Aukoustics: Galantis, Dolly Parton, JVKE, Cheat Codes, lovelytheband, and Secs On The Beach

Episode Transcript
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Austin Seltzer (00:01):
Welcome to the Grounds for Success podcast.
I'm your host, austin Siltzer.
Together we'll unveil the keysto success in the music industry
.
Join me as I explore my guest'slife stories and experiences to
uncover practical insights tohelp you align with your goals
more effectively.
Welcome to the Grounds forSuccess podcast.

(00:25):
My name is Austin Siltzer and Iam a mixing and mastering
engineer with over 10 years ofexperience in the music industry
.
Today, my guest is Acoustics, oralso known as Sex on the Beach.
Acoustics is amulti-instrumentalist producer,

(00:45):
songwriter, artist and also oneof my really good buddies.
He is produced and writtenFaith by Galantis featuring
Dolly Parton and Mr Probs, dandyLion by Jake and Galantis.
Monsters by 24-Carat GoldenSail Away by Lovely the Band how

(01:06):
Do you Love by Cheat Codes andLee Bryce.
Losing my Religion by SteveAoki and so much more.
As an artist, he's alsoproduced remixes for Megan
Trainor, oliver Tree, fits inthe Tantrums, flow Rider,
galantis and Dolly Parton Kindof ridiculous list there, huge

(01:27):
flex.
I'm stoked to have him on Ontoday's episode.
We're going to talk aboutwhenever, growing up, how Eric's
dad was very hands-on andreally kind of like trained him
in life, kind of like TigerWoods' dad did, just like as a
mentor, but somebody who'salways there kind of.

(01:48):
Is this like guiding force tomake his son into a diamond?
Taking a piece of coal andpressuring it into a diamond?
Eric also had a half-brotherwho was a great musician.
Unfortunately, he passed awaywhenever Eric was five years old
, but he imparted this thing inEric.
That was like music is reallycool and it's something that he

(02:12):
looked up to, and so he was aguiding light in Eric's life.
Whenever he was younger, forsure, and by 10, eric had
learned how to play the piano orwas learning how to.
He was teaching himself onYouTube and he quickly got into
actually creating YouTube videosnot on music but on his golf
playing, but just contentcreation, and I think getting

(02:36):
himself out there that wayreally helped him to just put
himself out there.
At an early age, eric heard tonsof music playing around the
house and he was inspired bylike Blink 1A2 and Eminem and
stuff like that.
But then he heard One Directionand Justin Bieber and kind of

(02:57):
fell in love with Pop.
He really wanted to understandhow it was made and it just like
clicked into his mind like Ilove that, I want to figure out
how to make that.
So that was the guiding forcefor him to go in the Pop
direction.
We learned how Eric took up ajob at American Eagle to be able

(03:19):
to save up for a Mac Mini, andI think that is just so
important because music is astruggle.
We have to be out there and wehave to take up jobs and we have
to hustle continuously to beable to put food on the table
and to be able to have the toolsto be able to make music.

(03:41):
And just knowing that he tookup that job to be able to afford
a Mac Mini, to even get startedcreating Pop music, is just an
awesome story that you're goingto hear about.
And really we're going to hearone of the most motivational
stories, I think, of how Ericwas given a task by his buddy,

(04:02):
saint, on creating flips forGalantis and how, in like the
final hour, he put together whatwould become faith with Dolly
Parton.
And we get to hear that storyof how all of that came about
and really how all of the yearsleading up to that moment is how
he learned to be able to createsomething that quickly under

(04:25):
that much pressure and deliver,and it be some magic, and I
think you guys are really goingto love that story.
Alright, let's get caffeinated.

Aukoustics (04:34):
Alright, talk me through this coffee here.
What do we got?

Yeah, so I'm going to have to shit on you for
a second.
Go for it.
Eric doesn't like coffee.
I hate coffee.
He really hates coffee.
I can't stop it.
And I swear I did not likeforce him to do this, although I
sent like a couple of hatemessages, yeah, and I said I
can't have you on because youdon't drink coffee.
I said if you come on thepodcast and you don't drink

(04:57):
coffee, I will just sit here andshit talk you the whole time.
But I swear I didn't force you.

Aukoustics (05:04):
Oh man, I don't know , it's like a foreign substance
or something, I don't know.
This is my thought on coffee,right, not going to you know,
can I swear on this?
Yeah, not to shit on coffeedrinkers everywhere.
It's a legal drug, likeunpopular opinion Coffee is
illegal.

Do you not like caffeine?

Aukoustics (05:25):
No, it's just like for one.
I don't love the taste ofcoffee, right, fair.
But like, you know, like thatwhole mocha, I don't know, it's
just, I've never been like, Inever loved the taste of it.
But there are some like coffeesthat I do enjoy, but I think
it's like the thought that Ineed something like another

(05:46):
substance to like, pick my moodup.
You know what I mean.
I think it's like that thought,that like.
Maybe it's not like, like, Ithink it's just a mixture of
like.
I don't want to rely onsomething else.
You know, like, like, like.
I've seen some people whohaven't had their coffee and
it's like they're like adifferent human being and I
think that scares me a littlebit.

(06:06):
I get that as I drink this.

Yeah, so I will talk you through your coffee.
So it's phenomenal, though Ihave to say that, holy crap,
I've never made this before.
So it's, it's Onyx a company,but it's a Costa Rican bean, and
okay.
So I just took the first seven.
I'm actually fucking baffled.
That was delicious.

Aukoustics (06:30):
No, like I'm not even gonna lie, I'm not a coffee
drinker.
This is a very good coffee, soyours is made because it was
made with love.

It was made with love.
Thanks, man.
I hang around those beans.
I ran upstairs.

Aukoustics (06:41):
Hang around them beans.

And I got some oat creamer, which it's like it
has a little bit of sweetness,but so I whipped it and put it
all together.
But man, I'm I am actuallybaffled.
That is delicious.
Great job, Onyx.
But there is a real use forcaffeine.

(07:05):
As long as it's not too much,it does help mental clarity.
It helps, like, if you'retrying to zoom in on something,
like focus real hard onsomething.
It does help focus, Like thereis really oh man, there's so
much data saying Interesting,like how it increases focus.
It increases the ability to getto a thought more quickly.

(07:30):
So there are some good uses, Ofcourse, like I do see what
you're saying, like if you haveto rely on that.
But what if you're already asuper human and you're trying to
become more of a super human?
Yeah just look for a little bitof an edge, because we were
talking about earlier, we'replaying at the very, very top
level of music, the highest, andany little edge like that, like

(07:53):
a very natural substance.

Aukoustics (07:56):
True, I mean like I definitely would prefer some
like this over like Adderall.
Like because it is, it is, itdoes come from nature.
I guess you could say so coffee, I guess.
If there is any legal drug thatI would take or do like, it's
coffee Like, and there is a lotof positive health benefits to
coffee.
I know that for sure.

(08:17):
But yeah, that's why I'mdrinking it with you today.

Dude, it's so great to have you on here.

Aukoustics (08:23):
Thank you for having me.
It's an honor to be here.
Love this, like.
What you've done is incredible.
This is really cool.
I'm really happy to be here,for sure.
Thanks, man.
It was all a dream.
You know what I mean Exactly.
It's true, man.
No, it's really exceptional tosee, like where, like how this
has come to be Like.
It's really like.

(08:43):
Like you know, sometimes, likeI think like, sometimes, like
when you look at like a paintingor something like that, it's
like you're looking at thatpainting and then you get like
encapsulated in that paintingand like you put yourself almost
like in the painting.
I feel like this room has thatlike feeling to it.
It's like you sit down and it'salmost like an art piece.
You know, like everything is sowell thought out and it's

(09:03):
amazing, man.

Let's go back to little Eric, little Eric, yeah,
baby Eric.
I want to understand kind ofhow everything started, who your
, your parents are.
Yeah.
Like the environment you grew upin.
And what about your?
Your younger years kind ofshaped who you became today, who

(09:25):
you're going to be, becausesome of that fabric of how you
grow up is, of course, going todictate who you are, so true.
And, and maybe like in highschool, like what got you what,
what did you take from yourchildhood and what has like
moved you, along with this DNAof who you are now?

Aukoustics (09:46):
Wow, it's a great question.
What a way to kick it off, dude?
Like like.
I mean, I'm from Massachusetts,like a Worcester Massachusetts,
which is like you know, like wewere talking about.
It's like you know, it's one ofthe bigger cities in
Massachusetts, but it's by nomeans a major city or anything
like that.
But we invented the smiley face, the guy Harvey Ball.

How does?

Aukoustics (10:07):
that Harvey Ball he's the inventor of the smiley
face was invented in Worcester.

Wait, you can invent that.

Aukoustics (10:14):
Well, he's the one who like properly patent it, and
I think the smiley face wasalready a thing.
But once he was like the firstone to be like, this is my idea,
probably wasn't an idea.
Maybe it was?
I don't know, but Worcester,it's one of the claims of fame.
Yeah, I love that we have theWoo Socks, but it's like yeah,

(10:35):
it's like, you know, like anormal city.
My mom was a preschool teacher,my dad was a limo driver.
We were definitely like middle,like lower middle class, like I
think, like I think that like,growing up, my parents we didn't
have a lot of money, but myparents always made sure that I

(10:55):
had everything I needed and theyalways like fueled my.
They were always verysupportive, always super
supportive, no matter what it isI want, what I love doing.
Like they were always there andI think like I was like a
really, really big golfer when Iwas, when I was in high school,
and like, growing up, I waslike really big into golf and I

(11:18):
was really, really good and Iwon like some New England PGA
Junior tournaments.
And like I was like gettingscouted to play really high
level in college and like I was,I was, I was, I was really good
.
And like my dad would take meto every single tournament, like
drive me all over the place.
Like they just always made surethat like I had everything that
I needed, even if we didn'thave it, even if we didn't have

(11:39):
enough, like they would makesure that we got it, which is, I
think, really really cool.
I have another brother.
He's a year older than me.
We're completely differentpeople.
Like we could not be moredifferent.
He's like you know what I mean,like he's like the work with
his hands, like hardworking,like different, like mindset to
me where, just like work with mybrain, and like travel the

(12:01):
world, and like he's like youknow, like he's like a home body
, or you know, like he justloves to stay.
So like we are only a yearapart and we grew up together.
We had the same experiences.
We even graduated together inthe same grade.
Like we pretty much live thesame life but we have completely
different lives and differentmindsets, which I think is
sometimes really interesting.
Like how you can have a siblingthat's so close to you but
you're like completely different.

Yeah, I would actually love to explore that at
some point.
So, let's put a pin in that,because there has to be a reason
.
I don't think it's just the waythat we are, you know, put into
this world, like there are somethings that determine.
Oh, he was doing this and youknow, he made me feel secluded,
so I went and did my own thing,100%.

(12:43):
Well, we should explore that.

Aukoustics (12:44):
Absolutely for sure.
And, yeah, like growing up likemy dad like my dad well, he
passed away like a year and ahalf ago and like my dad was
like my best friend.
Like growing up like he taughtme so much about mental strength
and mental toughness and likewe looked up to.
Like you know, I'm fromMassachusetts, so we're like Tom

(13:05):
Brady fans and, like you know,hardcore Patriots fans.

