Post SnowStorm Music Fest: Figgy [Interview]

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WhySoChi: How did it feel to open up Snowstorm MusicFest – Chicago’s first winter music and arts festival?
Figgy: It was a lot of fun. I think Chicago is rad and I love playing here.
WhySoChi: Is this your first time performing in Chicago?
Figgy: I was here last summer for Sin Label’s boat party, Shipwrecked. That was awesome, it was right on the water over here. So, this was my second time.
WhySoChi: Follow up to question— What do you think of Chicago? Comparable to the east coast?
Figgy: I want to spend more time here (Chicago). Every time I come here I have a great time. I feel like the friends I have met in the few trips I have made, could be friends I have forever. (laughs) Got a little emo there.
WhySoChi: Where are you from originally?
Figgy: Massachusetts
WhySoChi: Why the name “Figgy”?
Figgy: That was a nickname I had as a kid. When I started making music, I just stuck with it.
WhySoChi: How did you start DJing and booking shows?
Figgy: I used to play in bands, and I opened up for them. Later I started putting music up on SoundCloud, and things slowly took off from there. Also a friend of mine started a party (Broke City) in Brooklyn and I have been a resident DJ there for the last 3 years.
WhySoChi: How did you transition from jazz trombone to DJing and electronic music?
Figgy: It was something I always liked. I went to school in Miami and I started getting into dance music then. I took a class my senior year of college on how to use ProTools. It opened my eyes to the world of production. DJing was a natural step in order to play out my tunes.
WhySoChi: What are your musical influences? Artists/genres’
Figgy: Mostly a mix of classic house music, disco and r&b.
WhySoChi: What motivates you to continue DJing?
Figgy: Its the music. I wouldn’t know how to NOT to do it. I have always played instruments.
WhySoChi: Is this soulful house/ r&b blend of music popular on the east coast?
Figgy: There are some guys doing it, but it’s definitely not as popular as say trap or “deep house”.
WhySoChi: Do you have a go to song?
Figgy: Hmm, tough question…To me there’s a time and place for everything right. A certain track can go off like crazy at one club and get a meh at another.
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WhySoChi: Who is your dream artist to work with ( that you haven’t worked with already) ?
Figgy: This is super dream, but it would be Miguel, The Dream, Frank Ocean, Drake, Banks, Shura oh and obviously Beyonce.
WhySoChi: Any DJs?
Figgy: Todd Terje
WhySoChi: As a musician, any piece of advice to give people pursuing a similar career/passion?
Figgy: Be nice. Be positive. Focus on the music. That is the biggest thing. Other stuff will come into place.
WhySoChi: Anything we should keep an eye out for in the near future from Figgy?
Figgy: Le Youth remix that has come out (Purchase it HERE from iTunes/ Listen to it HERE). My first track with a featured vocalist should be out in April and I have lots of unreleased bootlegs I’m sitting on.
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Check him out!
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FiggyMusic
Twitter: @Figgy_
Instagram:@Figgy_
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/figgy

Post SnowStorm Music Fest: Win & Woo [Interview]

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WSC: How did it feel to Play at Snowstorm music Festival?

Nick: It’s cool, we had an idea in mind to change the way we DJ to play more of the stuff we make, the style we make; and tonight was probably the first time we went all out THAT way, playing whatever we wanted in the style were going for.

Austin: Yea, because we used to be the “Drezzos” of the DJ world because we played heavy dark stuff. We don’t make that music, so playing here was our first opportunity to shift our DJ skills towards our brand.

WSC: How long have you guys been Djing/Performing in Chicago?

Nick: We’ve been playing here for about 3/4 years, we started in 2010. Our very first show was at Max Bar.

Austin: Our very first “big” club show was The Mid.

WSC: Oh cool, who did you guys open up for?

Nick: I think it was a local night on a Thursday. We just killed it. ISU homies came out in support, and actually an ISU homie hooked it up. He was like “Hey I can get you in the MiD on a Thursday” And were like “Cool”. We brought a ton of people.

WSC: What’s your favorite club in the city?

Austin: Honestly it’s the mid, between the main room and the century room, they always take care of us.

