Fresh off the Asian leg of the Club Life tour where she played alongside Dutch superstar DJ Tiesto in Kuala Lumpur last October, DJ Tigerlily returns to release her new single “Zombie”.
Photo Credit: Chinese Laundry
“Zombie” is a hard thumping, club banger packed with killer synths and big thunderous beats perfect for the dancefloor.“It’s great to be able to hit the decks and do what I love to do. I love entertaining people, putting on a great show and make people dance and have fun,”says Tigerlily.
Tigerlily is fast becoming Australia’s hottest commodity in the dance music scene. First runner-up of Australia’s DJ training program and competition “Your Shot” in 2011, Tigerlily’s amazing talent has landed her residencies at some of the most prominent events and venues in Australia including Pacha, one of Sydney’s exclusive nightclubs, The World Bar & Soho in Sydney and Red Square in Adelaide. She has also played at major festivals in Australia such as Stereosonic and Future Music Festival and opened for big names like Avicii and Tommy Trash.
A passionate spin-rebel with a cause, Tigerlily strives to promote the visibility of women in the male-dominated dance music scene. Her fiery personality and distinctive DJ style has made her the #12 DJ on Australia’s renowned ITM top 50 DJ Poll this year. This young artist is also a weekly regular on Angus O’Loughlin’s The Bump on 2Day FM.
Her impressive sets have gained the attention of fans all over the world and impressed world’s top DJ Tiesto who personally selected her to be a part of his massive Club Life Asian tour which toured Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Seoul. Her DJ sets are vibrant performances that fuse electro and techno beats and spiced up with a few hit songs dropped into the mix. Her debut single with Kyro & Bomber, ‘Look At The Lights’, a dynamic electro track was released in September under leading EDM label Onelove.
In conjunction with the new release, we caught up with the bombshell, thanks to our friends at Commas & Industry:
Congratulations on your first solo release, Zombie! What inspired you to work on the EP?
Thank-you so much! Music and composition have been in my blood for a long time so moving in to electronic music production was only a natural move. There is a lot to learn, and each day I’m still learning, but I absolutely love it. My inspiration to work on my first single release came from all the other amazing DJs and producers that are releasing some of the most forward thinking and dynamic music these days! I can’t thank them enough!
How has the response been so far?
It has been super positive! ‘Zombie’ was released at the time of Halloween which was perfect as everyone was in scary zombie mode. Everyone has been really supportive of this record which is great, and hearing it played out in clubs is the best feeling ever. It’s been charting on the ARIA charts for the past month which is great and has been very popular on iTunes Australia. I couldn’t be happier.
How did you get into DJ-ing? Was it something that you’ve always been interested in?
DJing wasn’t something that I was always interested in, and I didn’t really think that it was possible to make a career out of it until I was about 17. However, when I was introduced to dance music I absolutely fell in love and I haven’t looked back since. Your Shot was the main force behind me getting into DJing and I can’t thank my Your Shot family enough for the love and support that they have all given me throughout my musical journey and career.
How did you get your stage name ‘Tigerlily’?
One day I was at the zoo, and I was looking at this beautiful Tigress. All of a sudden, the heavens opened up, the sun shone through the clouds, and a lily dropped onto the tiger’s lap! It was meant to be…*
* This story might be a little white lie.
How do you feel about being a female DJ in the male-driven EDM scene?
I really don’t mind to be honest. Like everything, it has it pros and cons. Fortunately, as a woman, it’s easy to become noticed initially in the industry, which is great to get your first break and your foot in the door. Unfortunately, after that it can be very difficult to gain he respect that you want and deserve. However, I do like a challenge and it’s great to be part of the boys club and to work with so many talented people on a daily basis.
How do you prepare for a show?
Compiling a playlist of my favorite songs that are appropriate for my set time and the venue I’m playing at is of most importance. Not to mention making various edits, mash-ups and bootlegs of the recent hits that I might want to drop. Apart from my music, it takes a while for me to get ready (maintaining this purple hair isn’t easy), and a gin and tonic is always a nice touch before a show.
Besides EDM what other genres interest you?
When I was growing up I was exposed to a whole different array of music thanks to my parents. They love everything from ABBA, to Beethoven, to The Rolling Stones. I’m really open minded when it comes to other musical genres and I love listening to anything! Give me pop, rock, metal, or classical, I love it all!
You recently toured with DJ superstar Tiesto on his Club Life tour. Any interesting tour stories?
It was a whirlwind of tequila shots, early morning flights, laughter and good company. There was dancing on tables, hilarious instagram videos and singing Dutch folk music! Hahaha! Too much fun!
The whole tour was absolutely amazing. Such a fun and inspirational week and I learned so much from Danny & Tijs. The crowds were so receptive to my sound and the show in KL was MINDBLOWING! Looking out into the crowd to see some Australian flags made me an incredibly happy tiger, I cant wait to get back there.
Any plans on doing a solo set in Malaysia?
I’d absolutely LOVE to come back to Malaysia! I had the best time there in October. So yes, the plan is to come back as soon as possible.
If you could work with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Can I choose two?
Dead – Michael Jackson. I can’t explain how his musical creativity and forward-thinking ability has influenced me over the years.
Alive – Deadmau5. He has to be my favourite electronic dance music producer of all time, and his ability to produce music of such a high quality continues to amaze me.