with us for Celtic Woman, and she’s also produced for me.

Family first

“My family are an incredible support, they really are. I’m very lucky to be able to pick up the phone to them. It’s amazing to have parents who understand what I do,” adds Chloe.

Citing Adele and Sara Bareilles as major inspirations, Chloe says she won’t be transforming into a pop queen.

She is home to perform in the National Concert Hall on 16 January and is looking forward to showcasing her new material.

“The Concert Hall is an opportunity for me to show the different sides of music that I’ve been working on,” she says.

“When I was in Celtic Woman, it felt very organic at that time in my life. Now this feels a lot more real. You just change as you get older.

“Elements of my time in Celtic Woman will be on stage, but it’s only 10% of who I am. There’s a lot more of me that I’m looking to share with people.”

Catch Chloe in concert

Chloe Agnew, The Voice of a Celtic Woman performs with her band and special guests at the National Concert Hall on Saturday, 16 January. Call 01-417-0000 or click here to book tickets.