- Famous When Dead Records is gaining serious momentum, what was the core idea that sparked its creation?
FWDR was predominantly born as a platform to self release and as a vehicle to deliver a project that was born way back in 2012 alongside the Cash Only brand, basically a vehicle to deliver both a project based around Music and Art, we dont want it to be “Just another record label”.
- You’ve said the goal was to “build a world” rather than just a label. What does that world look and feel like to you?
Music, Events, Art all combining to create a community who feel aligned to what we are trying to create and enjoy listening to the music we are putting out, come to an event to enjoy the Vibe we are trying to create or just wear a T Shirt that we drop which is just basically a wearable piece of Art!
- What makes a track feel like it belongs on Famous When Dead? Is there a creative criteria you follow?
Just simply “will i play the track in my sets”, as most people will know i play quite diverse as a DJ so there is’nt really even a Genre that we are pushing, this year we have all sorts coming out and some remixes from Artists that i think are great at what they do in their genres.
Music & Sound
- Your upcoming single “Move Slow” was born out of an ADE writing camp. How do collaborative spaces like that influence your process?
I always like to work as part of a team when creating music, the writers and team on this one were incredibly talented and have to say a thank you to Rob from Artist Tribe for putting it together. I Guess places like ADE and MMW often have some of teh best creative people in that area together and its cool that we can come together to collaborate in our down time from shows and other industry meetings etc.
- Which upcoming release are you most excited about this summer, and why?
Theres a really strong House remix from Jewel Kid of my track that came our earlier in the year with Reigns called “Take it down” Which Sam Divine has been supporting and ive got an exciting Collab with Patrick Meeks and one of my favourite vocalists Holly Ellison that also drops soon. Both tracks fit into me sets well at the moment and are a bit more House led rather than the deep Melodic or Afro type tracks which ive released so far this year, so im keen to see what people think of these.
- How do you strike the balance between genre diversity and label identity when curating your roster?
Good music is good music as far as im concerned so long as its are some derivative of the House spectrum for the label. I dont really want to be pigeon holed into one genre as a producer or label boss, id rather be known as a selector who can blend between genres. For example Its not uncommon for me to start at 118 BPM and end on 140 BPM in a set, especially on radio.
Community & Culture
- Famous When Dead is described as a creative collective. How do you foster that sense of community among artists and collaborators?
I want people who we invite onto the label to feel aligned with what we do, to be able to play for us at an event or wear one of our T Shirts and feel valued. I want us all to work collectively to push the music and Brand on each release and welcome creative ideas from anyone thats involved.
- The name itself, Famous When Dead, feels both ironic and profound. What does it mean to you in the context of music culture today?
I think most of us in music will never end up famous so its a satirical comment that alot of people out there trying to break through can relate to. I also dont want to be taken too seriously, we are just here trying to have fun, spin a few tunes and make people dance.
- You’ve gained support from names like Major League, Alok, Mark Knight, and Shimza. How has industry backing shaped your confidence or direction?
Obviously i feel chuffed when i see one of these has supported our music and its sometimes a vital confidence boost when im working so hard in the background to push what im doing to the wider community. I think alot of artists will share this feeling of the difficulties in pushing through and there are many times when i feel just like giving up so these little pieces of support mean alot to me on the days im feeling frustrated
Career & Growth
- You’re about to drop your 17th track since returning to the studio. What changed for you creatively that sparked this wave of output?
As mentioned Cash Only actually began way back in 2012 and the only thing that stopped me previously was a day job that became alot more responsibility that originally anticipated, I always felt quite sad that i had to stop doing what has always been a big passion of mine so when i sold that business and the world got over Covid it was time to get back on the buttons and dust the headfones off!
You’ve released on some huge labels like Nervous, DVINE Sounds, and King Street Sounds. What do you take from those experiences into your own label’s approach?
Its always good to learn from other labels on their approaches and take best practice to my own approach with my own label. Presentation on socials is always a good learning opportunity as its something that feels so important nowadays when pushing new music.
- From Glastonbury to Ibiza, your tour schedule is massive this summer. What’s one venue or moment you’re especially hyped for?
My favourite weekend of the year is always the August Bank Holiday, Playing at Valtifest in Amsterdam (which is a really wild festival) and then onto Reading Festival for Jaegermeister. Last year i did the same and it was literally the best weekend of my DJ Career, im hoping this year will be even better, the crowds just have so much energy!