Oh gosh, I know that the best team on the planet
.

Aukoustics (13:09):
You know what I mean .
Like unlike the Dallas Cowboyswho you know what I mean they're
just really overrated.
Things like that, Like I don'tknow if you know anything about
that.

I may know a thing or two about that.

Aukoustics (13:18):
Oh, okay, I just want to make sure you know, like
you know, we've won quite a few.

The rest of this talk is just going to go
downhill from here, You're goingto start asking me really hard
questions.

Aukoustics (13:28):
You're going to take it easy on me.
Now you're like, oh, fuck thisguy.
Just painting the table.
I can't fucking stand this guy.
I mean like, but we grew up, youknow, like Tom Brady and like
the like.
I grew up on like Tiger Woods,what he did on the golf course
and that would use it off thegolf course.
But my dad, I remember my dadhad two really bad knees and

(13:50):
like he like couldn't walkwithout a cane or a walker, like
even when I was a kid, oh wow.
And so he was always like inpain, always and like whenever
we would walk places, like hewould have to use me and my
brother as like a crutch, butlike he would fight through all
that pain.
Like I remember he likecouldn't even stand.

(14:11):
He had a walker and like my dadwas older, like my dad was when
I was 16.
My dad was like 60.
No, just like he was an olderdad, definitely like the like
the oldest dad in the friendgroup.
And I remember, like mybaseball team, when I played

(14:32):
baseball, he was the first basecoach and he couldn't even stand
.
Like he's sitting there with acane, like standing, and every
ending walking out to like gostand at first base and it's
like there's like there'sthere's so many parents that
could have been the first basecoach, like, but he was like the
one that was there.
I remember we would go fishing.
He would walk down these hillsand like you could like hear his

(14:52):
like knees cracking, like fromthe pain because it was like so
painful and but he always madesure to like he didn't want to
take away from the experiencethat like we could have in our
childhood and like those momentsare invaluable, like for the
rest of my life.
Like I always say, like my dadlike taught me how to think,
like it's like he learned hereally looked up to like we were

(15:13):
talking about Tiger Woods, likehe really looked up to you know
, tiger's dad and Earl Woods andlike he wrote a book and like
all this stuff and he talksabout mental toughness and and
how like you can like raise yoursons Like pretty much like how
he raised Tiger and he likereally was like big on that book
and he kind of raised me in asimilar sort of mindset.
Can have this experience, youknow, and it's like most dads

(15:36):
you know what I mean Like mostdads.
Some dads don't even do that.
You know some dads aren't eventhere.
You know like so I'm justreally lucky to have had to have
had that and my mom is like themost kind and gracious person.
I bet you a million dollars.
My mom is going to comment onthis podcast.
She's like the most supportivelike she's.
she's given me like the kindnessand the nurturing and she's one

(15:59):
of the most incredible peopleever.
She's hilarious, she's acharacter.

Sam, I'm so confused, then why you're just
such an ass?
Oh my God, I knew it was coming.
Oh man, you know, man, it'sjust because I'm a Patriots fan.
Dude, we've won so much fan.

Aukoustics (16:16):
It's just, it's in our heads now, you know but,
yeah.

I want to explore that thought, though,
100% of how one sibling can beso different, because actually
me and my sister.
Her name is Mickey Dr Selzer,almost Dr Selzer.
Actually by the time this comesout, she will be Dr Selzer, and
I'm so pretty happy for her,that's amazing.
Congrats, michaela, hugeaccomplishment Wow.

(16:42):
Yes, so I'm very much thecreative mind Right, like I can
see the future of what I wantand like all the parts moving
and how I'm going to get thereand how they're all going to
align.
But I'm also systematic enough.

Aukoustics (17:00):
You can do it Come on coffee kick in.

Yeah right, systematic enough to go along a
plan that I have set in my mind,but I can formulate the
creative ideas and of course,I'm just a creative.
But she's incredibly analytical, total opposite to you.
Yeah, I mean, although I feellike I'm analytical, she's like
just remove the creative part,which I'm sure she has some

(17:27):
creativity in there but likeadded all into the analytical
part, Right, and what drives her?
I mean like dude, if I seesomebody with like open wounds
and blood, I think I'm gonna, Iwill faint.

Aukoustics (17:41):
Oh yeah, I mean shout out to doctors, I mean
that's like you know doing God'swork.

Yeah, Like you're keeping people alive.
I'm just trying to keep myselfalive.

Aukoustics (17:49):
I'm just going to people by beep on a daily basis.
They're like cutting peopleopen and like ripping hearts out
and shit, like they're doingthe real work now does.

But yeah, so like totally start opposite and
I could explore why we'redifferent.
But really.
I we're here to talk about youand I would love to to find out,
because, let me frame it thisway- have you read a book called
the outliers.

Aukoustics (18:11):
No.

Or outliers.
So I think that it islegitimately if you are into
reading books or if you willmake an exception for a book.
This one is so incrediblebecause what it does is it
breaks down why people aretremendously good at what
they're good at.
And we're talking about peopleat the very, very, very top

(18:34):
level Interesting.
Why are they so much better atwhatever this is than other
people.
And generally it comes down togetting a lot of years early in
life into whatever the craft isthat you flourish into.
So they have a chapter on, likeBill Gates and how he grew up

(18:58):
in a town that had one of theonly computers in his whatever
year this was and it was at alibrary and he happened.
I can't remember if it was likehis parents happened.
One of them worked at thelibrary or one of them was a
teacher.
He was around it, he was aroundit, and so he started to love
the computer and he would spendall of his hours on this.

(19:22):
And then it happened that in,like the college that was linked
to the town that he grew up in,you know, like, the one that
you just go to because you'realready there type thing, was
one of the only in the countrythat had a computer like and so
these things lined up, and hewas so proficient already
whenever he got into college atthe computer that I mean he just

(19:43):
like super accept.

Aukoustics (19:44):
And obviously he's a genius, right.
I mean.
So, yeah, paired with somethingRight, a super human or like a
savant level gift mind with that, with his surroundings, is what
created what then would createone of the biggest computer
companies in the world, right,that's interesting.

So the book explores things like that and so
many other examples.
But I have a feeling that, likewe can, we can figure out some
of the stepping stones as to whyyou're producing and writing
and working on some just likeholy fucking smashes with people
that are legends, just outrightlegends.
And I'll say this also like,how old are you again?

(20:26):
28.
Yeah, 28.
So, like you know, young.
There's no reason that 28 yearold should be working with
legends like that when there areso many talented people like
what are the intricate movementsthat got you to this, this
place.

Aukoustics (20:40):
Wow, yeah, that's a good like, because I think like
it's kind of it's interesting,because it's almost like luck.
Like I've always felt in mylife that I've been very lucky,
kind of like fortunate, likethings just somehow like fall my
way.
I don't know, I don't know whatit is, I don't know if it's
like my angels upstairs or whatit's luck, but I think, like I

(21:04):
also saw this too it's like likeproximity, being being close to
things, and like sometimes youdon't need to be the most
talented person.
Like there are definitelyproducers out there that are way
more talented than I am, butsometimes it's like having the
just being in the right place atthe right time and delivering
at the most important time,delivering under pressure, like

(21:25):
we talked about before,something like that.
I mean when I was, like when Iwas young you know what I mean
Like I, my dad, also had a sonfrom a from a prior marriage and
he was really, really.
His name was Ryan and he wassuper, super into guitar.
And when I was, when I wasyoung, he actually passed away

(21:47):
when I was like five years old.
Wow, what was he?
He was 20, I want to say 25, 25years old.
Yeah, he passed away and Iremember like like nobody else
in my family is musical at all,like nobody is even like my mom

(22:10):
and my dad came and clap on beat.
Like it's like you know normallike, like, like white people,
like I can't even like clap onbeat and like the whole crowd is
clapping in unison, but they'reoff.
It's like that.
It's like and but Ryan was anamazing musician and like I

(22:34):
always remember like beingaround them, being so fascinated
by that and I was like wow,like this is like really, really
cool.
And then, like I also like thenI started, then I started
getting into music and I justlike started becoming curious
about music.
But I think maybe it wasbecause of, like Ryan, it was
like that initial fascination,like as a kid that I think kind
of maybe like maybe curiousabout music.
And then I remember I rememberone Christmas I wanted like a

(22:59):
PlayStation or something likethat, and my mom got me a piano
and said, and like she didn'tlike I didn't ask for a piano,
like it was like one of thoselike cheap, like $70 Casio
pianos you can get a guitarcenter like one of the super
cheap ones, and I don't know itwas because they couldn't afford
a PlayStation or whatever.
But like I remember she got mea piano and it sat in my living
room for like six months and Iwas like I never touched it.

(23:22):
And then, like one day I waslike bored and I was like like
let me see what this thing isabout and I was like I like this
fascination with music and letme see what this thing is about,
and then, like taught myselfhow to play piano, like from
YouTube, like this was likeearly stages of YouTube.
I'm like maybe like 10 years oldat this time, maybe 11 or 12
years old, and then I fell inlove with the piano.

(23:42):
Then I started playing thetrumpet and, like in school and
like I also went to a schoolcalled Abikelli Shout out,
abikelli.
They're an art school like wehad, like we weren't like a huge
sports school or like we're acharter school.
We went an amazing arts program, like they really spent a lot
of money in the music and theorchestra and like just the

(24:02):
whole music program.
So they give you an opportunityto play an instrument when
you're in like fourth grade.
And.
I was like, oh, trump, thissounds cool.
And I think I read somewherelike as like an immature, like
elementary school, middle schoolkid like that, trumpet players
become the best kissers.
And I was like I want to be agood kisser.
So then I was like, oh, let meplay the trumpet.

(24:23):
And like I thought, like thatwas a cool instrument, because
most of the time it's like thelead instrument and like I was
like I always wanted to be likethe lead instrument, and so then
that's kind of how I started mywhole little musical journey.
But I think I think it'sactually really interesting,
similar to like schools, likewhat happened with, like Bill
Gates, like my school had agreat program and then I grew up

(24:44):
with a fascination forsomething and then, like my
school, fostered thatfascination and then from there
you know what I mean Then that'swhen I started meeting, like my
, you know, like my friendErnest, and you know St David,
st Fleur was a really successfulmusic executive and like that's
kind of like where I learnedhow to make music was from that

(25:05):
group of people at a high level.
Working with people like it'sinsane like to think about, like
the people that, like you know,it's like people that you grew
up listening to and like yourparents listen to and like now
it's like weird, like talkingabout it almost, like it's

(25:27):
almost, like you almost feellike a sense of like, I like,
like you know, I know I workedhard to be there, but it's like,
I'm like.
Like, when you think about itthat way, it's like I'm just
like that five year old kid thathad that fascination and now
it's like blossomed into thiswhole thing.

