With a groove-laced pulse and evocative lyrical abstraction, “Belladonna” marks a transportive new chapter for artist and songwriter Ev. G. Taken from his debut album, And Then I Go Up (out September 23rd), the avant-pop track merges asymmetrical rhythms with ethereal textures and subtle hip-hop swagger to conjure a lush, hallucinatory atmosphere. Fittingly named after the infamous poisonous plant, “Belladonna” leads listeners down a curiously oblique path – somewhere between dream and distortion, clarity and mystery.
The single began with a simple piano loop and drum pattern from producer Brock Geiger, which inspired lyrical ruminations and a bedroom demo from Ev. G. That raw seed evolved into a fully immersive sonic world shaped by Geiger, Will Maclellan, and a cast of standout musicians, including Gabe Noel (bass), Kane Ritchotte (drums), Ethan Gruska (ambient loops), and Clea Anaïs (cello). A vocoder-style vocal layer, first introduced by Maclellan, brought unexpected texture and set the tone for the rest of the track’s evolution.
“It deals with some of the feelings you get when things are still just unfolding in those early stages of a relationship,” shares Ev. G. “That strange awareness of all the uncertainty, and the excitement that comes with it.” Inspired equally by emotional ambiguity and the layered history of the belladonna plant – from ancient witchcraft to Renaissance-era cosmetics – the track explores dualities of danger and beauty, hope and delusion. “We rarely live in absolutes,” Ev. G notes. “Except my cat, Pinot. He absolutely rules.”
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