April 11, 2025 • 8 mins
Having played on the Ultra Main Stage a handful of times, Hardwell was a set many attendees came to see at the Ultra Music Festival. I had the pleasure of interviewing Hardwell 2 hours before he was supposed to close the Main Stage on Saturday. We chatted about his rescheduled set last year at Ultra and what he has planned for his performance at the 25th Anniversary of Ultra in Miami. Also, Hardwell teased his new single "Sanctuary", which was released today!
Intro Credit: "Last Heroes - Dimension"
Exit Music Credit: "Hardwell - Sanctuary"
Intro Credit: "Last Heroes - Dimension"
Exit Music Credit: "Hardwell - Sanctuary"
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to EDM Venue, a podcast for all of
the DM lovers and headbangers out there. In this podcast,
you will find interviews with your favorite artists. Here we go,
(00:28):
and we are here at Ultra Music.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's a word, wild Night by five, iHeartRadio, and I'm
here at the legendary Hard Well how is it going.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I'm good man, I'm super excited, Like it can be
more excited than I am right now.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Oh yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And what you're going on the uh main stage in
about two and a half.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hours, exactly two and a half hours closing the main stage.
No pressure is gonna be a good one. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And now before we get started, I want to talk
to you about last year. I felt like last year
I was one of the only people that got.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
To see you on Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Well, yeah, I saw you on Friday because of the
but that was the only thing that happened. Like, no, man,
I don't want to think about last year. Everything got
canceled because of the weather and the thunderstorms and everything.
And well, luckily this year is like the weather is
like in our advantage and it's how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It is it is now I have something to show
you real quick. You put out this tweet last Ultra.
Do you know what this tweet is that I have
no All right, why don't you read that one for us?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I'm crying right now. Three months of word by the
team and myself. Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, that happened last year, last year, Yeah exactly, yeah, yeah,
and you ended up becoming legendary coming out on Saturday.
They made space for you because you're a legend.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, I have to say, Afrojack sacrifice a really big
part of his set as Kappa shown and then Kashmir
sacrificed a really big part of his set. So once again,
nothing but love for those guys and obviously the government
of Miami. They extended Ultra with one hour, So yeah,
everybody worked really hard to squeeze me in somehow. And yeah,
(01:58):
I think we're talking about right now, but I think
we will talk about this show of last year for
like the next ten years. It was crazy how they
fit me in and the response on that set and
the energy. I think you could tell you know, the
moment I came on stage and Ultra we made it,
that was like such an iconic moment in the whole
history of Ultra and you.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Made it back out. It's like we're still going, We're
not stopping.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
We're never stopping. Tonight is like the biggest promise for that.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Oh I like the sound of that. I like the
sound of that. So what even up to you since
the last time we spoke at Ultra.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
A lot, a lot, Like I spent the whole winter
in Holland in the studio working on new music. It
sounds like the same old, same old. But it's funny
to say I've never played out that many new hardwroll
songs as I'm going to play out tonight. So yeah,
even when my label reveals recordings, we got so many
new stuff going on, and well tonight I prepare the
set that's for me already, like unforgettable.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Did I see you on the lineup for Resistance at Biza.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
That's a shock, right, but you yeah, you saw it right,
you saw right?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Actually, I'm gonna do the Resistance station a beats out
with Ultra, not by myself. I'm gonna do a special
back to back together with art Bot Wo. I know
what people like thinking like, Yo, it's hard moving the techno. No,
but I'm a huge fan of like every genre in
electronic dance music. And I've been a huge fan of
art but for a very very long time. And I'm
(03:19):
really excited to work on music with the guys and
play a very very special set that night.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Oh that's good to here, that's good to hear. All Right,
I have a question for you, because I know Miami
needs a lot to you over your career. What do
you love about Miami?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
But I know about Miami. I to be honest, I
only know sud Beat because of Miami Music Week. No, no, Like,
the food is great, the hospitality is great, people are
super nice. I I love Miami. Like the first time
I came to America that was Miami. So Miami always
has a special place in my heart.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And just a few more, what do you love about Ultra?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Ultra is not a festival. Ultra is a feeling. It's
a family. It's they've been around. Well, we're celebrating twenty
five years of Ultra and it's it's it's it's it's
different than any other festival. And why I say that
is because they mean so much for every DJ, for
every for the for the crowd, for the fans, for everybody,
Like it's it's it's such a you have to be
(04:12):
here to experience it. But it's like so different than
any other festival in the world. It really, it truly
feels like a family.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Oh that's good to here. Weren't you just put on
a magazine cover?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, I did. I did a shot with a shoot
with the hotel magazine, a Hotel Living and uh, yeah
it was a great experience. And normally I don't do
that kind of stuff, but well, there was a great
opportunity to do something different.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
That's a big deal. That's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And my last question for you, any announcements for iHeartRadio.
What do you mean, like, any know, any big announcements
you got coming up? Anything wanna announce to you know,
your fans out there, your audience.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Well, yeah, definitely watch my set tonight. The intro is
gonna be my new single, Sanctuary. It's actually my first
vocal single since my comeback solo record, and uh it's
coming out in April, so make sure to keep an
eye on that.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, thank you for your time, hard Well and uh,
good luck tonight, and you're gonna kill I know legend
on the main stage.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
This is done with Wild night by bye. iHeartRadio more
we are out.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Messanti one. They need some lads.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
My emotions, your rep so much pears and the opening.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Of my eye fray from my conscious.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Sweet essentially, I'm can you be my senter.
