Eva Simons - Taking Over Control
On a normal day, the cops, optical illusions, and a suit of plush panda bears would have virtually nothing to do with one another. However, it’s not a normal day in Eva Simons’ music video for her new song: “Policeman.” Eva is most known for being featured in Afrojack’s “Take Over Control,” a club classic. She has also done collaborations with will.i.am, Chris Brown, and LMFAO. Despite flying solo this time around, Eva’s “Policeman” (featuring Konshens) is already one of the top 10 dance chart hits of iTunes in 14 countries and has been described as “a mix between Major Lazer and M.I.A.” Weighing in on the track, Simons heartily says, “Policeman is an energetic video and fun song that makes people really happy. I hope the police won’t arrest me for mocking them.”Raine spoke with the music industry’s rising young star about the new single and the life of a disc jockey.RAINE: Your video “Policeman” is genius! Where did the concept come from for the video?SIMONS: Thanks! I wanted a crazy video with lots of wardrobe changes and different settings. I did all the styling myself with my assistant Gaby.It was nonstop working because we had to fill 21 scenes with fashion, not only for me but also for the dancers and extras on set. Thankfully I have a lot of creative friends who helped me with making the pieces cause most things I wanted I couldn’t find in stores. My manager thought I lost my mind because I wanted so many scenes [laughs], I told her that it was gonna be alright. I found my team pretty quickly. I showed my script to my friend Rigel Kilston, the Director and he loved it! His homie Danny Merk did all the after effects which I love. The end result is so dope and we totally smashed it.RAINE: At what point did you realize your single, "Take over Control," was going to be huge dance hit?SIMONS: It was kind of exciting when I saw people talking more and more about the song on social media, and especially when people would sing along to the lyrics in the clubs. When I started to get lots of bookings in the US and seeing people actually singing along to the song, I was just...wow... speechless.RAINE: What has been the hardest part of building your brand across the globe?SIMONS: Well, it’s really cool that so many people come to my shows and like the music I make. But it was hard for me for the last 2 years. It was like I was in prison, figuratively speaking. During that time, I was with my old music label. They would sign me off on hit records but wouldn’t release any of my songs. For me, in that time, I kind of stood still. Now that I am independent,I can release what I want, and when I want to. My new single “Policeman” is doing great and I am really happy about that.RAINE: You’ve worked with so many innovators in the music industry. Who is on your radar to partner with next? Why?SIMONS: I would like to work with Skrillex or DJ Snake or Diplo. Even better would be a record with all of them. I think we should start a group [laughs]. There are just so many cool people in the industry right now. I just named a couple of the biggest, but as a DJ myself, I listen to new music every day on SoundCloud, Spotify, and YouTube for my set and I love it. It’s just incredible how much cool sounds that are out there and you can now quickly connect with artists as well. You just direct message somebody and boom. You could be in the studio the next day or even make a cool record on Skype.RAINE: Who has been the greatest influence on your journey? SIMONS: Me, myself and I. Growth is my greatest influence. When I see that I am growing, I am going.RAINE: What piece of advice do you have for other creative entrepreneurs that would like to start a successful career in music?SIMONS: Not a clue. Everybody is different and has different expectations, but you definitely need a plan, a strategy, and some dope songs.