Where are you currently based?
I’m currently based up in Northern NSW. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Byron finishing off a few EP’s this past year. Before Covid I was commuting fortnightly between Sydney and the Gold Coast for 2 years for DJing.
How did you first start playing music?
I started writing songs when I was 14. For me music saved my life, it was something I could turn to when I felt like I couldn’t talk to anyone. It was always there, it never judged me & it made me feel good. I wasn’t a very popular kid in school so I kept to myself and spent a lot of time writing music during lunch times or in my bedroom at night.
Your new single ‘On My Mind’ Feat Amela is out now, what influences the sound and songwriting?
There was never really anyone we looked to as an influence for this track. I usually just sit down and see what sounds inspire me & the song always writes itself depending on what situation I’m dealing with in life. Making music is like having a therapy session. I feel like working with Amela and her voice inspired me to re-work the production, especially in the chorus. I re-sampled Amela’s voice to create the low sounding vocals in the chorus and I made the synths to complement her voice. This was a song that we just kept chipping away at until we were both happy with it.
How did you go about writing On My Mind?
I made it about a year ago and had written a top line for it although I felt like it didn’t suit me as an artist. So I decided to reach out to Amela and we re-wrote the track together. Amela and I first started writing together when we were around 15, so we’ve always had this great chemistry when it comes to writing. We did a few zoom calls back and forth and once we solidified it I got Amela in the studio to lay down the vocals.
It’s been 10 years since your last release, how did you get back into releasing?
I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I wanted to master everything in production before I felt like I could put my music out. Thankfully I had a lot of friends and family who pushed me to release my music and I finally accomplished my goals this year. I was sitting on it for a while and didn’t know whether to approach labels or just release it myself. It’s a bit overwhelming when you do everything yourself but collaborating with Amela helped me to get past that fear and just put it out.
You have an EP coming soon which will include some more massive singles, please give us an idea of what to expect.
I’ll be singing on the rest of the tracks for this EP. The next single is called ‘Good Life’ & I did everything from making the sounds, writing, producing, mixing & singing. To me it’s something I’m really proud of because it’s a very self accomplished track of completing my long term goals as a producer.
I’ve basically based all my EPs around the consistency of how the songs I’ve made ‘sound’ and this is my most commercial sound.
You were the winner of Your Shot DJ Competition in 2018, how did things change for you as a result of this great accomplishment?
I feel like winning Your Shot gave me credibility as a DJ where people took me seriously. As a full time DJ I played a lot of commercial gigs over the years which kind of pigeon holed me as being super commercial. I wanted to show people that I could play Trap & Bass music so it was a great platform to show people that I’m not just a commercial DJ & I can play any genre.
You have been writing music from a very young age, how did you first start and learn how to write music?
I started getting keyboard lessons at the age of 6 but I always loved guitar. I was shown some chords at the same time I started keyboard and after a few years of begging my parents they finally bought me a guitar when I turned 10. During school I wrote a lot of poetry and won a few competitions for it. So writing songs came quiet naturally to me when I would hear chord progressions and writing music was something I started doing every day.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I came across a really incredible rapper named Phora. He’s lyrics are like poetry. I kind of listen to anything and everything depending on how I’m feeling on the day. Amy Shark, XXXTENTACION, Alison Wonderland, Flume, Willaris.K, Elton John, Tash Sultana are my most recent listens.
What do you like to do away form music
I love keeping active to keep my sanity. Working out, meditating, hanging with the people I love & surfing keeps me sane. Music takes up a lot of my time so I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like.
what’s planned for the remainder of 2020 going into 2021?
I’ve got about 6 EPs I’m solidifying which cross over to a few other genres like trap & R&B/Grime. So the main focus is getting as much done as possible so I can just keep releasing music over the next few years.
Favourite food and place to hang out?
Favourite food is definitely thai or Japanese. I love hanging out in Byron or being by the beach when I’m not making music.
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