Continuing our podcast mix series with a strong selection of the South West's best talent, we are excited to bring Hayley Blue into the spotlight! Hayley is a familiar face for those who have attended some of the open-air Sonar events in Plymouth. We catch up with Hayley as she shares her joy at sharing a line up with Fat Tony and she provides some guidance to aspiring female artists.
Please introduce yourself to those unfamiliar with your DJ sound.
My sound is anything house. From chilled beach to deep progressive, Afro soulful nu disco into tech house. I like any sound that evokes emotion whether that be happiness or pulls on the old heartstrings. I like music with soul and a nice vocal, but then also love dark and dirty techy beats. Music fills me with joy. When I DJ I feel free and happy, and if the crowd are feeling that with me too, well that’s the best feeling in the world.
What are your highlights of the past year and what is planned for the future?
The highlight of the year for me is being on a line up with the legendary
Fat Tony (Defected) with Sonar with whom I’m a resident DJ. But I’ve loved each and every gig and feel thoroughly grateful for the opportunities that have come my way! I’m excited for what next year brings.
Tell us something positive to inspire future artists.
To aspiring DJs my best advice would be to never give up! Keep playing music that’s true to you and don’t deviate. I can think of nothing worse than playing music I don’t love. Continuously make good quality mixes and send out to as many promotors and radio stations as you can. Be prepared to work for free until you’re established. To aspiring females, no question it is still a male dominated industry, speak up if you’re being treated unfairly, don’t be afraid! You can be the best technical DJ playing the best tunes, but unless you’re likeable too you won’t get booked. So keep your feet on the ground, your ego in check and remember to have fun!
Talk us through your podcast mix track selection.
With this mix ‘tongue n groove’ I’ve used different variants, starting with some deep house moving into some jackin and disco, then onto some tech and Afro to keep it spicy. Hopefully this one will get people up off their feet and dancing.
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