Festival season is the best time of year to find new artists, and one of my favorite new finds of the season is none other than AUSTERIA, who is set to take the stage at Solshine Reverie this weekend in Chillicothe, Illinois.
Fresh off the release of her new single, "Shadows of Deceit", AUSTERIA is gearing up for a major festival season. We caught up with her just before her Solshine performance to talk about everything from her music to her festival style. She even curated some picks of her favorite iHeartRaves pieces.
Get tickets for Solshine Reverie here.
iHR: Tell us a bit about how you got into DJing? Which came first, DJing or producing?
AUSTERIA: I went to my first dance music events in high school and instantly fell in love with the music and community. Honestly, becoming a DJ really never crossed my mind until I started seeing women like Rezz and Alison Wonderland climbing the ranks, seeing that really opened my eyes to the possibility. The second I learned that you can make music on your computer, I downloaded a DAW and started teaching myself via tutorials online. So, technically, I started with producing, but I was really teaching myself both simultaneously in my parent’s basement.
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iHR: Tell us a bit about your production process. How do you go about writing songs?
A: It depends on the song! I usually pick a key, bpm, and genre first and then start a rough draft of an intro and kind of work through the song from start to finish. Then, I’ll return to different sections and flesh them out more. Sometimes I have a theme and title before starting the project, and sometimes I find the theme/vibe along the way.
iHR: You've had a couple of new releases recently, could you tell us about them?
A: Absolutely! I recently did a remix of Sully’s song ‘Impossible’ featuring Sarah McTaggart which was super fun to do. By the time this interview comes out, my newest single ‘Shadows of Deceit’ will be out and I’m really excited for that. I’ve recently been working with vocals more and it’s been a lot of fun to learn more about vocal production and the story telling that comes with that.
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iHR: Any upcoming releases we can get excited about?
A: I have a collaboration with Zingara and another official remix that will be coming out soon and I’m really excited about both of those. I’m working on a few other collaborations at the moment, as well as my next EP, so there will be a lot to look out for and be excited about this year.
iHR: What are some of your musical inspirations?
A: My musical influences change with whatever is going on in my life, but the one constant has always been alternative, pop punk, and metalcore bands. Currently, my biggest inspirations right now are Sleep Token and Bad Omens. From their songwriting and production to their stage presence, branding and story telling, I just find both bands to be very inspiring. It has totally shifted how I think of my own project and the future I see for ‘Austeria.’
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iHR: What are you most excited about for your upcoming Solshine performance?
A: This is my first festival of the season so I am super excited to see everyone, dance around, be in the festival spirit and explore. This will also be the first time I’m playing out my newest release, ‘Shadows of Deceit,’ so I’m really looking forward to that.
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iHR: What is your craziest rave or festival memory?
A: This is a tough question, but I think I have to give my craziest festival memory award to Lost Lands 2017 when the volcano started burning down at the main stage during Destroid.
iHR: Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to festival fashion?
A: I honestly look at what my peers and friends are doing and then put my own taste/spin to it. It’s been a journey figuring out how I want to present myself as a woman while performing at these events for a variety of reasons. My main concern is being comfortable up there. In the past I’ve just thrown on a big t-shirt and called it a day, which I still do, but I’m trying to branch out from that and explore different options and be more comfortable in my skin. I’ve always felt this unseen pressure to dress more masculine as a performing DJ, but I’m trying to leave that behind! I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like I’ve felt a shift in this mindset among my peers and it’s inspired me to branch out as well.
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iHR: What are some of your favorite festival or rave fashion trends?
A: I love a small-top-big-pants combo. I also really love the crochet top trend that’s going on right now. Everyone looks so cute. I love when people wear costumes and dress up as their favorite characters or faeries and go all out. And most importantly, I love the sprouts. Sprouts make me happy.
iHR: If you made a piece of Kandi today, what would it say?
A: “Tippy in my teacup”
