DROP OF THE MONTH: #03

“CLV” - Aidan Fine ft. Church & AP

Congrats on the HUGE track - it’s such an epic collab! Where did you get the initial idea and inspiration for the song?

Aidan Fine: Thank you! It all started with that little percussion loop you hear at the very start of the song. EDY heard that and just built this insane beat from it. I’d say most of the melodic instrumentation comes from the alternative hip-hop world while the drums were inspired by UK drill. The lyrical content kinda just came to me as I wrote it. Sometimes there’s no theme in mind and you’re just writing until something comes up, and this was definitely one of those times.

Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind the track?

Aidan Fine: “CLV” stands for “c’est la vie” which is a French term meaning “such is life”. It’s basically shrugging your shoulders when things go wrong. Even though “CLV” is a pretty big sonic departure from my other music, it’s actually got a similar message to my other songs like “Day by Day” and “Deadroses”. Life is complicated and difficult, some things won’t go right. It’s about accepting that, and in doing that, you actually gain power over those things and are able to live a happier life. 

What was the process like for writing, producing and recording the song, and how did the opportunity to collab with Church & AP come about?

Aidan Fine: Most of the song was made in that first session. That was actually my first session with EDY. I wrote my verse and the chorus, and after we recorded it I knew there was something there. I had been working with Church & AP for a while by then, and so I brought the song to one of the “AT THY FEET” sessions and played it for them. They really liked it, and so they jumped on. This actually happened months before our other collab, “MUSTBE”, but we sat on “CLV” for a while to get the mix right. Dera Meelan mixed the vocals and EDY mixed the beat, and we had to rearrange some of the elements a few times, but eventually we got it right and it felt ready to release.

What were some of your main highlights working on the track?

Aidan Fine: The reaction I got when I played Dera the song. He was like, “what the fuck is this?!” I actually got really nervous when he said that, because I thought he hated it for a second. 

With the phrase “c’est la vie” being used to express acceptance in the face of a difficult situation, would you rather accept only being able to listen to one song for the rest of your life, or only being able to watch one movie for the rest of your life?

Aidan Fine: Oh that’s easy. Movie for sure. 

Thanks heaps Aidan! Make sure to keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.