Nick: Its home. It’s always going to be home. They bring the best DJs.

WSC: That’s not the first time we heard that. But It’s the crowd too right?

Austin: The crowd is always responsive, it’s always packed. No matter what show were opening up at the mid at this stage in our career it’s always packed.

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WSC: When did you guys first start thinking about doing this?

Nick: Its crazy because I’ve been around music my whole life but I dropped it all when I started college. I stopped playing guitar (I used to be in bands and stuff) and started partying. And then I picked up DJing… But its weird because we lived 20 minutes away from each other never knew each other. He (Austin) lived in a small 20 person town. We played beer pong..

Austin: I’m from Danforth,IL. Literally, the middle of nowhere.

Nick: So we met and I’ve started djing on a mini controller at parties.

Austin: good ol’ virtual DJ

Nick: Austin wanted to learn so I taught him. He played at some frat parties I played at, I was in the frat. We did our first event together at a sorority barn dance. ISU barn dance. We played all country songs and popular songs, but the last song we played was the country edit of “Where’s Your head At” . at the time no one heard that shit, it was before Bassnectar came to ISU and if eel that shit changed everything. Bassnectar at ISU enlightened the whole campus. He did that everywhere.

Austin: We started around then 2010 doing sorority gigs to make some money. Then we decided to take it to the next level and came back to Chicago.

WSC: What are your musical influences?

Austin: Crazy as it sounds we’ve always followed the Chainsmokers really closely. They’re like a brand and musicians that we idolize because we see each other like that.

Nick: They’re always pushing the boundaries. You can tell when someone is trying out different styles. Even though ChainSmokers came out with something super commercial (“Selfie”). We have been following them since before that. They developed a brand and did it right.

Austin: They kept true to themselves. Haven’t changed since they started.

Nick: But there are more people as well. I couldn’t just say one name.

Austin: We have our homies Doctor Fresh, Bentley-Dean. We all hang out and make music together.

WSC: Who are your favorite local DJs?

Austin: Tsunami, Inphinity & Kalendr, Trentino, Freak Island, Zebo, Phenom

Nick: They’re just really cool dudes that know how to work a room and have been doing it forever. Everyone in the Chicago Industry is pretty nice.

Austin: This is a big city, but a small community. We all try to help each other out.

WSC: What keeps you going every day? What motivates you?

Nick: It took us a long time for us to get to where we are now. There was a big learning curve. There is so much to keep up with. Even though we knew we could do it, it was hard to get up every day and start doing it. We didn’t have a studio. We just got one a year ago and it has been life changing. Now we just go there every day.

Austin: It is a make it or break it kind of thing.

Nick: It has been a dream to travel the world.

Austin: Our collective dream was to travel the world even before we started DJing. This is the way we can do it and express our talents at the same time.

WSC: Dream artists to work with?

Nick: EDX is our favorite right now. His music helped us understand what were making and what we are DJing, and how to do them both.

Austin: We make happy stuff and clubby darker stuff. And he is in between that. He is not a huge name but he is very well known.

WSC: Deep dish or thin crust?

Nick: Thin crust

Austin: Thin crust. Shout out to Monacle’s Pizza! It’s a local chain in central Illinois. The sickest thing crust.

WSC: Cubs or Sox?

Nick & Austin: Sox

WSC: Win or Woo?

Nick: Win!

Austin: Woo!

WSC: Anything you would like to tell your fans?

Austin: Honestly, thank you!

Nick: Especially in the past year. We shifted and we rebranded. Our music was so well received. It is all about confidence. Knowing that you can make whatever you like and everyone will like it, THAT is what keeps us going. Everyone giving us this support, is what makes us.

WSC: Anything we need to keep an eye out?

Austin: First initial remix coming out in March with Pompeya. They are a large rock band in Russia. They are really good. Their initial remixes had some big artists on them.

Nick: There are some other things we are currently working on that we can’t talk about yet.

Austin: We’re sitting on like 3-4 remixes.

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Check them out!!

Twitter: @WinandWoo

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/winandwoo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/winandwoo

Instagram: @WinandWoo