Vancouver’s New Girl makes her Unlearn debut with a the sultry tech house stylings of Time Is Frozen.
New Girl is an up and coming DJ and Producer from Vancouver, BC, Canada. She first started by DJing on Twitch and became a Twitch Partner within her first year of streaming. Some of her bigger bookings include Electric Love Music Festival, Monstercat Compound, Physical Friends Festival in El Salvador, Bailar and Rise and Shine Music Festivals, DJ sets in events run by Dirtybird Records, Era Records and True Sound Events.
We wanted to find out more about this rising star, so hit her up for a chat…
Your journey from DJing on Twitch to becoming a Twitch Partner within your first year is impressive. Can you share more about that experience and how it influenced your music career?
When I began on Twitch, I threw myself into it, streaming every day for the first few weeks. In the past, I was involved in classical ballet and acting, careers that depended on other people like casting directors and agents. For the first time in my life in the arts, I felt that I could get out what I put into something. My efforts were equal to the reward. If I worked hard, the stream grew, and it could be an honest expression of myself. It felt amazing to be in charge of my own growth and creativity, giving me a lot of confidence for diving into DJing in person and production. On the technical side, I spin on vinyl at home and now have nearly 4,000 hours of experience on vinyl. That alone has been a major part of my growth in ability as a DJ. The practice I get every week using streaming as my main source of income is an opportunity to develop my skills that most DJs don’t have.
You’ve performed at several major festivals, including Electric Love Music Festival and Monstercat Compound. How have these experiences shaped your approach to live performances and your music production?
DJing large festivals gave me an entirely new energy compared to streaming. Not better, just very different. I discovered the electrifying experience of being on stage, communicating with my crowd, and connecting through music rather than interaction as with Twitch.
Time Is Frozen marks your debut on Unlearn Records. What drew you to this label, and how does this release differ from your previous work?
I was drawn to Unlearn because the label’s sound really encompasses the dark, techy, driving feeling of “Time is Frozen”. I had the label on my radar since first hearing some of my favorite dark and grimy tech house tracks come from there.
The track features rasping synth lines, sultry vocals, and a tense, urgent bassline. Can you dive into your creative process behind Time Is Frozen and what inspired these elements?
When I started “Time is Frozen,” I had taken a break from producing and was intimidated to get back into it. My stream was quickly growing, and I had built a name for myself as a DJ in Vancouver. I think I subconsciously thought if I kept putting off production, then I couldn’t fail or realize how long it would take me to create something I was proud of (if ever). I literally sat on the floor with Ableton on my computer until dusk, creating the track and the vocal “I’ve been waiting till dusk.” “Time is frozen” was reassurance that I had all the time in the world because everything I create is on my timeline, and the expectations of the industry to release tracks and progress at a certain rate were essentially irrelevant to my journey as an artist. Time has no place in art, as I’ve come to realize.
As an up-and-coming artist from Vancouver, how has the local music scene influenced your style and growth as a DJ and producer?
The scene in downtown Vancouver has been supportive and extremely influential in my style. The “New Girl” sound has always had a combination of dark, sultry tones with a feminine bubbly component. My residency at Gorg-O-Mish, a well-known afterhours in Vancouver, has taught me how to encompass both of those aspects in a three-hour set. By watching and playing alongside legends, I’ve learned how to seamlessly play a three-hour set that tells a story and has a flow that captivates your audience all night without breaking connection.
Your DJ sets have been part of events run by notable labels like Dirtybird Records and Era Records. How do you prepare for these high-profile gigs, and what do you aim to deliver to your audience?
My main preparation is always music hunting. I like to find those gems that you have to search deep into SoundCloud for or unreleased bangers either made by myself or friends. I always want to set songs up to sound the best they can. If I choose to put them in the set, it’s because I love them, and I want to respect the music by putting them into a mix to make them sound fantastic. Even a great track can sound flat if you don’t set it up properly with the right track before.
With your diverse festival appearances, from Physical Friends Festival in El Salvador to Rise and Shine Music Festivals, how do you adapt your sets to different cultural and musical environments?
I like to play fun daytime funky sets when I have early slots, especially when DJing in a place such as El Salvador or Miami. No matter what time or where the set is, however, I always want it to be recognizable as New Girl! One really different set I did was Calgary Stampede. Normally, sets for me are about flow. However, this set had to be hype, changing each track dramatically to create those dirty drop moments, lots of remixes, and lots of mic work. It was a kind of “put your hands up” hype that I don’t have in my regular sets and definitely not on stream. I actually had a lot of fun with it.
What can fans expect next from New Girl in terms of releases and performances? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations you’re particularly excited about?
One of my other new originals will be released in October with Unlearn Records. I’ll tell you more about it later; it’s still a secret for now, shhh! I’ll be hunkering down this year and producing while continuing my regular stream schedule Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 PM PST. I’m also looking forward to playing Fam Reunion Fest in Atlantic City in April!
Time Is Frozen is out now on Unlearn Records
The post “Twitch made me feel I could get out what I put into something” New Girl interview appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.