Yeah, I want to dive like more deeply into parts
of those because I could tellwhere you were going with that.
Okay, so at an early age youhad a relative that played
guitar and was into music andcertainly those years whenever
you were that young and you lookup to somebody who's close to

(26:00):
you but older you like idolizethem 100%.
So I could totally see how thatwould spark your curiosity and
then you get a piano and you'relike, oh fuck, it's not a guitar
.
Probably you didn't, I'mguessing.
You looked at that thing andyou were like that I don't know
about that instrument.
But then you got the curiosityand luckily you had YouTube to

(26:22):
really foster that yeah 100%, socool, I mean.
And.

Aukoustics (26:25):
I learned by ear too , like I would like listen to
songs and I'd be like, okay,cool, like this was like the
early state.
I'm talking like remember, likethose old, like David.

Blaine videos.
Oh man, I totally remember whenYouTube.

Aukoustics (26:36):
OG YouTube like that type of stuff, and then I
started making YouTube videos.
Actually, like I was likemaking YouTube like in that era,
like at like 13-14 years old,what were you making?
Golf videos.

Wow, I was one of them.
I think I could kick your assat golf.
I don't think I've ever likeyou know, really.
Have you seen me play?
No, I don't care.

Aukoustics (26:57):
You're in for a rude awakening.

Bro, I've played top golf.

Aukoustics (27:00):
You're good, you're good, you're good.
No, I mean, I love golf.
Golf is fun, but I've heardyou're great.

Thanks man.

Aukoustics (27:07):
Only from you, though.
Yeah, from me.
I talk a lot of shit, but I'mactually just joking.

You are the number one shit talker.

Aukoustics (27:14):
I'm such a shit talker.
I think it's my Massachusettsroots, like.
But no, I'm just like gettingaround.
Like I don't play golf, likewhen we're playing volleyball.
I'm like your team sucks.

Yeah, no, I love it.

Aukoustics (27:26):
You're like awesome, you suck, I suck like I always
heckle, but it's all like as ajoke, you know what I mean.
Like I genuinely don't careabout winning.
I think like I mean obviouslylike I want to win.
You know 100%.
But like, like when we'replaying recreationally, like
it's like just like for fun.
You know, it's like fun to fuckwith you.
You know, because you're mydude.

I love it.
So wait, you're okay.
So you were, you were makingYouTube videos about golf, which
I'm just gonna go out and sayis creativity 100% you're making
videos.

Aukoustics (27:55):
Yeah.

I'm just gonna go out there, so you're already
putting yourself on a pedestalwhere the world can see 100%.
And that's so difficult becausewe were talking about it
earlier if you never get stuffout in the world, you never move
forward.
Yes, 100% just actually gettingthings out there.
Yeah, is already rolling theball down the hill for sure.
So then you pick up trumpet.

(28:17):
I'm guessing this is sixthgrade.

Aukoustics (28:20):
Yeah, like fifth, sixth grade yeah.

Okay, so you're in middle school band.
Yeah, and did you play?

Aukoustics (28:25):
throughout high school.
Yep, I played all the waythrough.
I was the.
I was the red bow tie in myorchestra, which is like the,
the leader of the orchestra inlike, yeah, played all the way
through high school and all thatstuff.
I love it, always stuck with it.
Yeah, believe it or not,trumpet was my worst instrument
and that was the instrument Iperformed with the most, but I
wasn't that good.

(28:45):
I was like I was.
I was good, but I wasn't likereally good.

What were you best at?

Aukoustics (28:51):
Honestly, I think, like piano has been, has become
my best instrument.
But then what was it?
Oh then, probably probablypiano.
I'd say I was better, but therewas no.
There's no piano.
Like in our orchestra there wasno like piano player.
Yeah, it was more like big bandtype of stuff, you know strings
and clarinets and flutes andthings like that.

(29:13):
But yeah, probably piano was mybest instrument at that time.

Okay, so I mean you played trumpet throughout
high school.
So at what point, I guess, forpeople listening at a DAW
digital audio workstation, likethe thing that we make record?
Program music into yeah.
What point did you pick up aDAW?

Aukoustics (29:37):
I was 16, 15 or 16 and that's when I that's that's
like I remember is I rememberthe point where I was like I
want to learn how to make music.
I listened to one directionRight, it's like cheesy pop
music, right and I was like, wow, how did they make this?
There's a difference betweenlike like I grew up listening to

(29:59):
like Eminem and like all thepop, punk and like rap music at
the time, and like 50 cent andlike all that stuff.
I grew up listening Green Day,like all different types of
music, but when I heard OneDirection and like Justin Bieber
and like all that stuff, I waslike how the fuck did they make
this?
This is like like it's like sowell crafted, like what was the

(30:20):
process?
That's when I fell in love withpop music and songwriting and
creating and I have garage band.
I was like I had like a cheaplittle like Mac Mac mini.
I remember like I didn't knowthey still have those, oh yeah
they do.
Oh, they do, yeah, like a Macmini.
And it was like I remember,like I like saved up, I like
worked at American Eagle and Ilike saved up, like I had like

(30:41):
this like long like Bieber hair,like server hair.

I can.
I can totally say it washorrible.
I think a lot of us actuallydid this.
I worked at Hollister.

Aukoustics (30:49):
Oh really, yeah, dude, shout out to those
clothing stores, man, they'vebeen no, they've been.

That was a terrible experience.

Aukoustics (30:57):
I was like we, one of the dudes that like like had
like their shirts off, like like.
I remember that was a thingback then.
It was a thing they would havelike that would never fly
nowadays.
No, that was not me, like theyhad like young, like 21 year old
dudes with their shirts off,like I remember just being like
that's like so.

I don't even know if they were 21, but the
weirdest part is like peoplelike I remember like moms and
whatnot coming by and like youcould like rub them and stuff
like that, and it's like yo thatwould never fly.

Aukoustics (31:22):
No, it should have never that is crazy.

It should have never.

Aukoustics (31:27):
Oh yeah, of course that's weird.
It's actually really weird whenyou think about it and like
that was like, like that was athing, like it's really weird
when you think about it.
But I worked at American Eagleand remember I saved a bunch of
money bottom American Eagle.
Okay, thanks, man, that's adiss.
That could be a diss.
Is that a diss?
Oh yeah, it's true.

I'm glad you thought that it could have been
taken another way.
Yeah, I know it's true.

Aukoustics (31:50):
Whatever you like, the Dolls, cowboys, let's move
on.
But I remember, yeah, and Isaved a bunch of money, bought a
Mac Mini and GarageBand wasfree on there and I had my cheap
piano that my mom bought mewhen I was a kid.
Same piano like it luckily had amini input like MIDI, like, not
even like USB, like it was likethe old, like MIDI cables, and

(32:11):
like you had to like plug that.
It was like this, like twothing, and you had to like plug
that in and like, and then Ijust started making songs,
writing songs, and I was asongwriter, like I was just like
writing songs, like on piano,like I would literally write the
melody on piano and then singthe melody.
I'm a horrible singer.
I'm not a good singer at all.
I don't sing.
I mean, like on like five songsin my career I've sounded good

(32:34):
on.
It's like weird, like there'sselect songs that I sound good
on, but 99% of them I can't doit.

Are there songs out with?

Aukoustics (32:41):
your voice on it.
I can neither confirm nor denythat statement.
Okay, so they can neitherconfirm nor deny that.
That sucks, because I don'twant people to go looking for it
.
But yeah, I'm definitely not.
I was a rapper and that's whenI got into like making beats and
like I started becoming arapper and just writing my own

(33:03):
songs and then I put out likelike mix tapes in high school.

I love this.

Aukoustics (33:10):
I put out like mix tapes in high school and I used
to like I was so cringe thinkingback on it, but like I used to,
like I always loved performing.
Like it was like weird, like Ialways loved like just the
thought of like writingsomething and creating something
and then showing it to people.
Like it's like almost like tojust get their feedback because,
like I feel like you know, whenyou create something, like I

(33:33):
was creating it because I likeenjoyed creating, but I also
like wanted to see what peoplethought about it.
Like is it good, is it bad?
Like I thought it was bad.
Like I still got that feedback.
It's like, okay, cool, like Ilearned not to do that again.
Like that was bad, so don't dothat.

Okay, so you were talking about whenever you
picked up your doll.

Aukoustics (33:50):
Right, that's right, oh yeah, I was talking about
rapping.

That's right, I remember now.

Aukoustics (33:54):
Yeah, I was rapping and I used to love just
performing for people and justto get their feedback and I
remember I used to like rap, tolike girls and like trying to
get their phone numbers andstuff.
Let's go, it was so cringy butit worked a lot actually.
Did it really?
Yeah, actually it kind of did.
And this was back.

(34:14):
Do you remember the days ofOmegle, omegle, whatever it was
called?
No, so, like you rememberChatroulette?
Yeah, okay, so it was likeChatroulette and like me and my
friend, cam Shadow Cam, like wewere like a little duo and he
was like my hype man and I wouldlike go on these like and I
would just like chat with theserandom people and like just rap

(34:38):
to them and like just like spita rap or something like that.
And like I would meet peoplefrom all over the world and I
like become friends with themand like become friends on like
Facebook at the time and justlike keep in touch and like meet
people.
And so I was like always likeperforming you know what I mean
Like, even if it was on like asmall, like personal scale, I

(35:01):
just loved like, oh, like let me, I made this, let's see what
people think.
You know, even if it was cheesy, it was horrible, it was like
really corny, like really cornystuff.
Like really corny.
Yeah, it's different times.
I love that.
We're far more from that now.

That's just another form of you putting
yourself out there, and I thinkthat this is going to be a huge
theme that I hope people takeaway from this episode.
Right?
Is that legitimately justcontinuing to put yourself out
there?

Aukoustics (35:31):
Yes.

Perform.
Yes.
Get ridiculed or get some love.
Yeah, of course you know, gethated on, or it was mostly hate.

Aukoustics (35:41):
It was mostly hate, for sure.
Getting that out of the way isjust 100% like now, like you
know, like when songs come out,whether I produce them, whether
I'm an artist or I've like beena producer on them or whatever,
or writer, or whatever, likemost of the comments are
positive now.
But like I remember, like it'slike I got like over like the

(36:01):
negative comment thing, likeearly on in my career, and like
I think, like because of it's,because I just put out whatever
it was bad, like it wasn't good,but it's like the bad comments
is like you become numb to itand it's like I'm just creating
I don't really care what peoplethink like I'm creating for the
people, right, but like I thinkit's good at that time.
I think it's good, so put itout.

Yeah, I mean, that's what it is.
I'm always going to look backand say I could have done better
.
I could have done this orwhatever.
But at that time if you feltgood about it right and you just
get it out there right, likeliterally just getting it out
there is so freaking hard in thebeginning.
Yeah 100% you got to do it.

Aukoustics (36:42):
You have to do it.
You can't be afraid.
Because I think, like you havea like.
It's like it's almost like yourlike duty as a creative.
I think it's like you'recreating this art, you have a
gift right.
Whether you, whether you'rereally good at it or you're not
good at it, you have a giftyou're creating.
The point of it is to give itto the world.

