pleaselevitate On the Making Of “i lie”
What was the creative process like for "i lie?"
Chinmay: Usually before approaching a song idea, we try to figure out a vibe for the song. We send each other reference songs and get a vague idea of what the vibe of the song would be and what it would sound like. We don’t restrict ourselves to genres so we just go with what feels right. I then whip up a demo and then we go back n forth slowly shaping and perfecting the idea before Yulia starts with the vocals.
Yulia: For me everything usually starts with the instrumentals that Chinmay sends me. So then I listen to these instrumentals - melodies come into my head, sometimes it takes a lot of time till I feel that’s what I need for the song. This time I wrote a melody for a chorus pretty fast because it’s stuck in my mind. After melodies I write lyrics and this process is also a bit random, because lyrics not always fit melodies I wrote before, so here starts a step of changing lyrics to be suitable for melodies. In general in my opinion lyrics can’t hit someone’s ear that hard as a catchy melody.
Were there any specific recording techniques or equipment used to achieve the desired sound?
Yulia: I always try something new in terms of vocal techniques like falsetto or otherwise lower vocals. This time I tried to make my voice sound more harsh and energetic on choruses and at the same time keep vocals airy with layers so we got a more post-punkish song with dreamy nostalgic atmosphere.
What did you enjoy most about making this single?
Chinmay: The part that I loved is when the song comes together. This time I also recorded my vocals to accompany Yulia on the choruses, it was anxiety inducing yet fun! But yeah, when all the elements came together and we finally felt our idea come through, that was the best part of making this song as this fusion of genres is a first for both of us.
Yulia: To be honest, I enjoy the entire process and the result! I can say that I’m too picky for music and I’ve never been satisfied with the music I’ve released before we started pleaselevitate. But you know sometimes you should start from scratch to get where you want to be and I feel like now I create something that I can truly be proud of.
How did you initially come together?
Chinmay: Back in late 2022, I was scrolling through insta when I came across Yulia promoting one of her collabs. I loved her vocals and knew I had to follow her. Never did I expect a follow back. I felt a bit bold that day so I took my shot and pitched a song to her. Yulia very politely declined saying she’s into dark synth pop, lucky enough for me I was working on a similar genre. I then pitched an early version of “In the Dark”. She liked it and said she’d work on it. Skip to summer of 2023, she finally sent me the vocals and I put the song together and sent it back to her. She loved it so much that she jokingly said we should start a band and I agreed. And that’s how it started.
What role do you feel emotions play in your music, and how do you channel them into your performances?
Chinmay: When you write songs coz you love music, every word you sing, every chord you play, it comes out of an honest place within you. Whenever I start producing or writing a song, I try to tap into my present or past feelings that I’ve been trying to process. Sometimes you see things around you that affect you in some way, I try to make sense of that through my music. It helps me set the mood and vibe of the song.
Yulia: There are definitely a lot of emotions! Every time I listen to “In the Dark” or “i lie” - it takes my breath away, I cried when I heard a final version of “In the Dark” (haha). We haven’t performed yet, but I hope that one day we’ll be lucky enough to do so. I think we have something special to show and tell the audience.