A.I.W.C: Making Sense of Senseless Drama
Senseless Drama expressed her struggle to find the balance between her emotions and ego.
Sweeping the music scene, AIWC brings with her a unique take on the avant-garde. Known to her folks as Oprah Pierre, AIWC’s humbling journey started in East London, where she grew up with varied influences from Country and Western to gospel. With this she has created her own style, making her a cut above the rest, an influence in her own right. I was fortunate enough to chat with her about her latest debut single Senseless Drama, and what she plans to do next. Alien In Wolves Clothing (the initials of AIWC) is Oprah all over; she does what we least expect her to do. We are truly excited that this eccentric artist is finally claiming the spotlight with her magentic energy. Senseless Drama tells the tale of a woman with many personalities and agendas that manifest as shown in scenes of the song. AIWC said Senseless Drama expressed her struggle to find the balance between her “emotions and ego”, and how the conflict of the two presented itself in her relationship. The song reinvents your classic R&B sound. You’ll hear electronic influences and bassy dub to accompany a beat that hits you in the face. The music video, directed and produced by Global Before Local, mashes up the visuals to cleverly reflect the concept and lyrics of the song. Ashleigh Stunna (@ashleighstunna) was the stylist “responsible for putting all the looks together, so it gave that feel of completely different characters with the same storyline”.
Though AIWC is her character, Oprah has not lost touch with herself, so chatting with her was like having banter with a friend. Our conversation was easy-flowing, and straight away I was greeted by her eccentricity. We talked about DIY waxing, which I’m sure many of us have resorted to since salons closed down, before I asked what inspired Senseless Drama. Oprah explained that the concept projected of many personalities “wasn’t intentional. It’s so weird. I’ll write a song, and then realise where it was stemming from emotionally when I listen to it later. So that’s how Senseless Drama was made. I just went into the studio, and recorded it. It just happened, I didn’t write lyrics or anything like that. I just freestyled with the vibe of [the song], then later on I discovered that I was literally talking about something that I went through. It was a reflection of multiple emotions that I felt at the time with the person that it was about”.
She vividly remembers singing This Little Light of Mine at church every single Sunday “for about a year”! Oprah went to church with Tiana Major9, which I thought was a fun fact. They were the only two that were “brave enough to come up to the front and sing”. And who would’ve thought they would both become stars? I think they most certainly did! But AIWC’s journey, like any other, hasn’t come without its obstacles. She is a very good example of someone whose huge achievements are paved by small, gradual steps. And although it has taken her a while to break through the barriers, she kept pushing. It’s especially inspiring now while we’re all in lockdown and life seems to have stopped in its tracks.
What were you doing before you released Senseless Drama?
“I left college when I was 19, and I’ve just been working since, trying to get my foot in the music game. Unfortunately, there are a lot of dream sellers and people who make empty promises, and that’s why it’s taken me so long to get it done and get it out. But it’s definitely something I’ve been pushing for a while. Like any other journey I’ve come across bumps and dips, but I’m finally at a place now where I’ve found the right team”.
What were your influences when producing the song?
“At the time of the song being created, I said to my friend, Lawaun Bernard, [who is a producer] that I wanted to add that feel of The Weeknd, and then he laid down some chords and we just spiralled from those chords. So I think for me, the influences came more from what I listened to when I was growing up, like Amy Winehouse and Aaliyah. But I also liked a lot of Cascade, James Blake, and Disclosure, so maybe subconsciously all those influences just came together”.
Are you planning any collabs with other artists?
“Right now, I’m not planning any collabs, and I don’t intend to. Reason being is because the sound is quite unique. I just want to dive deeper into the sound, and put my own stamp of approval on it. Because the sound is so different, I don’t know if many people could collab with it, if that makes sense. What would we create? It just wouldn’t work. People would say my music is alternative, but I don’t listen to a lot of alternative artists. I listen to a lot of Drill and Trap”.
AIWC is no doubt a dark horse. You’ll be surprised to know what she has planned for the future now her career is taking off. “I’m plotting on how to make Drill alternative”. We’ll have to wait and see how she executes this - she is looking for the right producer - but we know that with the attention Senseless Drama has had in just a month (44K views and counting!), AIWC is definitely one to watch. Stay tuned for the release of Addicted, a single she produced with her close friend before lockdown. There was also mention of live shows and maybe a few challenges. Follow @a.i.w.c and watch this space!