(37:02):
Like if you just create it andthey keep it for yourself, it's
kind of selfish in a sense.
Like I'm just creating thisjust for me.
Like why not put it out toother people so that they can
enjoy it?
Like they hate on it.
They hate on it, it's not forthem.
Okay, they're going to listento it, maybe write a mean
comment.
Like, if they're writing a meancomment, they don't have
anything else better to do withour day.
And like, okay, I've never lefta negative comment on anything

(37:23):
in my life.
Like I don't think I've everbeen like this sucks, I've never
done that.
Like, most of the time it'spositive.
If you don't have anything niceto say, don't say it at all you
know, my mom taught me that ata very young age.
But put the shit out, man, don'tbe afraid.
Like and it's like.
But it's okay to be afraid.
It's okay to be afraid, butdon't be, because, like, you'll
be shocked.

(37:44):
It's like.
It's kind of like golf in asense.
Like if anyone's ever playedlike, if you're like, if you're
a golfer, you don't understandthis.
It's like when you're learninghow to play golf, you go out
there and you know what I mean.
Like you'll maybe hit 100 plusshots and most of them are
horrible shots, like terrible.
You're like top it.
You'll be hitting the bunker,hitting the water.
You'll lose a million balls.
Like you're just, like you'renot having fun.

(38:06):
But then there'll be one shotduring the day.
You'll just hit it exactly theway that it was supposed to be,
exactly the way that youenvisioned it, and it's like the
perfect shot and it's like wow,like that was so great.
And it's that one shot everysingle day that keeps you coming
back.
Right, it's like the same thingwith music it's like you, you

(38:27):
put something out and you get alot.
Maybe you'll probably get a lotof negative comments, maybe you
won't depends on how good youare right but like it's those,
but it's that one, maybe thatone positive comment will be
like wow, like you know what Imean, like wow, I'm onto
something here, you know.

And then that's what fuels the next one, and
then the next one, and the nextone, and then until you build a
catalog, until you build acareer yeah, don't be afraid
that that works perfectly formixing as well, like in two-fold
one, whenever I'm just in thestudio alone, right, I mean
generally always that way,actually always on v1s, like my
first version is always just menice and there will be a point

(39:05):
in the track where I make a moveand this could be like some
crazy reverb throw or somethingwhere in the rough it was very,
very dry right but I could telllike something is just missing.
So I do this move and it makesme feel something like holy shit
that feels amazing yeah 100%like that is one side of where

(39:27):
I'm just really excited to getto the next track and feel that
again that dopamine rush 100%.
But two is whenever I make amove.
Maybe that I didn't even thinkwas anything special is just
like supposed to be that way,and then the artist or producer
hits me back and like dude, thatthing you did right here, holy
shit, right, I can't believe Ididn't think of that.

(39:49):
That really made this record.
It's so dope.
And so I think that it'simportant that we feel we feel
great about things with nooutside input 100%, but also
whenever we get outside input,that it feels great as well yeah
, absolutely.

Aukoustics (40:05):
Like I'd be lying to you if Iwas in here being like you know
I like it when people like myshit.
Like that's, that's likereaffirming you know what I mean
.
Or like maybe it's like youknow an artist that you really
look up to like, even like likedthe song, or like shared the
song or left a comment.
Or maybe it's just like yourfriend, like that, said
something like wow, I reallylike this one.

(40:26):
Or like your friend texts youon the side and is like wow,
this, like this song soundsreally good.
You know what I mean like.
Or dude, you nailed this mix.
Like it's like.
That's like wow, thank you.
Like that that feels good.
Like, and it's like thoselittle things I think they're
like always keep it going.
You know like, because you arelike, in a sense, you're right,
like you do things for you,sometimes right, and then when

(40:46):
you get positive feedback, it'salmost like oh, I was right.
Like, oh, okay, cool.
Like, okay, good.
Like I'm on the right track.
Like, okay.
Like in you gain the buildsconfidence and you build
confidence in yourself and thennow, because you're confident,
you're going to take morechances, because and that's how
you level up as a creative forsure by just taking more chances
and being confident in yourselfand what you're creating you

(41:08):
know absolutely and andespecially, I guess, in any
creative field, but especiallyas a mixer.

We're here to fulfill a need.
We a producer, an artist,whoever wants to elevate it to a
level that can be released 100,and I'm here to serve the
creatives right right.
So after a while you like, yourego builds up in a way where
you're like I made this move andpeople liked it.
I made two moves and theyreally liked it and it.

(41:36):
It will always happen this way,that you are very stoked on
what you do right and you'lltake it a little too far because
the person that you are servingin this in this sense, right,
didn't want you to take it thatfar.
100 so then you have to back itdown 100, but as long as you
know like, hey, that's theirtaste.
Yes, they just weren't.

Aukoustics (41:56):
They weren't down with this, but look at all these
other people that were right,so don't stop right and that's
and that's another thing thatI've picked up on, like as I've
like gotten further on in mycareer like we're like, we're
like when you eventually get tolike like we're all good at what
we do.
It's just everybody has adifferent taste, right, like
it's like maybe I decided to gowith harder hitting drums, but

(42:19):
somebody maybe the personlistening is like, maybe they
envisioned it as having softerdrums, or maybe they envisioned
it with a different snare or adifferent chord, or like.
But it's like.
That's how I saw it and you sawit differently.
It doesn't mean that your wayis wrong and my way is right or
my way is wrong and your way isright.
It just means it's, it's justdifferent.
Like that's the beauty of music,especially anything creative.

(42:40):
It's like the beauty ofexpression and it's like music
is subjective.
It really is like there's noright or wrong answer.
It's not like a math problem.
Like two plus two equals four,like it's not like that music.
Like two plus two can equalseven to somebody, if it's, if
that's what they want it to be.
You know, like, um, but like,like you're saying, like in
mixing, it's like you made amove that you thought was dope,

(43:02):
but maybe they.
That's not how they heard.
It doesn't mean that you'rewrong.
It just means that theyenvisioned it in a different way
.

Yeah, it's pretty cool.
That's exactly right.
It's fun, man, it is cool.
So now let's move forward alittle bit.
I know that you said that youmet Saint.
You met your buddy, ernest I'dlike to talk about now.
You've already worked in theDahl.

(43:29):
Yeah, we're moving forward towhere maybe there was a specific
time where you met the rightpeople.
Yeah, and I want to hear aboutthat but, the right time where
you yourself are like oh shit.
I think I can do this as acareer.
And the goal of this podcast, Ithink, should be something like

(43:53):
the people watching or listeningto this can walk away
understanding what moves need tohappen in life and how to
realize that they're happening,when to keep grinding and when
to understand.
Okay, there's something realhere.
Yeah, Exactly 100%, 100%.

Aukoustics (44:17):
Like I remember you know what I mean Like I met
Ernest when I was really, reallyyoung.
I was like 16 years old.
And who is Ernest?
So, ernest, I met him when Iwas 16 years old, slipped on his
couch for like three years andwe worked together for a really,
really long time and heintroduced me to Saint at a very
, very young age.
We're all from Worcester,massachusetts.

(44:38):
Outlier.
Yeah, outlier Right there,exactly Right, it's true, we're
all from Worcester.
And you know, ernest grew upwith Saint.
Well, saint's older than us, butyou know he's known Saint for
some time.
He introduced me to Saint and Ithink, like coming up in that
group, like I just learned howto create music on a high level

(45:03):
you know what I mean Like.
And then when I started doingsongs and like you know what I
mean Like I was like just makingsongs like my mixtapes you know
what I mean and like my friendswere streaming it and like I
had like a you know I mean likelike a like a couple thousand
like streams on my songs.
But then when I started workingwith with with Saint like he
was doing like he was workingwith BB Rex at the time and he
like helped her get a recorddeal and he was like doing a lot

(45:24):
of big stuff and this was likemaybe like 2012, 2013, maybe, oh
, wow, it's like 10 years ago, Imean, it's really whenever EDM
got the acronym and blew up,yeah of course, this I think
this is about 10 years ago iswhen I met Saint 2013,.
I think it was about the time Imet Saint 2013, 2014.
Yeah, the electronic world isbooming.

Yeah, exactly.

Aukoustics (45:46):
So and he's, you know, he's, he's, he's doing his
thing and he'd moved to LA andthings like that.
And there was a couple otherpeople from from my like we have
like a little click of peoplethat kind of, like you know,
started doing their thing.
And then, like I remember, Istarted working with Saint and
my other friend, john he's fromWorcester as well and he like

(46:07):
taught me like the basics ofproducing and things like that.
And you know like what an EQwas and like hey, you have to
cut the low end on vocals andyou know what I mean, like
things like that.
And like I started to, hetaught me the basics of
producing.
And then we started working onstuff with Saint and, like you
know, ernest was positioning mewith with Saint and all this
stuff.
And then I started doing songsthat Saint liked and I remember,

(46:31):
like that was when I was likeoh okay, so like Saint would
have beats or John would havebeats, and like I would just
write to the beats and like toplining, yeah, top lining, wow.
So I was a songwriter.
And then Ernest, one day I waslike hey man, like yo man, I
think you like you're like moreof a like producer.
Like I pick up things reallyfast.

(46:52):
Like because I have like anobsession, I become obsessed
with the thing, like whatever itis.
Like I'd spend countless hourslike so much time like staying
up to like ungodly hours.
Like I remember I used to haveto wake up for school like high
school or like college orsomething like that Like six am
I'd be up to like four in themorning.

(47:13):
I'd sleep like two hours anight when I was like in high
school and college.
I think my average like nightsleep was like three or four
hours Barely slept.
I remember one time like I sleptin my car in college because
the library was open like superlate and I loved making beats in
the library for some reason.
But like our library was opento like three in the morning I

(47:34):
don't even know why.
That was a thing Like two orthree in the morning, and so I
would just stay in the librarylike and just make beats.
I'd be like the only one likeme and the person that's like at
the like working at the libraryand I would just make beats
upstairs and but my had my classat like 8 am and I used to have
like a long drive to school.
It was like 45 minutes orsomething like that and I was

(47:54):
like you know what, screw it,I'll just like work on beats to
like three.
Then I'll just like crash forlike four hours in my car.
Then I have to like drive backand forth and then just go to my
8 am.
Like I used to do that all thetime and it wasn't like because,
like I just like, was like, oh,it's just convenient, like I
just like was working on it somuch.
And then, like that's when Istarted doing songs like same, I
was like yo man, this is, thisis really dope.

(48:15):
And then there's like you knowwhat I mean, because it's like
Saint was like doing stuff and Iwas like whoa, you know what I
mean.
Like you're saying it's like inLA and music industry and like
you know, man, I know what thatfeels like.
Like he likes my song.
This is crazy.
And like I remember like beinglike wow, like okay, cool, but
at that time it was still justlike you know, like I'm in
school, like I'm in a financemajor and like all that stuff,

(48:39):
and I was like working at likegolf Smith, like selling golf
clubs and that was going to bemy life.
And then I remember, rightafter I graduated college,
Ernest was like yo, man, I'mmoving to LA to go like just be
close to Saint, and like we canjust work on music.
And he's like yo, if you wantto sleep on my couch, like come

(48:59):
on out.
He's like you just do it.
And I was like shit, you know, Ihad like my girlfriend at the
time and like we were dating fora long time and I was like you
know what, like I want to getone shot at this, and like I was
like you know what, okay, I'mjust I have to do this.
Like I felt like I just like Ifeel like I had to do it.
It was like one of those weirdthings.
It's like like I forget whothis interview was, but it's

(49:20):
like sometimes, like things arejust like my dad always used to
say is to like some things inlife are just meant to be and
it's just like they're justmeant to happen.
And I think that like I wasmeant like I don't know what it
was.
It was like because I had likea really good job offer out of
college, to add a professor thatlike really, really believe in
me and was going to give me likea nice job and like a like in
the finance industry and likeall this stuff.

