The Elusive ‘Medicinal Liquor’
Central Coast hip hop artist Mr Elusive has unveiled his new single ‘Medicinal Liquor’, his first release for 2026, and a track that explores one’s tendencies to use alcohol to numb pain and the power it takes to retake control of your life. We caught up with the rising star to talk about the new song, who he would like to team up with for a collab and what comes next for Mr Elusive.
Mr Elusive you have just released your first new music for 2026, Tell us about ‘Medicinal Liquor’. Where did the inspiration come from?
Honestly, hearing Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ was a big spark for me. I couldn’t believe how undeniably catchy it was, and it motivated me to finally lean into the country influences I’d been thinking about for a while because I’ve always loved country music too.
Then when I heard the beat for ‘Medicinal Liquor’, it instantly spoke to me. That first line actually came out in a freestyle while I was just testing whether my voice suited that kind of sound. From the moment that happened, I knew I had my next song.
Were there any challenges in the creation of ‘Medicinal Liquor’? Did the song take on any massive changes during the creative process or was the final product the original vision?
The start of the song actually came together really quickly, but I got completely stuck on the chorus for a while. I knew the verses had something special, but I couldn’t figure out how to tie everything together properly.
Then while I was recording, my dad randomly called me and mentioned ‘Copperhead Road’ by Steve Earle, which is one of his favourite songs. The second he said it, it instantly clicked in my head and I remember literally cutting the call short because I knew I had the missing piece for the chorus.
Another song I grew up hearing him play a lot was ‘A Horse With No Name’ by America, and that ended up influencing a key line in the chorus too. Bringing those influences into the track made the whole thing feel a lot more personal and helped shape the final direction of the song.
“realising how destructive that mindset can actually become, it felt good to finally put the line into a song as more of a reflection of where I was mentally at the time. ”
Is there a particular line or part of the song stands out for you?
As I mentioned earlier, my dad played a big part in shaping the chorus, but another line that really stands out to me is “this liquor medicinal”, which ended up becoming the title of the song.
I originally came up with the idea of liquor being “medicinal” years ago while writing a different song, and the line always stuck with me because at that point in my life it genuinely felt that way. Looking back now and realising how destructive that mindset can actually become, it felt good to finally put the line into a song as more of a reflection of where I was mentally at the time.
Do you play a part in the production side of your music?
Yeah definitely. I handle all of my own vocal recording, songwriting, melodies and overall creative direction. I’ve experimented with beat making in the past too, so I’ve got a lot of respect for producers, but I realised pretty quickly how insanely time consuming it can be.
I’ve also mixed and mastered some of my older tracks myself, but with my more recent releases I’ve been working alongside engineers as well to help take the sound to the next level while still staying heavily involved in the creative process.
“this track feels more like opening a new door creatively rather than being a one-off experiment”
Is ‘Medicinal Liquor’ a stand-alone delivery or will it feature on a forthcoming album?
‘Medicinal Liquor’ is a stand-alone single, but it’s definitely part of a bigger run of releases and a new creative chapter for me. I’ve got a lot more music on the way across different sounds and emotions, so this track feels more like opening a new door creatively rather than being a one-off experiment.
Will you be touring to promote the new track?
Nothing officially planned at the moment, but I’m definitely open to opportunities. Right now a lot of my focus has been on building the music and growing the audience properly, but performing these songs live is something I’d love to do more of moving forward.
“I started writing rhymes in a Batman notepad in primary school”
How did you get your start in music?
Long story short, music was always around me growing up because both of my parents were musicians, so I was exposed to a lot of different genres pretty early on. Rap came into my life way too young when one of my mate’s older brothers showed me Eminem, and from that point I was completely hooked on American hip hop.
I started writing rhymes in a Batman notepad in primary school, then later got into drums, bands and music throughout high school. I ended up doing drums and vocals for my HSC, but my first actual rap recording happened as part of a school project. The funny part was that nobody believed it was me at first.
Around lockdowns I got my first proper recording setup and just started pumping out demos constantly. Early on it was almost completely rap, but once I started experimenting with melody and singing, people around me kept encouraging me to lean further into that side of things. Over time that naturally evolved into the more melodic and genre-blending sound I’m making now, and if you listen through my catalogue you can hear that progression pretty clearly.
What was the first album or song you remember buying?
The first album I actually remember buying myself was ‘Curtain Call’ by Eminem. I bought the CD from JB Hi-Fi and absolutely loved it. I still remember my older cousin seeing me with it and saying to my mum, “You let him listen to that?” and she had absolutely no idea hahaha.
“I’d love to work with Scorey and mike. too. They’ve both been huge inspirations for me lately. ”
Collaborations are big in the hip hop genre, so who would be your ultimate collab partners?
If Juice WRLD was still alive, he’d definitely be one of my number one picks alongside Eminem. When I started leaning more into melodic hip hop, it really came after binge listening to Juice, especially after hearing tracks like ‘Fast’. He had a massive influence on the direction of my current sound.
Eminem is tied there too because honestly, without him I don’t even know if I’d be making music in the first place.
As for artists around right now, I’d love to work with Scorey and mike. too. They’ve both been huge inspirations for me lately.
Where would you like to see Mr Elusive in a year's time and five years down the road? What do you hope you as an artist has achieved?
In a year’s time I’d love to have a bigger fan base that genuinely connects with the music, a more refined sound and be doing more live shows consistently.
Five years from now, the goal is to be living off music, helping support my family and building a name that people across Australia recognise and connect with. More than anything though, I just want to keep evolving creatively and making music that people actually feel something from.
“Whether that’s helping someone through a dark time or pushing them through another set at the gym, I want people to genuinely get something meaningful out of what I create”
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Honestly, probably my partner. People mostly see the music side of things, but they don’t always see the amount of support, patience and encouragement that goes on behind the scenes. Whether it’s listening to unfinished demos at 2am, helping me stop overthinking lyrics, filming content, signing off on edits or even helping with PR stuff, she’s played a massive part in helping me keep pushing forward with all of this.
Do you have a message for all the Mr Elusive fans and supporters?
Honestly, I don’t think people understand how much the support really means. Whether it’s liking or commenting on a post, sending me a DM saying they’ve had a song on repeat or even telling me in person that they connect with what I do, every little thing adds fuel to the fire and keeps me pushing forward.
I’ll say this though, it’s an exciting time to be part of the journey because there’s a lot more on the way and I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. We’re in this for the long run.
I genuinely can’t thank everyone enough, and I just hope the music can give people something real to connect with. Whether that’s helping someone through a dark time or pushing them through another set at the gym, I want people to genuinely get something meaningful out of what I create.
Interview by Michelle Symes
May 2026
