Catching Leisan’s opening set at this year’s Shabang festival was a treat. The LA-based DJ energized the early crowd with intricate mixes and lively movements. The crowd grew quickly as festival goers located deeper on the grounds were pulled in by her music. A mix of originals and remixes of classic songs, there was something for everyone in this short block of time.
I sat with Leisan a few minutes after her set to ask how she felt on the Funk Safari stage. I also dove into her podcast, Supersonic, and independent label TRANQUILO Records.
How did you feel about your set?
I feel amazing. It’s my second time playing in SLO. The best people are here; they’re always so welcoming and have a lot of energy. They’re ready to accept all your music, your energy, everything. And I think, for the artist, it’s priceless, because you can play whatever you want, or whatever you feel. I’m trying to bring more festival sounds, but still groovy, still dance-y. I’m so happy to be here and to have an opening slot. The crowd grew very fast, and they were all dancing. So I’m happy about my set.
How did you feel compared to the first time you played here?
The first time was a completely different event. It was at Fremont Theater, and I did the direct support for Walker and Royce. It was a theater setting at night. And here it’s an opening slot at a daytime festival. So it’s two different vibes. But still, we had great energy at both.
You launched your music podcast a little over a year ago. What inspired you to start it?
As you said, it was more than a year ago, and I was at a different level. I’m still exploring the music and the DJ side of the industry. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask other artists. It was a good way to meet more people to ask them questions about things I do as a producer and a DJ in a podcast format. I was also thinking that it would be a good platform for artists to say what they want to say and share their knowledge.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve received since starting the podcast?
There’s a lot. The main thing is, “just do.” Just do what you want to do. Don’t try to be someone, to please people, to fit the right mold. Because at the end of everything, people love who you are. It doesn’t matter what you play or how you look. What matters is authenticity. That’s the main thing.
How do you feel you’ve grown since starting the podcast?
I don’t think the podcast influenced me much as an artist, more as a person. My growth isn’t linear. I see where I want to go, and sometimes you have to go a few steps back to get something new in your life, or focus on the music, like producing or this and that. I feel like I’m doing medium steps, not running towards the finish line. I have a good team, and I think we’re just going forward for the better.
And you also have your own label.
It’s amazing. We started eight months ago, with Manuel De La Mare. He’s the head of the 303LOVERS label. He’s been in the music industry for many, many, many years, and he suggested starting a new label. We’re working on it together, finding the new artist and creating a community in Los Angeles. And I’m happy to give new artists a chance who want to create their music, and I’m happy that they’re giving me a chance to release their music as well. It’s very interesting because I’ve never done something like this before. You have to find the art name, the idea of your label, to build the music side of the label. I like it. I like to find myself in a different part of the music scene, as a podcast, as a label, as a social media person, everything.
How do you want to see both the label and the podcast progress over the next five years?
I stopped the podcast for a while because it needs more dedicated time, and, financially, it’s a lot. I don’t have a big team right now to do that. And I partially moved to Asia, so I want to explore the Asian market. I had my first show in India a few weeks ago, I didn’t have a lot of time to do podcasts. For the label, we want to bring more artists, better music, and just to grow, grow, grow.
You mentioned performing overseas. Have you performed in Russia?
No, I haven’t traveled back to Russia yet. I want to explore more. We are talking about Singapore right now. I’m very happy that LA gives me a lot of chances and events. I think it’s time to perform across America and experience different crowds. But LA is my home, I’m always coming back here every month.
What’s your favorite performance moment?
I have two favorite moments: one of them at Lightning in a Bottle last year. I played on a Thursday and performed after Honey Dijon. I had a large crowd, and I had this moment of euphoria when I didn’t see the end of the crowd. My music fit the vibe perfectly, and people just kept coming. The owner of the art car, Patricia, was like coming back every 15 or 20 minutes. And he was like, “Wow, I didn’t expect this.” The second time was in San Francisco, I opened for Solomun, and it was a big show as well. I was opening for one of my favorite artists in the electronic music scene. It was an honor for me, and I was super happy. Both were highlights in my career, but hopefully I will have something crazier.
Leisan