(49:42):
And I was like I was like Ijust I don't feel like that's
what's meant for me.
And then I was like you knowwhat, screw, I'm just going to
move to LA.
Move to LA.

And then I'm like what year is this and how
old are you, by the way?

Aukoustics (49:54):
I'm 20, 22, 23.
Okay, at the time I was like ayear out of like I graduated
from college and then worked fora year, saved up like 20 grand,
just living at home aftercollege, working at AT&T,

(50:15):
slinging cell phones, and thenand that's also another thing I
learned sales.
Like at a very like at thattime, like I was like selling
golf clubs and then like sellingphones, like I learned sales
and I think that sales is such abig part of music in the music
industry.
Especially.
I am so on the same page withyou.
It's sales, bro.
It's literally like how you canpitch something making plays

(50:36):
and all that.

The crazy part is and I'm sure that you learned
this as well Sales is so muchless about the pitch and more
like instantaneously connectingwith someone on whatever level.
And then the trust is there andit's not even a weird facade or
anything Like.
I think, knowing you wellenough, it's a genuine
connection for connecting withpeople.

Aukoustics (50:58):
It's also a passion, right, it's like.
This is one thing I learned inAT&T and like it's like crazy,
Like.
They taught me a lot of likesales techniques that I still
use to this day.
One of them is don't sell.
People hate to be sold.
Don't sell somebody.
Nobody like.
Nobody ever is like yo.
That guy sold me that car hewants.
Like they don't brag about that.

(51:20):
You know what I mean Like.
What they do brag about is thiscar has all these features.
You educate.
You don't sell and like.
When I do, it's like when I'mlike pitching a song to somebody
, I'm educating them on why thiscould work for them, or like.
This is why you know what Imean Like because this song,

(51:41):
this song, this song, this iswhere music is going.
I'm educating.
I'm not saying this is the bestsong ever.
No, it's like people are goingto be like.
No, it's not Like.
I have three other songs thatare better than that.
But if you say yo, this ispopping because of this, this,
this and this, look at this song.
This song is number three.
Look, this song jumped up Likethis guy's a no name artist, but
look, this style's killing it.

(52:02):
Like what?
If you did this, but you did itin your way, like.
Like that's personalization andit's also education, and that's
what makes somebody wantsomething.
You know what I mean Like, andit's like that's a beautiful
nugget.
It's really true, though,because I think like in, like
music especially.
It's like you can't sell music.
It's not sold.

(52:23):
Like.
People buy music, but it's notsold to you Like.
That's why like music is afeeling.
Music is an emotion.
Like you listen to somethingand you're like wow, I feel that
you know what I mean.
Like this is something that StTold me.
It's like you can't like it's.
It's like you connect with thatthing.
Like, like one of my favoritesongs ever is closer by the

(52:44):
chain smuggers, and it's likethat song sold so much because
it connects with so many people.
Right, whether it's like theymaybe relate to the lyrics, or
the melody is really catchy orthe chords are emotional, so I
can like.
It puts me in a place and timeand a feeling.
It gives me a feeling andthat's what makes me buy it.
It's you know what I mean.
Like it's music is that.
It's that selling of emotion,but it's like subconscious Like.

(53:07):
It's not like shumming it downsomebody's throat.
Like you look at like all theselike people now, especially in
music, they're like man, listento my song.
This is you know what I meanLike.
But you never go listen to thatperson's song because they're
trying to sell you the thing.
They're not.
They're they're trying to sellyou the lyrics or the melody.
They're not trying to sell youthe feeling.
You know, like the feeling iswhat keeps you coming back.

(53:28):
Like when I want to feel likewhen I remember about me driving
with my friends in the summerof 2016, I'm going to go back
and listen to closer because Ifelt a feeling from that song
and that song, when I listen tothat song, it puts me in that
moment.
So when I want to feel likethat, I go listen to that song
and it's like that's whatcreates people coming back.
That's what creates people'sstreaming shit.

(53:49):
You know what I mean Like.
I think that that's like kindof like the secret that, like
you don't, especially whenyou're pitching music.
Like you can't look at it aslike a marketing strategy yeah,
it is all a marketing strategy,but like I feel like that's kind
of getting lost now Like if I,if I spend a thousand dollars
and I pitch it to these peopleand it's too methodical, you

(54:10):
know what I mean.
Like people need to connect.
There needs to be an emotionalconnection to what you're
creating.
I think that's beautiful.

Thanks for sharing that.
I think that was that peopleare going to take away a lot
from me.

Aukoustics (54:22):
I hope so yeah.

So you move out here and you're sleeping on
Ernest's couch or at his place,couch Okay.

Aukoustics (54:30):
So it's great couch.
Though it's a nice couch, wasthat like a really wide base?
It was nice?
Yeah, it was a couch.
Shout out to that couch.
I love that.
Yeah, it was a vibe, but Ithink like it was cool because,
like I remember at that time,like you know, like then, like
then when I moved out to LA,then you know I went into the
building with Saint and you knowSaint was working at Warner at

(54:52):
the time and I got to be arounda lot of like I got like I was
very fortunate, very, very luckyto have someone like Saint to
like just be like, just likecome, hey man, come by the
office, come hang out.
Like I'm very, very lucky tohave had someone like that.
Most people don't have that, soI'm really, really appreciative
to have someone like Saint.

The thing is, this whole podcast is about
letting people understand howthese things happen.
Right, I do not believe in luck.
I really don't.
There are things happen that wecan't explain, but if you
really sit down and think thereis a way to explain, Like the,
maybe the luck aspect is thatthey grew up in the same city.

(55:36):
Yeah, yeah, right, but if theyweren't there, there would have
been somebody else in that citywho would have been doing
something.
It's zooming all the way back toyour childhood self like that
guitar right that piano rightGoing into the band, right
YouTube, all of these thingsthat connect.
That gave you your DNA right,the makeup, not not your DNA,

(55:58):
but like the creative DNA, ofcourse.
Of who you are, and you wereready to accept those two into
your life, whenever you hadenough things going on that you
could absorb.
Okay, I can use this skill, thisskill, this skill, this skill
to start writing top lines, tostart producing, to have Ernest

(56:21):
tell you you should do this,that and the other, and you're
like, oh, totally, I understandthat.
And all of these steppingstones that led you out here and
, yes, it was incredible to haveboth of these people in your
life and Saint offer you to comeinto the office but all of the
things that led into that luckare so important because I think
that anybody could look at thisand understand okay, I get how

(56:46):
that happened and it's not justby chance.
You put in, at this point, 10years of time into more than 10
years.
Yeah, of course, and then youput in a lot of time into the
piano.
Even it was about 10 years.

Aukoustics (57:01):
Yeah, long time.

There's so much time and effort and love and
blood, sweat, tears, oh my God,so much Hate, love that goes
into you being able to be calledinto the office and chill.

Aukoustics (57:14):
It's true.
Yeah, I mean you have to earnyour spot to be there.
Like, whether it was like oh,wow, saint's.
Like, wow, this kid worksreally hard, this kid's a nice
kid.
He's a nice kid, you know whatI mean.
Like he really wants it, andall that goes into perception of
who I am.
And like you know, I at the timewas sleeping on a couch.
Like that's a big thing, that'sa big step, you know, leaving
your friends, your family, yourlike, everything you know,

(57:37):
behind.
Like that's a big step, youknow.
And like a lot of people don'thave the like, hey, like let's
go for it.
You know what I mean and Ithink that, like, I should be
proud of myself for making thatjump too.
You know.
Like I'm glad you said thatSometimes you get lost in that
too.
Like it's, of course, like wow,you know this is I'm lucky to be
here, you know, like, but Ialso did earn it.

(57:58):
You know I also worked reallyhard and I think that there's no
shortcut.
There's no shortcut.
You have to earn it in yourlife.
That's something my dad taughtme at a very, very young age.
He's like Eric, you have to bethe hardest working guy, no
matter what, no matter where youare, no matter like, no matter
if you're the most successful orif you're the least successful.
If you're the hardest workingone, you always give yourself
the best chance.
So I think that that's, that'ssomething that's always been

(58:22):
carried with me for sure.

Yeah, that's luck.

Aukoustics (58:25):
Yeah, when talent meets opportunity right.

Yeah, I mean, if we go to your quote over here
yes the key to greatness isconsistency.
It's one of my favorites and Ifeel like that's luck right
there.

Aukoustics (58:36):
To a certain extent, yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
And like I think Tiger Woodssaid it one time in an interview
and it just like always stuckwith me because, like, I've
always been fascinated with likethe greats, like why are they
great?
And studying them, like, Ialways just have this joke that,
like like I remember, likeErnest, like yeah, man, what are
you up to?
Like watching film, becauselike, like, watching film is

(58:59):
like you're studying.
Like I'm studying, like I'lllike watch interviews with, like
Tom Brady or Tiger Woods or orKobe or something like that, and
it's like studying their mind,how they think, like like their
mannerisms.
You know what I mean, to acertain extent, to be like, why
are they great?
Like like, yes, they're superhuman talents.
Right, tom Brady is obviously agreat quarterback and but Tom

(59:20):
Brady is not the best.
He doesn't have the best arm.
I know you hate thisconversation but no, I mean like
Tom.
Brady doesn't have the best arm.
He's not the.
He's the slowest guy on thefield.

I know all about his combine.
I mean, he's horrible.
Incredibly average.