Speaker 8 (07:14):
Pats from.
Speaker 9 (07:36):
Different from Stammers.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Thanks for listening to m Venue podcast. You at the
next show.
You're listening to EDM Venue, a podcast for all of
the DM lovers and headbangers out there. In this podcast,
you will find interviews with your favorite artists. Here we go,
(00:28):
and we are here at Ultra Music.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
That's a word, wild Night by five, iHeartRadio, and I'm
here at the legendary Hard Well how is it going.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I'm good man, I'm super excited, Like it can be
more excited than I am right now.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Oh yeah, I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
And what you're going on the uh main stage in
about two and a half.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hours, exactly two and a half hours closing the main stage.
No pressure is gonna be a good one. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And now before we get started, I want to talk
to you about last year. I felt like last year
I was one of the only people that got.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
To see you on Friday.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Well, yeah, I saw you on Friday because of the
but that was the only thing that happened. Like, no, man,
I don't want to think about last year. Everything got
canceled because of the weather and the thunderstorms and everything.
And well, luckily this year is like the weather is
like in our advantage and it's how it's supposed to be.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It is it is now I have something to show
you real quick. You put out this tweet last Ultra.
Do you know what this tweet is that I have
no All right, why don't you read that one for us?
Speaker 3 (01:25):
I'm crying right now. Three months of word by the
team and myself. Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, that happened last year, last year, Yeah exactly, yeah, yeah,
and you ended up becoming legendary coming out on Saturday.
They made space for you because you're a legend.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Well, I have to say, Afrojack sacrifice a really big
part of his set as Kappa shown and then Kashmir
sacrificed a really big part of his set. So once again,
nothing but love for those guys and obviously the government
of Miami. They extended Ultra with one hour, So yeah,
everybody worked really hard to squeeze me in somehow. And yeah,
(01:58):
I think we're talking about right now, but I think
we will talk about this show of last year for
like the next ten years. It was crazy how they
fit me in and the response on that set and
the energy. I think you could tell you know, the
moment I came on stage and Ultra we made it,
that was like such an iconic moment in the whole
history of Ultra and you.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
Made it back out. It's like we're still going, We're
not stopping.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
We're never stopping. Tonight is like the biggest promise for that.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Oh I like the sound of that. I like the
sound of that. So what even up to you since
the last time we spoke at Ultra.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
A lot, a lot, Like I spent the whole winter
in Holland in the studio working on new music. It
sounds like the same old, same old. But it's funny
to say I've never played out that many new hardwroll
songs as I'm going to play out tonight. So yeah,
even when my label reveals recordings, we got so many
new stuff going on, and well tonight I prepare the
set that's for me already, like unforgettable.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Did I see you on the lineup for Resistance at Biza.
Speaker 3 (02:54):
That's a shock, right, but you yeah, you saw it right,
you saw right?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Actually, I'm gonna do the Resistance station a beats out
with Ultra, not by myself. I'm gonna do a special
back to back together with art Bot Wo. I know
what people like thinking like, Yo, it's hard moving the techno. No,
but I'm a huge fan of like every genre in
electronic dance music. And I've been a huge fan of
art but for a very very long time. And I'm
(03:19):
really excited to work on music with the guys and
play a very very special set that night.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Oh that's good to here, that's good to hear. All Right,
I have a question for you, because I know Miami
needs a lot to you over your career. What do
you love about Miami?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
But I know about Miami. I to be honest, I
only know sud Beat because of Miami Music Week. No, no, Like,
the food is great, the hospitality is great, people are
super nice. I I love Miami. Like the first time
I came to America that was Miami. So Miami always
has a special place in my heart.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And just a few more, what do you love about Ultra?
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Ultra is not a festival. Ultra is a feeling. It's
a family. It's they've been around. Well, we're celebrating twenty
five years of Ultra and it's it's it's it's it's
different than any other festival. And why I say that
is because they mean so much for every DJ, for
every for the for the crowd, for the fans, for everybody,
Like it's it's it's such a you have to be
(04:12):
here to experience it. But it's like so different than
any other festival in the world. It really, it truly
feels like a family.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
Oh that's good to here. Weren't you just put on
a magazine cover?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, I did. I did a shot with a shoot
with the hotel magazine, a Hotel Living and uh, yeah
it was a great experience. And normally I don't do
that kind of stuff, but well, there was a great
opportunity to do something different.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
That's a big deal. That's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
And my last question for you, any announcements for iHeartRadio.
What do you mean, like, any know, any big announcements
you got coming up? Anything wanna announce to you know,
your fans out there, your audience.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Well, yeah, definitely watch my set tonight. The intro is
gonna be my new single, Sanctuary. It's actually my first
vocal single since my comeback solo record, and uh it's
coming out in April, so make sure to keep an
eye on that.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, thank you for your time, hard Well and uh,
good luck tonight, and you're gonna kill I know legend
on the main stage.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
This is done with Wild night by bye. iHeartRadio more
we are out.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Messanti one. They need some lads.
Speaker 6 (06:03):
My emotions, your rep so much pears and the opening.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Of my eye fray from my conscious.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Sweet essentially, I'm can you be my senter.
Speaker 8 (07:14):
Pats from.
Speaker 9 (07:36):
Different from Stammers.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Thanks for listening to m Venue podcast. You at the
next show.
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