Last week, Pulse caught up with Sydney DJ Tigerlily.
After bursting onto the scene through the Your Shot DJ competition, the last two years have been a whirlwind for Maroubra local Dara Hayes. Sets at Future Music and Creamfields, as well as opening for Avicii, Tommy Trash and Tiesto are but a few of the highlights for the former retail girl. With an enormous 2014 ahead of her, Tigerlily took a moment out of her day to update us on her latest.
You grew up in Maroubra. With your touring schedule etc., do you get much time at home?
I’ve been pretty flat out lately. I recently had something like 14 flights in 8 days so that was pretty exhausting. I’m home all week this week, though. It’s nice to come home to my parents.
What is your first memory of Dance music? Is there a particular club/record that first drew you in?
I remember being at Hot Damn (at the Spectrum) and thinking “I can play better than this”. My eyes opened up from there. I always wanted to get into music, but I’d never thought about DJing. I’d be trained classically as a musician (piano, trombone, guitar) and only ever seriously thought about teaching. Once I discovered DJing though, I never looked back.
Where does your music work best? Hot summer festival or dark, seedy, after-hours club?
I think my music works in either setting. Personally I prefer playing big outdoor festivals, but I think my music suits either environment.
Do you customize your shows or is there a standard Tigerlily set?
To some degree. If I’m playing a support slot then I try to adapt my show to the DJ I’m playing for. I also try to customize my sets for particular cities. For instance, when I play in Melbourne, I know the fans there like bouncier tracks. I don’t have a lot of stuff like that, but I do what I can do suit their tastes.
You’ve recently returned from touring Asia. Do different audiences and cultures respond to your music differently?
Audiences in Asia were really great. When I was over there (with Tiesto), the response was really positive. I was playing more proggy-type stuff and they seemed to really dig it
Did anywhere really surprise you?
Kuala Lumpur was a real eye opener. It was the last show of the tour and it was huge! I’d never seen 30,000 people, let alone played in front of them.
Whats your routine at a festival? Side of stage or tour bus?
I’m very relaxed about my sets. I’ve heard other DJs who plan everything down to a tee, but I like to work off the crowd’s energy. I like to hang out side of stage, watching my friend’s play, or watching some of my heroes do their thing.
Have you had any incidents with crowds?
Sometimes I like walking into the audience but I’ve learnt I need to be careful with that. Audiences in Sydney can get pretty ‘grabby’
Any pre-gig rituals?
I don’t really have any rituals aside from the typical hair and make-up. The hair requires a bit of maintenance.
You’ve worked with a number of prominent artists. What is your dream collaboration?
I’d really love to work with Deadmau5 at some point. He’s a big part of me getting into EDM. Also the Krewella Girls they make some really great music.
Can you offer any advice to girls getting into DJing?
In my experience, this industry is pretty cut-throat, but as long as you are persistent and you stick to your guns, the world is your oyster.
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