DROP OF THE MONTH: #9

“LOVE WE’LL NEVER KNOW” - WHO SHOT SCOTT

If you’re after a dose of aural adrenaline, Iraqi-born, NZ-bred alternative hip hop artist/producer WHO SHOT SCOTT has got you sorted. Continuing to excel at solidifying his filthy & frantic experimental signature sound, his explosive new hit is the epitome of fearless expression that is sure to give you the energy boost that you need.

Congrats on dropping “LOVE WE’LL NEVER KNOW”! Where did you get the initial idea and inspiration for the track?

Thank you so much! It was a very organic process for me while building the production of this track. I had been listening to quite a bit of 90’s alt-rock at the time, and while I definitely didn’t go into it with the intention of creating that sound, it eventually started leaning toward that direction on it’s own, and I absolutely love that about it. Songs usually have a way of telling you what they want to be, it’s important to listen. 

Can you tell us a little bit about the meaning behind the song, and what are your favourite lyrics from it?

It’s a song about being hypnotised by the “potential” of a healthy relationship, rather than taking it for what it truly is - which for me, was unfortunately a toxic/manipulative situation. I had written down some of my thoughts on my iPhone while I was going through a rough time dealing with the remnants of PTSD caused by that relationship, and one of them happened to be “I saw a love we’ll never know”. When it came time to writing lyrics for the track, I flicked through my notes and found that sentence. It just felt right.

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

I suppose the thing that stands out to me the most is just how different the final version of the track sounds from the original demo. The process was really insightful in the sense that it truly proved that almost no idea is a bad idea - sometimes it just takes a lot of love, an objective outlook, and a strong creative direction to bring it to the finish line. I’m extremely stoked on the end result, but if you had asked me at the time of the first demo, I probably wouldn’t have thought too much of the track, which makes it all the more special considering it eventually built into something quite cool.

The music video, directed & edited by the one and only Connor Pritchard, is SO sick and we love the consistent creative theme you have across all your videos! What was your favourite part about filming this video?

Thank you! Yeah Connor really is a genius, I feel like him and I have incredible creative chemistry and I love giving him as much freedom to go as weird and wild as he wants with my visuals. I love the overall high energy of the clip, it’s exactly what I pictured for it. Little known fact, because it’s a one-take and we shot it about 10 different times, by the end of each take I was actually on the verge of fainting. Luckily though, I started taking 5 minute breaks between each shot and drinking a lot of water! To be completely honest, even though it was a bit of a struggle, it was super worth it because the video came out looking awesome.

We always end these on a “Would You Rather” so … would you rather know at the start of each relationship whether or not it will work out in the end, or leave it as a mystery?

What an interesting question. I would lean towards leaving it as a mystery, otherwise the unpredictability that keeps relationships exciting would be non-existent. In saying that however, as I’m going through my life's journey and maturing emotionally, I have become very aware and vocal of what I allow and don’t allow in terms of the way I’m treated by the people around me. I feel like that puts me in a pretty good place when entering new relationships. In a weird way - it’s almost a blessing to have been in that toxic situation in order to have learned that about myself. I’m much stronger for it.

Thanks so much WHO SHOT SCOTT! Make sure to keep up with him on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify & Apple Music.