1: Thanks for joining us for this interview! Firstly, can you tell the readers a bit more about yourself as an artist? How would you describe your sound?
A: I’m not entirely sure I have a sound yet, mainly because I’ve experimented in creating songs with every genre you can think. But what I think I offer that people seem the gravitate towards is the feeling that they experience when listening to my records. Maybe thats what my “sound” is. When I make a record all I’m really tryna do is inject the songs with feelings of encouragement, fearlessness and the power to overcome any obstacle life throws at you. It all stems from a very real place inside my mind when I used to battle crippling anxiety. So at that point, the sounds are really irrelevant! I could sing a song about mowing my garden but I’ve found that if the core of those words inspire a very personal empowering memory, it seems to transcend all words and sounds and the audience leaves with that emotion in their hearts.
2: Your new release ‘If The World Was Ending’ is really catchy, how did the idea for this track come about?
A: I had just finished watching my favourite movie, Armageddon, for the 15 millionth time, and i had the idea to create a song that sounded like the visuals for it would be this gigantic world ending asteroid headed for earth, and everyone was aware and could do nothing about it, but dance for the final time with their loved ones. I wanted it to sound happy, with a hint of longing sadness at the same time. I wanted the dancers in the video to be crying, but crying happy tears. Yeah I was in a weird mental space haha, but I love polarizing my listeners with juxtaposed thoughts and emotions like that!
3: How did the process or producing this track differ from past releases?
A: I’ve totally changed the way I produce now. Before I was spend hours and hours going through every kick, snare, hat and percussion to find the “perfect” sounds, and it would often give me the result I was after but left me exhausted at the end of the process. I don’t know any of that anymore. Now, I chase feeling. Thats what I did for this track. I made sure the goal of what I wanted to feel was crystal clear in my mind, and every decision after that point was either a step closer towards that or it wasn’t! Such a simpler, less heavy way to create a song for me, and I love it! I get even better results so much faster… i just feel bad for my mixing engineer when he gets my 4am “bro make this sound huge please” texts!
4: In general, who are your main influences in music that shine through in your own work?
A: I hope other artists understand when I say that during production phases of albums and singles (which is mainly all the time), I don’t really listen to other people’s work. I know myself, and I’m influenced really easily, especially having just trained my mind to perform as a DJ making mashups and remixes for the past 4 years. So now that I’m creating originals again, the only way I can whole-heartedly jump into it while authentically be myself is if I stay away from other artist’s work – for now. Thats not to say that I don’t love so many artists out there! Hans Zimmer, Billie Eilish & Justin Bieber to name a few!
5: Can you tell us a bit more about your collaboration with Madonna? That must have been insane! What did you learn from that experience?
A: It was insane. I learned that the power of the internet has no limits. I learned that major labels just aren’t the way anymore to get the attention of superstars. I remember I was having a shower one night and just as if a higher power from above planted a seed in my brain, i spontaneously humming madonna’s famous hum from her mega hit Frozen. And I had the simple thought of, “wow I wonder what a dark trap beat would sound like behind that!” That was it. I ran to the studio after that and put that beat together in less than 3 minutes, and casually put it up on social media. It blew up over night, and started trending in over 200 million videos, I was absolutely blown away!! It hit such a chord with the public that even madonna shared it to her page, and thats when the talks began.
Meeting her in the studio was one of the highlights of my life. The thing that caught me off guard was how open she was to actually collaborating with me! I half expected her to be like, “okay kid, I’m madonna, I don’t need you to tell me how to sing.” It wasn’t like that AT ALL! Any and all the egos from all those present were left at the door that night. We had such a good time producing and writing in a peaceful fun environment, and it just speaks to who she is as a person even more.
6: You have also worked with Post Malone, DMX, Coldplay and many more A-list talent, what are some of the challenges of working with such high-profile artists?
A: Well listen i hate to break it to you, but aside from Madonna, I didn’t meet or speak much to any of the other collaborators in person. It’s the digital age baby! Entire songs can be made without much contact haha. Usually it’s just me in a small dark room alone creating pieces that mean something to me, and I put them up on my social media. It’s really because the power of the fans that give all of this material any legs and why the original artists of most of these remixes reach back out to finish these little gems. I love my community… we really are an inspiring powerful bunch!
7: If you could choose any artist ever, dead or alive, to collaborate with next.. who would it be and why?
A: Freddie Mercury. There’s no one else really, I don’t know why I just have always felt we would have been good friends. The way he sees music and what a bendable breakable thing it is, the ways in which it can be manipulated and man handled to create whatever comes to mind… I share a lot of those thoughts as well. It’s bittersweet, but maybe we’ll create songs in the afterlife together one day.
8: What is still on your bucket list as an artist?
A: Omg, we can’t be on a bucket list yet I’ve barely just begun!! Yeah I’ve been doing this for about 8 years now, but I swear I have just as much if not more hunger now than I ever had before. There’s WAY too much to conquer; my own festivals of 100k+ people, creating mind-bending genres that have yet to be discovered that actually heal people on a scientific level, possibly staring in a few blockbusters as Sickick… I could go on forever. My life is a playground and I’m all for it.
9: What can your fans expect for 2025?
A: Originals, originals, originals!!! I’ve been working really hard on something really special that will come out mid next year, and I promise you it’s a side of me no one’s ever seen before. Time to shake things up again!!!
10: If you could give your 18 year old self some advice, what would it be?
A: Seek out the one they call Taylor Swift. Find her, make some songs with her and keep them in the bank for when it’s time. Trust me.
