Last Thursday night at Sutra OC I had the pleasure of chatting with 22 year old producer and DJ 3LAU. Straight out of the studio all the way in LA, Justin Blau cut it close but still made it in time for his 11:45pm set down in Costa Mesa. The crowd’s energy kicked into high gear as soon as he took the stage and steadily increased throughout his two hour set. From behind the decks 3LAU posed for pictures, shook hands, and handed out stickers to an eager crowd all while still playing an amazing set with popular crowd favorites like Krewella and Porter Robinson. The crowd was insatiable, pushing forward, all trying to touch his hand if even for a second. Catching him live is highly recommended as it is a beautiful thing seeing 3LAU truly come alive in his element. His passion is undeniable and it is not only apparent from the way he works the crowd, but also through the way he views the music he makes. Having already played at one of the hottest clubs in North America, Marquee in Las Vegas, this rising DJ is someone to keep your eye on in the very near future. Oh, one more thing: it’s Blau, not “three-LAU.”
Photo by Jordan Loyd Photography
Her Campus: First original release is coming out soon, Escape. What does it feel like to finally release something of your very own?
3LAU: It’s been about a year since it’s been finished. We worked really hard on finding the right vocal for the track and we finally picked Heather Bright [Bright Lights] who was the vocal on “Language” [by Porter Robinson] and she is unbelievable. And Hardwell, who is a close friend of mine, really wanted the track and we decided to so we decided to sign it to “Revealed” and now it’s coming out June 24th. It’s been a yearlong process; I have like five other tracks but I’ve been waiting for all of them because I think this one is the best. “Escape,” June 24th. It’s the one.
Preview “Escape” here:
HC: What is your creative process like? How does creating a song start for you?
3LAU: It all starts on the piano. I’m a pianist by nature so everything starts on the piano and then I morph it into dance music.
HC: Do you even like classifying your music or yourself as an artist at all?
3LAU: Classification if becoming more and more irrelevant. I think that artists are doing more and more different things between their tracks. I mean, I would classify myself as “progressive house,” but I play everything when I play live. so it’s just kind of like, whatever I feel.
HC: What was your schedule or routine like when you were balancing both school and music?
3LAU: It was a nightmare.
HC: What was the most hectic point?
3LAU: I had three finals the day after I got back from four shows in a row. That was April 2012 and that’s when I was like, “I have to make a decision.” Because I failed all those finals and got Ds in all those classes, and that’s when I dropped out. Because why be in school when you’re not doing it?
[pagebreak]
HC: So how is it now balancing your career and, let’s say, girls?
3LAU: Girls. Umm, I’ve been seeing a girl. I was single for a long time and [now] I’ve been seeing a girl.
HC: You’re going to break some hearts right now.
3LAU: No, no, not this girl.
HC: No, I mean you’re going to break some other girls’ hearts right now.
3LAU: Maybe, maybe I will, but this girl is…
HC: Pretty special?
3LAU: Yeah, I met her by accident and she didn’t know my music. Which is great, because most girls that I do meet know my music. So it was good.
HC: I know you get asked this a lot but the 3 in 3LAU has a couple meanings, right?
3LAU: More than a couple, but yeah.
HC: I heard one meaning if because you sing, produce, and perform, right?
3LAU: Mhmm.
HC: But I’ve seen in other interviews you’ve done that the there’s a certain meaning behind your name that you don’t talk about in interviews. Why is that?
3LAU: It’s really personal. One day I will.
HC: So, no one’s heard it? No one knows what it is yet?
3LAU: My family does; it’s a very family oriented thing. It’s my necklace. That’s where the 3 comes from. I’ve had this since I was like five years old. But the short version, which I think I’ve said in some other interview, it’s the infinite fulfillment of the mind, the body, and the heart. And it’s way bigger than that but that’s the core.
HC: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned throughout this journey, thus far?
3LAU: That’s a brilliant question. The most important thing that I’ve learned is that nobody had better taste than anybody. That taste is subjective and that my job is to read taste. And every DJ’s job is to read taste. I don’t give a f*** if you produced “Don’t You Worry Child.” I don’t give a f*** if you produced “Levels.” If you cannot read taste, you are not a good DJ. You might be a good producer, but not a good DJ. And so tonight I played some “housier” s*** in the beginning and people were like, “Ehh.” So, I was like “Okay. We’re going to go more commercial,” and then the rest of my set we went more commercial and it worked. That’s where a producer and a DJ are very separate.
HC: How do you stay grounded, and centered and focused on doing what you do?
3LAU: Honest? Honestly, you know what keeps me grounded? I’m not Calvin Harris. That’s what keeps me grounded. Unless I’m Calvin Harris, I’m grounded. There’s always more to learn, produce, more to f*** with. I’m a nobody. I’m not Calvin Harris. I’m not anybody until I’m at the top.
[pagebreak]
Photo by Jordan Loyd Photography
HC: What is a fun fact people might not know about you, like a hidden talent?
3LAU: The hidden fact is that I listen to more non-dance music than I do dance music. I draw most of my inspiration from non-dance music genres.
HC: I heard you draw a lot from folk music.
3LAU: The Antlers, Sigur Rós, Horse Feathers, Radiohead – these are all my favorite bands. That’s where I draw my inspiration from more than Kaskade, Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Hardwell, etcetera. They’re all my inspirations in terms of my career but not necessarily in terms of music. So, I think dance music is suffering right now. I think dance music is brilliant for the club, but not for the music [itself]. And my goal is to bring music back to dance music. Avicii did that and that’s why he’s so successful. Most of dance music right not, it’s not very musical. It’s more club-y. And it’s a problem because what works in a club doesn’t work in your headphones. It’s a very different experience.
HC: Do you have any guilty pleasures when it comes to music?
3LAU: The Fray. Brilliant, absolutely f****** brilliant. The Fray and Coldplay are my “guilty pleasures.” They’re not really guilty… and Taylor Swift. She kills it, she f****** kills it. But those are my guilty ones.
HC: I’ve asked this question once before in another interview but I think it’s going to become one of my favorites. If you could put out a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor what would it be?
3LAU: F*ck… I love that fish one. What’s the fish one called?
HC: Phish Food. But you have to create your own!
3LAU: I love Phish Food… 3LAU Food.
HC: 3LAU food?
3LAU: 3LAU food would consist of cookies and cream, fudge, and peanut butter.
HC: Alright, that works.
3LAU: Maybe a hint of raspberry. Maybe.
CATCH 3LAU in Los Angeles July 3rd – Get tickets here:
Connect with 3LAU here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJ3LAU
Twitter: https://twitter.com/3LAU
Website: http://3lau.com/music/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/3LAU