Aukoustics (59:32):
Yeah, if anything below average, right, but why is
he great?
You know what I mean?
And studying that and like,studying how he thinks and like
what I, what I drew at that atthat age was like, these guys
are obsessive, they have theobsessive personality.
He was like wow, I had that too.
Okay, cool, we're similar inthat sense.
All right, their work ethic iscrazy.
They want it more thaneverybody else and they have the

(59:56):
ability to perform underpressure.
Okay, how can I work on beinglike when I get in those moments
of pressure?
Like, how do they think?
Like, like, how are theythinking?
And like, I read books, like,like the Tiger Woods book, how
to play golf and like, but like,you can take those things like
the mindset things.
I remember there's this onechapter talks about like,

(01:00:16):
forgetting things.
Like, like, literally, likeTiger used to say, like he's
like a Buddhist, like he's like,you know, like the power of the
mind, like his mom was like tieor something like that.
And like he like got topBuddhism at a very young age and
like how, like he like prettymuch essentially like when he
has a bad hole, he'll like, like, like, just like, close his
eyes and like literally likedelete it from his brain and

(01:00:40):
then like having the ability tobounce back.
And it's like sometimes inmoments where I'm like, oh my
God, I'm going to a big sessionor something like that, or like
I remember when I first moved toLA, it was like I had a lot of
those Like, oh my God, this islike a big chance, it's a big
session, like, well, this personlike you know what I mean.
Like in the music industry,especially when you're coming up
, it's like you'll get one bigopportunity.
You'll work six months for onebig opportunity and then, if you
blow that big opportunity, yougot to work another six months

(01:01:01):
to get another big opportunity.
But if you work the six monthsand you deliver on that one,
then you'll get another, thenyou'll get another, and then
like, and then it compounds upand then the big opportunities
become small opportunitiescompared to what, and you just
like work your way up.
But I remember like also like belike things.
Like like Tom Brady will belike okay, like before a big

(01:01:23):
game.
If he feels like he's like toolow energy, he'll like scream to
pump himself up, but if hefeels like he's too high energy,
he'll like do things likemeditate to lower his energy.
Interesting, so like.
And then, like like before bigsessions, I would literally like
sit there and be like okay,cool, am I like nervous right
now?
Or am I calm, like, if I'm toocalm, I'm literally going to sit
in my car.
Swear to God, you know, sit inmy car.

(01:01:45):
Like in my car was like ashipbox car, right, I'd like
park it.
Like right outside the studio.
I'd scream, I'd be like let'sgo, or whatever, like, whatever
I was feeling at the time, like,like, and I think that like
that always helped me.
It was like those little nuggets.
Like it's like little thingslike that that help neutralize
your mind.
Or, like I remember, likesometimes I would watch like Tom
Brady videos or like watch likeTiger Woods, like chipping in

(01:02:08):
and like 2005 masters, likebefore I'd go into a big session
just like get pumped up and belike wow, I'm going to channel
this.
You know what I mean Like,because there's like an energy
to it, almost you know what Imean.
Like there's a magic and if youcan channel that magic and
channel that focus, like, that'slike when you can deliver, you
know, and I think that thatalways helped me in my career,

(01:02:29):
as I was like navigating.

Austin Seltzer (01:02:31):
I love that.
Yeah, so just knowing whereyour equilibrium is for where
you deliver best and figuringout how to get there.
If it's too high coming backdown, it's too low getting there
100%, and it's also knowing,like, what the situation calls
for too.

Aukoustics (01:02:47):
Sometimes I need to be thequiet guy, you know.
Sometimes I just need to be theguy that just does this thing.
Like, okay, cool.
So I'll know.
Like, okay, cool, I'm a littletoo hype right now.
I got to, I got to, I got tochill it.
Okay, cool, let me just liketake a couple of deep breaths,
do like a five minute meditation, then go into the session,
because I know I got to be thequiet guy, the guy that's going
to work hard in the corner Cool,I'll be calm, I'll be composed.

(01:03:08):
There'll be other moments whereit's like, okay, cool, I kind of
have to lead this one.
I'm going to be in theequilibrium, right, okay, I got
to pump myself up.
I'm too quiet right now.
I'll scream in my car, saywhatever I need to do, listen to
some like heavier music orsongs.
That'll, like, get me pumped up.
You know, like and like, like,like there's a great way to
explain it Like finding thatequilibrium, like where you need
to be, and knowing your placeyou know is is always going to

(01:03:33):
be helpful, for sure.

Beautiful.
I think that's great.
So let let's go back.
Let's um, we'll move along alittle bit quicker here maybe,
but I think this is actually.
This is actually maybe the meatand potatoes.
So, first off, who is Saintworking with at the time that
you came into the office?

(01:03:55):
And why is that memory relevantto you Like?

what happened when I first, when I first started
coming to the office, yeah, yeah, I mean, like Saint at the time
, he had just gotten the job asan A&R um working under Mike
Aaron and Etan and like supersuccessful executives, um, and
he was working with um.
This group called Galantis anduh, galantis was I always looked
up to Galantis.

(01:04:19):
Galantis was always like, oh myGod, runaway and like no money.
Like and like you know, at thetime I didn't know this, but he
like produced toxic by BritneySpears.
Christian produced talks of byBritney Spears was like growing
up like one of my favorite songs.
Like it's a standout.
One of the most like perfect pop, in my opinion, like perfect
pop songs ever.
Like it's just so creative andit's just so well done.

(01:04:41):
It's literally one of thegreatest songs like all time.
So not pop, but now it is.
But so not pop, like in, and Ithink that, um, like for the
time it wasn't 100%, you know,it was so left like but it's,
but now it's like it's so that'swhy it's what stood the test of
time is because it's so unique.
Um, and that's like anotherthing about being unique that
I've learned as my career.
We could talk to that later.

(01:05:01):
But, um, and I remember likecoming into the office, like
whoa, I love Galantis.
He's like yo, I'm sorry we'reGalantis.
I was like, oh shit, I fuckinglove Galantis.
Like that's so cool, you know.
And I remember he was like goingon a trip and he's like yo, I'm
gonna be gone for two weeks.

(01:05:21):
Like.
I remember I went into theoffice one day with him on a
Sunday and, like you know,nobody's in the office on
Sundays.
Yeah, putting in the work Right, exactly you know what I mean.
Like that's like always beenone of the mantras of our squad.
It's like we have to be thehardest working.
We have to.
If we're not, then like it goesback to the thing about my dad

(01:05:42):
used to say, like if you're notthe hard, like if you're the
hardest working one, you'realways gonna give yourself the
best chance.
So we just went over like everysingle idea he had ideas I had,
and like we just like we're justlike yo, you know what.
Like let's just like write downa bunch of ideas.
So I had seven ideas.
We had seven ideas.
Like yo, I'm going on this trip.
It was like over Thanksgivingor something that's gonna be

(01:06:05):
gone for two weeks and I waslike he's like, when I get back,
like I want to hear all sevenof these ideas just like fleshed
out.
Wow.
So it was like you know what Imean.
Like I remember, like this isthe first test.
This was like because I hadalready done this other song
that's actually gonna be comingout now, hopefully, wow so many
years.
Yeah, it's like the song's likefive years old and but like I

(01:06:29):
did that song, a song calledMonsters.
Actually the song already cameout, but it's a song called
Monsters and it was like I thinkthat was like it was like oh
shit, like wow, like Eric can dothis shit.
Okay, let's see, let's see what.
Like hey, cool, let's try,let's see how we can do on this
one.
So then the seven ideas,they're all different ideas Like
songs that he had, or just flip, ideas like songs that we could

(01:06:52):
, you know, flip And-.

Will you explain a flip for people who don't
know?

So a flip is when you take an old song and you
reimagine it, interpolate it,you flip it around, you speed it
up or you slow it down or youcompletely like reimagine the
song, a song that already exists.
That's kind of like what a flipis.
And so we had those seven ideasand I remember like it was like

(01:07:19):
around Thanksgiving time andlike I was like like working on
it on Thanksgiving day, like Iwas just like so obsessed at
this time I was like, yeah, okay, cool, I really gotta deliver
on one of these, cause I'm likesuch a big fan of Galantas.
Like just even the thought oflike working with Galantas was
so cool.
And I remember it's like theday before he's gonna come back

(01:07:40):
and I'm like I just flown infrom.
I think I was in.
I don't ever get where I was,but I remember I had just flown
in and it was like really late.
It was like maybe I got back tothe house at like 1am and like
Saint was landing the nextmorning at like 8am and I'm like
, okay, cool, like I'm likegoing through the ideas.
It's like okay, cool, likegoing through the folder, cause

(01:08:01):
I created a folder for it.
I did six of the ideas and I waslike, oh shit, I forgot to do
this one.
Oh fuck.
And I'm like one in the morning, just got off a flight, I'm
exhausted.
I'm like God damn it, like fuck, I gotta do this right now.
Like Saint's gonna be mad.
Like you know what I mean.
Like like I promised him that Iwould do like all seven and I'm
like, oh, I can't just be like,oh, I left this one out.

(01:08:21):
Like this one's dope, I shoulddefinitely do this.
And it was a flip of this songcalled have a Little Faith in Me
by John Hyatt, and it was anold song that he had heard in
this movie called Benny and June.
It was like the credit song orsomething like that.
He's like, yeah, we should flipthis into a Galanta song.
So I was like, all right, cool.
And it's like one in themorning and I make this like

(01:08:44):
sketch for the song called Faith.
And I remember like banging onthe piano and I remember it was
like super late and like I waslike banging on the piano, I was
like you just cry, as, like youknow, ernest is like, cause
Ernest is in the other room likesleeping.
And I'm like, oh my God, I'mprobably gonna wake this dude up
, but I was like so into it Iwas like, holy shit, like I

(01:09:06):
changed the chords, I sped it uplike 40 BPM, like like to
chipmunk the voice, like createdthis whole thing, like and
created for what ended up beingthe bones for the song Faith
with Galantas.
Hell, yeah, featuring DollyBarton yeah ridiculous which is

(01:09:27):
unreal.
But I remember texting and, mrProps, but I remember texting
Ernest at like five in themorning.
I was like bro, are you awake?
I think I just made somethingcrazy.
And like normally when you getthat like, I don't get that
feeling often but I was like Ihad a feeling Goes back to the
thing like I had a feeling thatI had created something that

(01:09:50):
could be really special.
And I was like whoa.
And I remember I woke up thenext morning and like, sure
enough, like I woke up at like 8am to a text from St and he's
like yo, have you worked on theideas?
And then I like sent him theoriginal, like rough idea for
Faith, and I just like did it?

(01:10:10):
You didn't mean like I never.
You didn't mean like I justcreated it.
I literally just created it,like two hours before.
I was like yo man, like yo, Ithink this could be something.
And I sent it to him.
He's like whoa.
He's like oh shit.
And then from there we juststarted working on it and that's
what created Faith.
And then, like you know, ourfriend Jazz came in and then,

(01:10:31):
like our friends, you know, samJames was the one who was
singing the chipmunk part, andthen it just went on, this whole
thing and like that was thefirst song that he ever sent to
Christian.
Ever, oh really, he had neversent him a song.
Cause, like, if I'm going tosend Christian a song, I want it
to be like this is great.
I'd rather send him somethingthat I think is amazing than

(01:10:53):
send him something that's justlike okay, Like you know,
another Galantas song orwhatever, and Christian loved it
.
He's like oh my God, this ishuge.
Like I remember saying.
It's like I was like yo man,christian loves it.
I was like oh shit this iscrazy.
You know like, and then we justdeveloped the whole song and the

(01:11:15):
song took about like I don'tknow like a year, a year to make
Like it was a 27 pieceorchestra, like just this whole
thing Like.
It's like like hearing, likeI'd like have the videos of like
them recording the live stringsto the melodies and the chords

(01:11:35):
that I wrote, and it's just likejust this crazy thing.
And then we had this whole songand then they're like Christian
, who do you want to feature onthis?
And he's like we should getDolly Parton.
How did that idea come up?
Because he's always loved DollyParton, he's always been a fan
of Dolly Parton and at this timeDolly hadn't released anything

(01:11:57):
in like a long time Like it'sbeen years and he's like Dolly
Parton.
And then everyone like laughsin the room.
It was like what the fuck?
Like no way I wasn't there whenthis happened.
But you know, like this is justlike the stories.
And he was like and then St waslike yeah, let's try.

