Contributing Writer
1. Hey Holl3, thanks for joining us today! How have you been
Thanks for having me! I’ve been well, thanks. Although the weather in the UK does make things a bit testing at times, I’m feeling incredibly motivated this year & excited to start the year off with my first EP release, which I can’t wait to share.
2. You’ve recently started to release music. How has it been starting to put your music out into the world?
I’m sure a lot of artists can relate when a little bit of anxiety comes with releasing your own music, as it’s something you’ve put a lot of time and energy into. But music is subjective and not everyone will enjoy your tunes which can be a bit of a difficult one to get your head around when you’re as self critical as me, but now I’ve really started to appreciate that by me sharing my sound with the world then there might just be some out there who do really connect with the music, which is magical and is what art is all about! As long as you love and believe in the tracks, then that should speak for itself!
3. Your new EP ‘Transcend’ is out now. Can you tell us about the EP and the driving forces behind it?
I was a DJ before I was a producer, and I’ve always enjoyed playing out a range of dance music genres; house, UKG, techno, jungle, etc., and this is something I wanted to resonate in my productions. I love and appreciate so much varying music and didn’t want to be tied down to one lane. This EP Transcend reflects this, and you can definitely get a feel of who my influences growing up might have been when listening to this EP.
I absolutely love old school UKG and really wanted to pay homage to that with ‘Never Be The One’, whilst having a catchy vocal hook which crowds and listeners could sing along to.
‘Fresca’ was born from my love of playing at dark, dingy nightclubs where the music is the most important thing. My DJ sets often feature more fast-paced house, and so I wanted a track that would fit into them and that I would enjoy playing out, which I do absolutely!
Finally, ‘Space Duck’, I’m a sucker for dreamy pads, and something I’ve found managers to creep its way into all my productions. Space Duck was all about the dreamy trip, where you’re just focused and locked in with the music.
The three tracks do have their differences, but I think they fit together really nicely to showcase this journey of mine!
4. I’d love to talk about Dame Game, the events you throw supporting female and non-binary DJs in Nottingham. What made you want to start these events? Do you have any tips for female and non-binary DJs and producers starting in an industry that is still pretty male-dominated?
I don’t think anyone can deny that the balance has been heavily male-dominated. Dame Game was set up as I wanted a space where women could play without feeling judged on anything other than their sound – no pressure to look a certain way, no assumptions about ability, just pure music and good energy. Seeing other women grow from our platform has been so rewarding.
On a personal level, I’ve found the following things have helped me on my journey:
Always putting music first – reminding yourself that your love for music is the reason why you are here.
- Surrounding yourself with the right people – supportive promoters, DJs and creatives who value your talent over image.
- Setting boundaries early – knowing what you stand for and what you won’t tolerate protects your confidence and your creativity.
- One piece of advice I would give to emerging women and non-binary DJs is to find or build your own communities. Don’t wait for permission. The more we create our own platforms, the less we have to fight for space on someone else’s.
5. You’ve supported some big names, including Sammy Virji, Kettma, and Ben Hemsley. How was it to share stages with them? Do these shows continue to inspire you in your sets now?
Playing alongside some of your biggest inspirations is a crazy mixed bag of feelings… you’re super excited, but also nervous, and also very motivated to perform the best you can. When you know their music well, these sets can honestly be a breeze and are often some of my favourites. I supported Dusky last year at The Loft (who I named my dog after…!), and they are some of my favourite producers. I already had a playlist of music that I had collated over the years in case this moment ever arose, and so that set just felt so natural and, of course, very special.
But honestly, I’ve had the pleasure of playing alongside some amazing names, and they have been so lovely and welcoming. Meeting other people in the industry who are still up for offering support to you is something really special. I’ve met some amazing people from the shows I’ve played. DJing is my favourite thing in the world, it is the place I feel most happiest, so I try to always cherish these moments.
6. Your production is super impressive! Could you tell us about your studio setup and production process, if you have one?
Thanks so much! I use Ableton, and have a dedicated studio room in my house, which was always a dream of mine, so I’m super proud to have that all set up now. As hardware is sadly out of the budget range, I use mostly plug-in synths. My favourites at the moment are Serum, Korg M1, and Nord Wave 3. Regular plug-ins I find myself using are anything and everything by FabFilter, the Dada life pack, and Duck, which Space Duck was actually named after (go check it out, it’s amazing for effortless side chaining and is super cheap)!
I’m very inspired by pads, chords and stabs, and although it might seem a bit backwards to some, I actually start with creating the melody part of the song first, and then start to shape the drums and vocals around that after. I always want the melody of the track to be what initially draws you in and keeps you hooked.
7. You’ve played at big venues and festivals, including Boardmasters and Forbidden Forest. Do you have a particular favourite set? Are there any particular places you’d like to play this year?
This is a tricky one as there’s been some special ones, but I think the one that is up there for me is opening Forbidden Forest in 2024, and being the only stage open for over 10,000 party goers who were all piling in to come party and kick off the festival. The energy was amazing, and this was a set where I was first trialling out my new sound, and it went off a treat, so definitely one for the memory books!
I absolutely love festivals, and have had the pleasure of attending so many in the UK and internationally. Some bucket list places to play at would be Lost Village, Creamfields and Tomorrowland, but also the local community, smaller festivals are so important and something I wish we could all support more, those like Detonate and El Dorado festivals if they ever made their comeback, then it would be a dream to be invited back there.
8. Thanks for sitting down with us today. What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?
Music, music and more music! 2026 is the year of sharing my sound with the world, and with some exciting label colabs locked in for later in the year, I’m excited to see what comes. I’m also delighted to be making my return to some of the UK’s biggest festivals and to my favourite island over summer as well…thanks so much for having me!
