Rising Melbourne-based artist Malakai has returned with the second single off his forthcoming debut EP Journals of an Immigrant & Minority.

Titled ‘Drive-Thru‘, the song captures the pursuit of success fuelled by the drive of a deeper, more meaningful connection. The riches of love.

Sonically this new single brings a blend of old school R&B, fused with the modern day 808 slap bass.

Adding a heavy emphasis on vulnerability in his lyrics and tone, ‘Drive-Thru‘ accompanied with a masterclass production from South Carolina producer, RellyMade (CashMoneyAP).

LISTEN TO ‘DRIVE-THRU’ BELOW AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

Prior to the release, we linked up with Malakai to chat about what he’s been up to, his new single ‘Drive-Thru‘, the process of bringing it together, what the remainder of 2019 holds, and much more! Peep our exclusive interview below:

(TLF) It’s been a minute since we last spoke, how’s 2019 been treating you?

MALAKAI – 2019 has been a year of immense growth. ‘Elevate’ came out earlier this year, and since then I’ve been working towards the second release, ‘Drive-Thru’ from my upcoming debut EP.

(TLF) Who are some of the artists you’ve been listening to as of late?

MALAKAI – To be completely honest, I’ve been trying to avoid listening to other artists while working on my music. I’ve been trying to get myself into a particular mindset to tap into my raw sound, so I’ve only really listened to local artists in the Melbourne scene. Akido, Maya, Neezy, Zima, and one of my favourite female artists right now, Kelsey.

(TLF) Congratulations on your new release, tell us what does ‘Drive-Thru’ mean to you?

MALAKAI – ‘Drive-Thru’ I’d say to date, is my current favourite song! There was a lot of work that went towards getting this ready for release. I was very particular with mashing up my vintage R&B sound with the contemporary Hip Hop style I’ve always been so accustomed to. Took a massive effort from the team, but I couldn’t be more happier with the direction we took on this one.

(TLF) What was the process like in bringing it together?

MALAKAI – It’s one of those songs I’ve always had in me. It just took the right instrumentation to bring it out. Rely is a South Carolina producer who’s work speaks for itself. I’ve never seen distance as an obstacle so creating an Australian-American working relationship has always been a goal of mine. Having Dan Konopka (OKGo) and Ben Thomas (Jorja Smith, Lil Dicky) as engineers just brought that all together.

(TLF) Do you have any more plans for shows, releases or visuals that we should keep an eye out for?

MALAKAI – So, there is a music video for ‘Drive-Thru’ set for the release within the next 2-3 weeks. Ii’m immensely excited about that cause I know folks won’t be expecting what we put together. In terms of shows, nothing’s announced just yet, but if any major ones pop up, I’ll be sure to put the word out.

(TLF) Whats the ultimate message you wish to convey with your music?

MALAKAI – My music is meant for the people. It’s meant to be shared. Whenever you hear something coming from me, it’s from the most authentic and genuine part of me. I live these lyrics. You get all facts. Pure heart. I wear that on my sleeve through my music, so I like to let that speak for itself.

‘DRIVE-THRU‘ IS AVAILABLE ON ALL POPULAR STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW!

Be sure to give Malakai some love and follow him on his socials below:
Facebook: @officialmalakai
Instagram: @officialmalakai
SoundCloud: @officialmalakai
YouTube: @officialmalakai

 

Written by,
~Timothy Thorpe
@timothythorpe47

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