(01:12:18):
So like we end up sending it tolike Dolly's like management
team or whatever and they passedon it.
Her management team passed onit but then, like randomly, we
got another email.
I don't know exactly how thestory worked, but like we got an
email direct from Dolly'sactual manager.
So like her management team waslike Dolly really appreciates
it, but like we're gonna passGatekeeping.

(01:12:39):
Yeah, I mean it's essentiallyyeah, but then Dolly it's Dolly
fucking parton, and they'reprobably thinking in their head
they're not like, yeah, dolly'sgonna wanna do this dance record
, like with Galantis.
Like no, I mean, galantis isobviously a super successful act
, you know, but they're not youknow.
I mean like they don't probablyeven know who Galantis is.
Like maybe maybe they do, maybethey don't, but cause they're

(01:13:00):
like they work in Dolly Partonworld, you know what I mean.
It's completely the differentworld.
And so then, like, then, likeit gets to Dolly's manager and
he's like I'm gonna play thisfor her, this is really cool.
Like I'm gonna play this forher.
And we're like, oh shit,dolly's gonna hear it.
Like even the fact that Dolly'sgonna hear it is insane.
Like we're just thinking like,all right, like, yeah, sure,

(01:13:22):
dolly parton, I'll sing it.
Like that'd be crazy.
And then, apparently, the storyis like she heard the song and
she listened to it the firstminute and she stops it and then
she goes and she looks at hermanager and is like, same as
Danny at the time I don't knowif she's still my assistant, but
and he's like, and she's like Ihave to do this.

(01:13:43):
The world needs this.
Wow, because the song is calledFaith and like the song is like
have a little faith in me,right, and it's like yo, what
Like?
And then apparently she playedit like 10 times.
Like she kept on playing itover and over and over and over
and over and over again.
And then she got on the songand she sang it.
And then I remember we were, youknow, like just like sitting

(01:14:05):
there like in the studio andwe're like Dolly's vocals come
in and we're like this is DollyParton's voice, like on our song
.
Like this is like absoluteinsanity.
Like my mom, like I told my momthat like I have a song coming
out with Dolly Parton and sheliterally was like like that's

(01:14:25):
like the funniest joke you'veever said, like there's no way.
I was like mom, like here it is.
I played it and it was justlike starts crying.
It was like what the fuck?
And like that was my first bigcut.
I didn't know that that was myfirst big cut.
I mean I had to have like someother stuff.
Like I did like a song like BadBaby, like a couple months
before that.
But I was like involved in theprocess of making the song, but

(01:14:48):
that was like my first, likereal major placement, I mean
kind of ridiculous Was with.
Dolly Parton and Galantas likegroup that I always looked up to
, and Mr Props waves is one ofmy favorite songs ever and his
voice is incredible Absolutely.
But it was just like a wow,like holy shit, like this is
like it's a thing now Like wow.

(01:15:10):
And then Faith ended up doingreally, really well, got two
Billboard number ones, went goldin like four countries, went
platinum in like a couple ofcountries and I was a really
successful song and I think thatlike Faith was kind of the one
that like really sort of likekickstarted my career.
And was like okay like this guyactually can do something, make

(01:15:32):
something happen you know, andthen that's kind of like really
what it also built myrelationship with Christian from
Galantas and you know, fromthere we just kept on working
together and I've worked withnow Dolly, like this will be.
I've done three songs withDolly now.
It was on her greatest hits too.

(01:15:53):
Faith was on her greatest hits.

Insane, it's unreal.
Yeah, that's super cool.
So you have three out withDolly.

Well, I have two out with Dolly and then we have we
have a new song which willprobably be out by the time this
thing airs.
It's a remix with my projectSex on the Beach.
That is, I think, like now, myone of my main focuses now is

(01:16:20):
building this Sex on the Beach.
It's like a indie dance DJ sortof project.
Yeah, it's with Dolly Partonand Livy Newton-John.
I didn't know that LivyNewton-John is on it and Rest in
Peace.
And it's a cover.
It's a remix.

official remix of Jolene yeah, probably one of
the most iconic.
Us songs Like from here.
That's like the fabric of ourcountry.

I feel like I mean, it's such an important song,
it's such an iconic song, it'sunreal.
I don't know what it is, it'sjust weird.
And apparently she loved it and, yeah, we're gonna put it out.
Yeah, it's the freaking awesome.
Yeah.
I know.
Super excited, really reallyexcited about it.

(01:17:07):
I think like she even gets towork with Dolly Parton.
It's just like I can't even putthat into words Like it's just
like you know, like you grow up,like listening to these people
and like it's also like you likego home and like people are
like oh, how's that music thinggoing?
You?
know what I mean and that one'slike a slap and then you tell
them like you tell them likeyeah, you know I've done a
couple songs with Dolly Parton,Even like my grandfather's.

(01:17:28):
Like whoa, Dolly Parton, wow,you must be really doing good
things over there.
Like it's just someone thateverybody knows and I think,
like she's just such an iconicperson, like celebrity character
, and she's incredible.
Like to even be at that age, toeven be open to the thought of
making a remix.

(01:17:49):
You know what I mean Like inhaving someone like you know,
like Dolly is one of the mostsuccessful artists of all time
Like why does she have to do asong with me?
You know, like it's justbecause she has that forward
thinking mind and like that'swhy she's a great.
Like that's why she isincredible is because she just
is always evolving, she's movingwith the times.
She's not stuck in her ways,she's just being Dolly you know.

Now I want to ask kind of the project that not
sex on the beach, cause we willtouch on that, but the project
that you're putting a lot oftime and effort into and a lot
of cuts, cheat codes.

Yeah, so yeah, absolutely.

Again another group whenever you were younger,
just like holy shit, these guysare killing it.

I love this music.
100%, 100% Cheat codes I meanworking with.
They're like really goodfriends now and like but how did
this relationship come about?
So cheat codes started.
Well, I'd always looked up tocheat codes Like no promises.
One of my favorite songs, sex,was like sex to hold, like let
me hold you, like all thosesongs Like when I was in college

(01:18:50):
and shit like that.
That was like soundtrack to mylife, like that's like when I
that's how I kind of fell inlove with.
Dance pop was like cheat codesand like that era, chain smokers
and galantes and like all thosepeople.
That's like really the musicthat I love to listen to.
So I was always a fan of them,huge fan of them, and I did this
.

(01:19:10):
One song called how Do you Love.
And how Do you Love Was one oflike the real, like first songs
that like I made from like topto bottom, where I was like wow,
like this is me, like, likethis feels like, like I felt a
connection with that song.
Faith also, I felt a connectionwith that song too.
But like how Do you Love wasone of the ones where I was like

(01:19:32):
wow, like I saw this visionfrom A all the way to the end,
like beginning all the way tothe end.
And I remember I was on a hikeone day and I heard Don't Let Me
Down by the chain smokers andTequila by Dan and Shay, and I
was like holy shit, these songsare in the same key, the same
chord progression, they usesimilar notes in the chorus and
I was like, whoa, why don't Ijust put this together?

(01:19:53):
Why don't I just make like aDon't Let Me Down, tequila, and
that's what kind of created thissong called how Do you Love,
which is like a country dancecrossover sort of thing, and
then Made how Do you Love andthe song.
I think we did the song in like2019, started it with my friends

(01:20:16):
, corey and Celeste and we wrotethe thing and we worked on it
with St and everything like that.
We ended up finishing theproduction together and then the
song had like a four year lifeand remember I was in like I
think it was I forget where Iwas but we sent the song to
cheat codes and they were likewhoa, this is really really dope

(01:20:37):
.
It's actually like really funny, like we're doing like this
whole country thing, and I waslike, oh, shoot, like sick, like
, and it just happened to alignperfectly with exactly what they
were envisioning and working on, and so how Do you Love was
kind of like the inception of myrelationship with them and then
they really loved, like myproduction, how Do you Love?
And just the whole concept andidea behind the song.

(01:20:58):
And they're like, hey, do youwanna work on some other songs?
And that was like heck, yeah,of course.
And then we ended up making awhole album called One Night
Nashville and it's like a wholecountry dance project.
So then just built arelationship with them over the
years and I think now I've done,I think on the album I did like

(01:21:20):
eight songs, eight, seven oreight songs, I don't remember.
But yeah, it's kind of turnedinto a whole relationship.
But very lucky because they'resuper talented, like all the
guys Trevor, kevvie and Matt,they're all just and they're all
like really good dudes too,which all makes it easier.

Yeah, yeah, yeah , I love that.
I mean, I think that you have aknack for country.
You know what's crazy?

I didn't even really like country music growing up,
Like I mean, I always say my momused to listen to Dolly, I mean
, but we're.

I guess we're in a time where country is very
pop 100%.

Yeah, I mean now it's just pop music.

Different instrumentation, 100% Generally
a different message.

Yes, very good songwriting.
And also you got the twang.
You gotta have the twang.
It's the voices, it's thecharacter, the mantra behind
country music.
I mean you look at like aVeechi and things like that,
like he didn't do country, hedid like folk, but that whole
crossover between the two worlds.
Now there's a whole new stylecalled EDM.
Like.

Iaha like EDM.

There's a playlist called Country Club.

I've seen Diplo, all about this.
Yeah, Diplo, I mean yeah.
Diplos, diplo, did that.

The Thomas Wesley stuff, the Thomas Wesley stuff
and Marshmallow dipped into itfor a little bit too, with King
Brown Yup, but yeah, yeah, itwas really really cool, but now
we're working on some new musicwith them, so super exciting for
sure.

Before we go to Sex on the Beach.
I wanna ask and we'll go intothis little segment that I think
this is the most importantthing on this podcast is the
question of what does successmean to you?
Right, and I wanna hear what itmeans to you today, sitting

(01:23:08):
where you're at.
But what are some of the thingsthat you did that have made you
successful?
Like some key points, and Ithink that we should just start
with what does success mean toyou now?

It's a great question.
I mean, like, what successmeans to me is, like you know,
like you can look at itobjectively, like you know your
goals, like I wanna be thebiggest artist in the world.
I wanna have these numbers.
I wanna you know what I meanhave five number one hits, and
you know what I mean.
Like you can look at it likethat, or like I think, like you
know, obviously I want all thosethings, I want number ones.

