Shye and Dru Chen come through with a surprising collaboration 'I'll Be Honest'.
Nostalgic synths, driving guitars, and knocking drums blend seamlessly with Shye and Dru’s beautiful vocals on the duet that sees the two singers exchange lines showcasing a bittersweet acceptance and regret that sometimes heartbreak may be the right way out.
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'I'll Be Honest' is the perfect soundtrack for an evening drive and compels us to move. The track will be a part of the upcoming deluxe version of Dru Chen’s 'Slow Life' album. 'Slow Life' was originally released last year and featured Dru collaborating with local favorites like Gentle Bones and Rangga Jones, on a collection of reflective tracks. Shye has released a wonderful trio of singles thus far this year, with ‘mirror’, ‘phonecase’, and ‘still trying’.
With loads of excitement after listening to ‘I’ll Be Honest’, Hear65 chats with Shye and Dru to find out more about the song and how it came about, as well as what they’ve been up to recently!
Hey, Dru Chen and Shye! How have you been?
Dru Chen: I’ve been elated and proud to see our hard work finally come to fruition with the release of this new song!
Shye: I’ve been good, thank you! So exciting to see live shows happening and being able to attend them. :)
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How did this collaboration come about?
Dru Chen: I had a track co-written with Joel Tan (Gentle Bones) and co-producer JZlee. My initial demo was based on the “Every Breath You Take” guitar riff by Andy Summers of The Police, and when Joel sped it up and JZlee added his amazing drums, bass, and synth to it, we mutually agreed it might be up Shye’s alley. I’ve been a big fan of hers since I heard her debut album back in 2020, and was over the moon when she agreed to jump on the collaboration and write her verse and chorus!
Shye: Dru reached out to me on Instagram and asked if I was interested to be on the track. I just loved it as soon as I had a listen and then everything flowed from there.
Can you share some anecdotes about writing and producing 'I'll Be Honest'?
Dru Chen: The track initially did not have any guitar solo, but I was on this 1980s trip, listening to The Police and Prince, and when I was listening to “Little Red Corvette” by Prince, I thought to myself, "what the heck, let’s just add this over-the-top solo in the outro for a bit of a laugh". It turned out to be Shye’s favourite part of the song!
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Shye: When I was thinking about what to write for my part, I figured since I was writing from a different perspective, it would be cool to switch up the meaning of the song a little. So instead of singing “I gotta be honest” like Dru does, I switched it up to mean “I gotta be honest, you gotta be honest with yourself.”
What inspired the songwriting and production of the new song?
Dru Chen: I think definitely playing off of JZlee’s initial drums, bass, and synth groove, I wanted to layer those guitars playing the 9th chords like Andy Summers. Then tie it all together by going to the 808s and hi-hats for the chorus. It’s really a mish-mash of the 80s, and modern music.
Shye: This is definitely more of a question for Dru, but I just want to add that I love the production of the song so much. The outro is one of my favourite parts.
How was it collaborating with each other?
Dru Chen: Shye is one of the hardest working and most professional creatives I’ve ever worked with. She’s also wildly original in her writer’s voice, and has an amazing way with a top-line. Kudos to her!
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Shye: Dru was so easy to work with! I want to thank him for being so chill and giving me so much freedom when it came to writing my parts.
What are you hoping listeners take away from this song?
Dru Chen: I hope it provides some sort of healing or solace, and uplifting positivity, especially for those who may be going through a tough time in their relationships. Always prioritise self-worth, because it can be so easily taken for granted.
Shye: The song sounds so light-hearted and fun! But on a deeper level, I hope listeners take away how important communication is in any relationship, be it romantic or even just between friends and family. Not only is it important to be honest with one another, but it is also just as important, to be honest with yourself.
What else can we look forward to hearing from you soon?
Dru Chen: The deluxe version of my Slow Life album will be dropping later this year!
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Shye: I have a single coming out in a couple of weeks, as well as an EP sometime later. I’m also working hard to put together my headlining show.
Listen to 'I'll Be Honest' now.
