Pills and Potions
Eve Alai x Senara
Pills and Potions is the lead single of Singapore based producer-songwriter Eve Alai’s upcoming debut EP, featuring a collaboration with Sri Lankan pop artist, Senara, whose sassy but smooth vocal performance serves as a perfect balm to the track’s throbbing pulse.
Not your typical dance track, “Pills and Potions” is ready to bop its way into quarantine parties all over the world with its house-inflected beats, slinky grooves, and gleefully immaculate production. Its somber lyrics about the realities of relationships are in a different vein entirely, but somehow the contrasting effect encourages listeners to dance the pain away.
“I noticed that people love to dance to songs that address situations in love and life that are unfortunate,” Eve Alai takes into account the story behind his happy-sad anthem. “ I wanted to create a vibe where people could embrace their sadness and dance at the same time.”
“Melancholic nu disco meet nu garage vibes lay over a modern house groove, with sultry pop vocal top lines and stabs reigning through. Think of a slowed down two-step remix of a vocal banger from the early two-thousands, this Asian collaboration has done a bit of digging around to carve their sound.” - Mixmag Asia
What’s your story? How did you start?
I started off playing the guitar and moved onto production when I started writing originals. After COVID-19 happened I had some time away from my professional work that I used to focus on my own music. This is what evolved into Eve Alai. My friends say my sound is the sound of summer. I love parties, road trips with friends and most importantly, the beach. This is what I try to capture in my music.
What was the inspiration behind Pills and Potions?
I noticed that people love to dance to songs that address situations in love and life that are unfortunate. I wanted to create a vibe where people could embrace their sadness and dance at the same time!
What makes Pills and Potions special?
It’s unique in that it doesn’t follow house cliches such as four on the floor and has hip hop inspired rhythms when it comes to the drums along with unique drum samples that don’t fit the norm. It’s a combination of undeniable house grooves accompanied by sombre vocals which address the realities of relationships. I feel the combination of those two elements is what makes the song unique.
What’s your musical process like?
It’s different every time, but I try to find inspiration in small melodic fragments. I evolve these fragments in ways that reference each other melodically and rhythmically in order to build a whole song.
What’s your favourite part of the song?
The pre-chorus which contains the lyrics ‘I don’t need to take pills and potions’. I love that I was able to strike a balance between catchy while also having depth in that section of the song. I also like the unconventional song structure. I wanted to make it different. I was stuck on a basic pop song structure for weeks before I realised that I could skip the pre-chorus after the second verse and go right into another drop.
What are your life goals?
My only life goal was to see Coldplay. That checked out pretty early so right now I’m taking it a day at a time since I started from the top! Jokes aside, I want to connect with as many people as I can through my music. I want to push dance music forward in terms of how much depth it can have emotionally.
Any last words?
Dance to the song! Things get better, it’s always good to be aware of patterns in one’s life. I think that’s key to coming back stronger.
[Verse 1]
It burns so slow
When I’m on fire
I can’t escape your desire
Free falling through the lies
Tonight
[Chorus]
‘Cause I don’t need to
Feel fake emotions
Or Pills and Potions
To cover up the doubts
Have you ever
Known true devotion
Cause I got the notion
That’s not what you’re about
‘Cause I don’t need to
Feel fake emotions
Or Pills and Potions
To cover up the doubts
Have you ever
Known true devotion
‘Cause I got the notion
That’s not what you’re about
[Verse 2]
Take two
I wish we both knew
It ain’t enough for us to pull through
Take your time
‘Cause I can’t hide
Tonight, tonight
[Chorus]
‘Cause I don’t need to
Feel fake emotions
Or Pills and Potions
To cover up the doubts
Have you ever
Known true devotion
‘Cause I got the notion
That’s not what you’re about
