When you hear this song on Niko's Music Mixtape, you might think I've completely lost my mind and that I’m mixing things together without rhyme or reason. And you’d be absolutely right! Because that’s exactly my goal! To break away from boxes and not do what everyone else does. That’s just who I am!

No, we’re not diving into a little indie-folk gem this time. Instead, we’re in for a high-energy track, leaning more toward indie-rock with touches of alt-rock and even a hint of pop-punk. It’s a clever blend of various energies, but it always pulls us firmly back into the rock universe, with a highly contagious energy to boot!

Talk in Waves didn’t submit this track directly to IMC. I actually asked him to, after hearing only about ten seconds of one of the many teasers he posted on Instagram before the release. I was immediately hooked by the incredibly catchy melody, without even hearing the full song. When I finally listened to the entire track, my initial impression was confirmed within the first few seconds of the intro. I sometimes hesitate to admit that my 23 years of experience help me uncover hidden gems, but in this case, I definitely sniffed out a winner!

You may have already come across articles about Talk in Waves on IMC without realizing it, as he used to make music under the name The Frontier. We even featured his song Ghost. For a bit of context, he revealed to us that he was once part of a hard rock band. Aha! So that’s why the rock energy in "You're My Drug" is so infectious, it all makes sense now!

But is the artist speaking to someone in this song? Is it about a romantic relationship so intense it becomes addictive? Well, not necessarily. And this is where the brilliance of indie artists, particularly Talk in Waves, shines: they create songs that you can interpret however you like. The artist explained that the song could be about any kind of addiction, as these are ever-present in our daily lives, all the time, everywhere:

"The song is about how society has created a 'culture of addicts.' We are addicted to phones and toxic relationships. Everything is so addicting, and people just can't help themselves. Everywhere you go now, you see it, and it’s really hard to deny. We all just need relief and an escape because reality is just getting too hard for some of us. I think it's just a song that’s shining the mirror back on society, and ultimately, they will decide how true it is...or not."

If, like me, you’ve watched Black Mirror on Netflix, maybe you’re waking up from a bad dream right now, thinking, "Wow, maybe I should put this screen down!" No, I’m kidding, don’t put it down just yet. There are two things you need to do first: finish reading this magazine, and quickly add this banger to your playlists!

Talk in Waves's take on "You're my drug"

I used to be in a hard rock band. and this is kind of a throwback to that. My old bandmate and I collaborated on this one. It was written in 3 hours and we both brought in ideas, but we were caught on the phrase "you're my drug". Something about it inspired the rest of the lyrics. Once we had a concept the rest of the song was pretty easy to write.

A bit more about Talk in Waves

Featured on NPR, Netflix, The CW, and MTV. Formed in 2015 by Jake Mimikos, Northern VA-based singer/songwriter, band members have varied over the years. Talk in Waves is a personal journey in the form of indie/rock, synth pop, and folk music.

Reach out to Talk in Waves

Lyrics

I've been paranoid, hallucinating, fever dreaming, medicating.
It's debilitating.
I've been clawing, scraping, scratching, dying.
Whispers in my ears are lying.
But I keep fighting.
There are reasons I alone don't know the answers.
And maybe I just don't wanna know.
But something's telling me that I've been blinded by
This reason to stay.
You're my drug.
Coursing through my veins.
Just a little more to keep me sane.
I've been losing it without you.
Cause you're my drug.
I've been losing it without you.
You're my drug.
It's a long way back from falling.
Through the depths of this addiction.
I anticipate recovery.
But it's the grip of the allure.
Always keeps me wanting more.
It's got a hold of me, it's ecstasy.
There are reasons I alone don't know the answers.
And maybe I just don't wanna know.
But something's telling me that I've been blinded by
This reason to stay.
You're my drug.
Coursing through my veins.
Just a little more to keep me sane.
I've been losing it without you.
Cause you're my drug.
I've been losing it without you.
You're my drug.
One more hit, one more sip.
One more walk in the park.
One more try, one more fix.
One more kiss in the dark.
One more hit, one more sip.
One more walk in the park.
One more try, one more fix.
One more kiss in the dark.
You're my drug.
Coursing through my veins.
Just a little more to keep me sane.
You're my drug.
Coursing through my veins.
Just a little more to keep me sane.
I've been losing it without you.
Cause you're my drug.
I've been losing it without you.
You're my drug.