Water & Rum Release Wistful New Track ‘Sticky’

For Mumbai-based dream pop duo Water & Rum – comprising vocalist-guitarist Ramya Pothuri and singer Tanya Shah – their songwriting process is not overly complicated. The pair keep it simple with Pothuri coming up with chord progressions while Shah hums out melodies to complement them. “We just put our phones on record, so we don’t have to worry about forgetting [parts],” says Pothuri. Once they have a basic idea for a song, they then work on lyrics separately before combining their ideas for the finished product. Water & Rum’s newest dreamy single “Sticky” was born in a similar vein.

“Sticky” opens with delicate acoustic guitar plucking and vocals which merge into flowing harmonies, creating quaint vibes. Although the song incorporates a slight bossa nova influence it retains the duo’s signature ethereal sound. “I think it all [sonically] went to that feeling that you’re just sitting on a beach somewhere and you’re just daydreaming,” says Pothuri. Continuing with the theme of daydreaming, Pothuri also explains that lyrically the song touches upon infatuation and developing feelings for someone you barely know. She says, “You’ve had so much of a physical world created in your head involving them that they have no clue about.” The musician adds, “And you’re probably never going to see them again.” The song has been produced by Pothuri and mixed by Mumbai sound engineer Ayan De.

Even though Water & Rum aren’t able to meet due to the current lockdown brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic, it hasn’t stopped them from writing new music together. The duo have taken their sessions to Skype and have been crafting out material there.

With “Sticky” now the pair’s third single after releasing their previous songs “Vacant” and “If I Dive Drunk” over the last two years, what’s next for them? Pothuri says, “We have this song called ‘Silly Boy,’ that’s what we’re planning on releasing next.” The musician confirms that the mix for the follow-up single is already done and that they are just waiting on the right moment until they release it.

Stream “Sticky” below: