Jess Bays Interview

It's only been a hot minute since Jess Bays last popped into Egg to see out 2016, but she's back by popular demand on Friday April 7th for D-Vine Sounds, joining label boss Sam Divine, UK garage legend Grant Nelson and more.

Honing her turntable skills with a weekly residency in East London and her ear via a day job as A&R for D-Vine Sounds, we spoke to Jess to find out more about getting a foot in the door, the importance of your social media game and the time she left her record bag in the back of a cab...

Get tickets for D-Vine Sounds and more info here...

Recently, there are more outlets cropping up in London for women to learn and be encouraged to DJ through female collectives like Siren, Rhythm Sister and workshops with Klaudia Jasmine of Housewife London. Why do you think this only happening now?

This is a tough one. I guess it's because the world is changing and growing everyday! Women DJs have always been masters of their craft, with the likes of Heidi, Maya Jane Coles, Sam Divine, tINI and Black Madonna proving just that. It's really motivating to see those ladies selling out venues and festivals all across the world! It really doesn't matter about gender though, if you've got skill and drive then go for gold!

How did you get involved with Sam Divine’s hugely influential D-Vine Sounds label?

Sam decided to start D-Vine Sounds just over two years ago and enlisted me and Kamilla to help turn her dream of running a label into reality. I look after the social media and A&R sides of things and Kamilla is label manager. Sam is in full boss mode at all times. Together we are a force to be reckoned with, haha! Three best friends running a record label together; it doesn't get much better than that. We're lucky enough to work with some of the most insanely talented artists from fresh on the scene newbies to already well established DJ/Producers. The support we have received has been incredible and we can't thank you enough.

Your sets are packed with bouncy, chunky house ranging from 80s classics to present day productions. Who or what influenced your discovery of the genre?

Sam was a huge influence on where my love for house music stemmed from. I saw her play at the first We Are FSTVL and it was electric! How a person could captivate a crowd of people through the power of music was absolutely fascinating to me! I also have a lot of influences from the likes of Armand Van Helden and Jackmaster. The diversity of their sets is so inspiring! Recently, I've been loving PAWSA and Michael Bibi from Solid Grooves who are absolute bad boys behind the decks. They've been a part of why I've started to move over to the more tech house side of things.

You’ve done a colossal amount of work in the music industry before your production and DJing career took off. What kind of jobs were you doing to get your foot in the door and build your way up?

Just before I started playing out regularly I became Sam's tour manager. I get the opportunity to network with a lot of promotors and work with Sam at some of the best events, festivals and brands in the world, like Defected Records. Three years later and we are still just a pair of nutters doing things we love. It's been an absolute pleasure to be able to watch Sam grow from strength to strength and her 2017 roster of shows proves exactly that.

What’s your advice do you have for anyone looking to breakthrough the industry in any department like bookings, PR, management, agents, music journalism or promoting?

In an industry as competitive as the one we are in what I think is key is networking and social media. If you are new and need to get a break then get down to the parties that you want to be playing at one day and show some love. You'll be surprised how far a little bit of support will go, even if it is just in the form of a Tweet or Instagram post! It's nice to be nice.

Any horror stories with touring or technical disasters?

Yes! I was on my way to Cargo in Shoreditch and I got lost, so jumped in a black cab to take me there from the station. I arrived at the club, jumped out and was going through security so got asked for a bag search... Alarm bells! I'd left my DJ bag in the cab along with my recorder, headphones, ear plugs and life! Luckily the cab came back to find me! I kissed him and threw a £50 note through his window!

You’ve played in Egg LDN many times and will return play for us on April 7th. What makes Egg such an enjoyable experience?

I love Egg and everything about it. The team are great and it's always so much fun. I really love how every room is diverse and has a totally different vibe! I've been lucky enough to play all of them but my favourite is The Terrace! There's just something special about that room and its monster sound system.

What are your plans for festivals and international shows this year?

We have a D-Vine Sounds Arena at We Are FSTVL on the Friday this year, so that is going to be crazy! All three of us have attended the festival from its birth so it's going to be a really special day for us & our brand! I'll be over in Ibiza, too.

Finally, what special track would you play to a crowd chanting ‘One more tune’ after a set?

It has to be Dyed Soundorom's remix of Anthea & Celler's 'The Playmaker'! Expect this on April 7th, for definite! See you then guys!