(01:23:44):
I wanna be the biggest DJ inthe world.
You know, I want all thosethings right.
But I think realistically, likesuccess to me is creating art
and creating things that I'mproud of and that other people
can create memories too, andlike I wanna create as many

(01:24:05):
memories for as many people as.
I possibly can Like, that to me,is success.
Like, if that's 100 millionpeople and it's 105 million
memories from 100 songs thatI've made, that's amazing.
Like I wanna, like, I wantwhatever I create to impact as
much people as possible andcreate moments that like, even

(01:24:28):
though it's like I'm not thereor it's like it's like somebody
else enjoyed, like I added tothe world.
Like I leave this world knowingthat I added to it, and I think
that that is like I can like,die happy you know what I mean.
Knowing that I helped in someway this humanity or society, or

(01:24:48):
like you know, like some couplefell in love listening to a
song, to a chorus that I helpedwrite and it's like that song is
like their wedding song, orthat song is the song that they
drive to the beach too and theylaugh about and oh my God,
there's a dolphin in here.
Like it's like and it's like athing.
Like things like that.
Like it's like the littlemoments but the big picture, you

(01:25:11):
know, I think that's kind oflike how I would view it a
successful life and career youknow I love that.

You're the first person to give that and I
actually think success.
Whenever I talk about whatsuccess looks like to me, that
is part of what I sayLegitimately.
I'm not writing the song, I'mnot producing the song, but if I
got to mix it and that touchespeople's lives, like I want to

(01:25:42):
touch as many lives as possiblewith the stuff that I get to
work on and generally we'vetalked about it several times I
really only like working withpeople who are my friends.
Yeah for sure.
It just makes everything somuch more enjoyable, for sure,
man.

Like building with your friends, like building with
your homies.
That's also cool because you'recreating memories, creating the
memories.
You know what I mean and Ithink that that's what it's all
about, man.
It's all about, like, lookingback and being like, wow, we
made this thing.
Remember when you, like, we gottoo drunk after we made that
song, and you know what I mean.
Like it's like things like thatthat's invaluable.

(01:26:18):
You know Like, no amount ofmoney, like.
Obviously, I want millions ofdollars and I want a successful
life.
Like obviously I want thosethings, but it's like that's not
what is success to me.
But I think, chasing likechasing the feeling, chasing
that thing of impacting people,and like the positive and the

(01:26:40):
right like, if you have theright intentions in mind,
money's gonna come.
Like you know what I mean Like.
But if you focus on money, youlose the other part, which is
actually the part that actuallymakes you feel fulfilled.
Makes you feel happy, like thepeople that chase money.
They're probably just like sad,you know, but if you chase the
feeling and you chase thememories, like you're gonna get
the money anyways, you know whatI mean.

(01:27:01):
Like mind will chase that,chase the happy shit you know.

Yeah, I think you nailed it.
Yeah, I mean so we've alreadyreally dove into a lot of the
things that have gotten you thesuccess that you've had so far.
But if you could distill itdown to a couple points that
somebody could take away, howcould they socially engineer or
like engineer themselves?

(01:27:23):
And their surroundings and whatthey're doing to be more
successful.

Right.
I think hard work, work ethic,delayed gratification is like
working so hard for somethingand being so passionate about
that thing and almost becomingso obsessed not in an unhealthy
way I've definitely beenunhealthily obsessed with things
, but it's also, to a certainextent, that unhealthy obsession
is what ends up creating thesuccess.

(01:27:50):
It's because Steve Jobs saidthis one time and it's such a
good point he's like in order tobe successful in your passion,
you have to be a psychopath.
And it's like really true,because it's like no person, no
normal human being, is gonnasleep on a couch for three years
.
Like there were points at thetime where I was like eating
once a day, had like less than$100 in my bank account.
Like no sane person is gonna dothat for something that they

(01:28:14):
don't 100% love.
Like I kind of had to be crazy,like that's like insane to do
that.
Put your body through that, putyour mind through that.
Like that's insanity.
Like you have to have thatobsession in order to become
uber successful at something.
So work ethic 100%.
You have to be the hardestworking person and like and be
honest with yourself.

(01:28:34):
Like am I working the hardest Ican work right now?
There's definitely been pointsin my life where I have not been
working that hard and it's likeI have to check myself and like
snap back into it and be like,oh shit, I gotta step it up.
Being honest with yourself isalso a big thing too.
But proximity, establishingpoints in which you are close to
things, where the things arehappening.

(01:28:55):
You don't need to necessarilybe in it, you need to be close
to it, because if you positionyourself in the right way, maybe
it's just like being close andbeing homies with a guy that
knows a guy and like, if you'reclose to it and the opportunity
comes and you've put in the workand you've done the time, when
that moment comes you're gonnabe ready for that moment.

(01:29:16):
And it's like also seeking outproximity, always seeking that
out.
You always need to try to finda way to be close.
You don't need to be in it, youdon't need to be in those rooms
.
You need to be close to thoserooms, though you gotta be in
the building.
But I think proximity is also areally, really big thing.
And just being a good person, bea good dude or a amazing girl,

(01:29:37):
like you know what I mean Likeyou just need to just be like a
likable personality and I thinkputting yourself out there is
like that was one of the thingswe touched on in the beginning
Just put yourself out there,allow yourself to be found.
Sometimes people are sotalented, so talented, but they
just, you know, they're afraidto show it and it's like it is a
scary thing.

(01:29:57):
But if you never put it outthere, it's just you're leaving
it like to never be found.
Like if a tree falls down, doesit make a sound Like and you're
not there.
Does it make a sound Like yougotta be around the, you gotta
be around the tree to hear it.
Like you gotta put yourself outthere.
So I'd say it's a lot of thosethings and it's all of it
combined.
You know Like it's not, likethere's like one secret.

(01:30:20):
You know what I mean, or likethere's one thing.
It's honestly all of it.

But, yeah.
I think that was perfect.
Gotta work.
I really think that you nailed,you summarized what we all,
this whole podcast has beensaying, but very distilled, and
I think that that's perfect.
Now we're going to fast forwardpast all of what we talked
about and really go on into thefuture, and that's gonna have us

(01:30:51):
talk about your artist project,sex on the Beach Super excited.

Yeah, sex on the Beach is something that like
it's always been like my, Ithink, like Sex on the Beach is
like it's always been my dream.
Like I think, like you know,growing up like I always wanted
to be an artist, like that'salways been my like my end goal.

(01:31:17):
You know what I mean and youknow a lot of the times like I
honed my craft as a producer anda songwriter in making songs
and in that process, like Ithink that's what's geared me
for the ultimate goal and it'shelped me meet the people that
have are going to be mentors andhave been mentors to me for

(01:31:37):
this new artist project andreally kind of like laid the
groundwork for what I see aslike my main purpose creatively.

Yeah, so I mean that's beautiful.
I went to one of the writingcamps in Mexico and.
I got to see behind the curtain.

Yes, behind the madness, behind the craziness of
Sex on the Beach yeah,absolutely.

I feel very connected with the project.
I mean, I love everything thatI've heard Thank you, man, you
know and being cooked up andjust more or less like the vibe
of the project, the feelingbehind what goes into whenever
you're creating for yourself100%, which, after this
conversation, I almost think wasborn out of that first cheat

(01:32:24):
code song.
Yeah, because from whenever youwere describing it, it sounded
like you wanted to keep it foryour own because it was like so
near and dear to you.

But you were like 100% there will be a time and
place 100% and I think that,like I've always been, I've
always had the artist mind.
You know what I mean, becauseit's like it's two different
mindsets.
Being a producer is like someof what you're talking about,
how, like as a mixer, your jobis to deliver a vision.
You know what I mean and youknow what I mean.

(01:32:53):
Like you have your vision, but,like the, you're getting a
product and then you'redelivering that final vision
that that original whatever hadin mind, right, whereas as a
producer, in a sense, it's asimilar thing.
Like you're, you know, you canobviously input certain your
vision into it, but at the endof the day, that's it's the
artist's vision that you'rebringing to life.

(01:33:14):
So, as a producer, you knowwhat I mean I'm there to deliver
the vision of the artist,whereas when I'm the artist,
like it's my vision and it'slike how I see it.
And I think that, like RickRubin said this, like he's like
he always and I love Rick Rubinhe's amazing mind and he talks
about how, like you know, likethe most amazing thing that you

(01:33:38):
can have as an artist, or thebest quality can have as an
artist, is knowing what you likeand being confident in standing
by that thing it's like, nomatter what other outside things
people have, it's like.
But I think that this is, youknow what I mean, in having that
confidence.
And I think, in the transitionfrom producer to artist, I think

(01:33:59):
now I've like, as my time as aproducer, I've developed that
mindset, because that's what ittakes to be a successful artist.
You can't count Like it's you,like you're the one who's saying
I want the music to be likethis, this is my vision.
And then you work with thepeople around you and they help
bring it to life.
You know, but I think that sexon the beach is like the first
thing that feels like.

(01:34:20):
It's like truly like comes fromme, you know, and it's like
exactly how I see it and exactlyhow I want it to be, and that's
like really, really, reallycool for me.

For sure.
Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful.
One of the things I justmentioned about just wanting to
work with friends sex with thebeach is literally you and very
close homies.
Oh yeah, 100%, I mean likebrothers.

Only friends.
Like I'm on my Mexico trips andyou know, you or you were on one
, sam was on one, my friends BenKyle, david Brooke, like
they're just all like my closestfriends.
You know what I mean and Ithink that, like, having working
with your friends is adifferent product than working
with random people.
It's like speed dating, youknow what I mean.

(01:35:07):
Sometimes, like, maybe peoplelive in LA or they live wherever
they are listening to this,like you, just it's like you
just like walk into a gray boxand in that gray box you're
there for eight hours andthere's a person there and they
tell you to leave becausethere's another session at eight
.
So you got to leave and firsthour is like hey, who are you?
Like, when you're creating yourwith your friends, it's just
passive creation.

(01:35:27):
It's just like yo, I got thiscrazy idea.
What if we have a song calledding dong?
Like it's like it's like whatthe heck?
Like yeah, okay, cool.
Like we're like in the ocean.
Like you know what I mean, likefiguring it out, and it's like
you can only do that with yourfriends, and like it feels
different, the music feelsdifferent when you're creating
it with people.
It feels less formulaic, and Ithink that's one of the beauty,

(01:35:50):
beautiful things about sucks onthe beach is that it's just,
it's fun, it's creative, it'sunique, it's identifiable, but
it has a life.
It has a life to it thatwouldn't be created if it wasn't
with your homies.
Like, no person is going tocome up with the concepts that

(01:36:12):
we have come up with or thesounds that we've created,
because they're like oh my God,I just met this person.
I don't want to be like yeah,so weird.

Like pulling punches, playing it safe.

Like, and I think that, like you know, we've
written a lot of songs andcreated a lot of songs that like
, essentially, like the wholemantra behind Sucks on the Beach
is like creating pop music,because we love pop music, we
all come from the pop world butit's a non-formulay approach to
pop music, like we were talkingabout, like you know, like with
toxic, like how like toxic islike it's pop, but it's like its

(01:36:47):
own rendition of pop, you know,and I think that like that's
kind of what Sucks on the Beachis.
It's taking pop music and popstructure and pop melodies but
doing it in a way that we wantto do, you know, like this is
what we want and this is likeour own take on that.
So it's fun, it's like, it'slike refreshing to make music
like that.

You know, yeah, absolutely.
And also this kind of leads usto something I said I wanted to
talk about earlier it's likeyour affinity for Mexico.

Yeah, I love Mexico man.

You love it.
You basically live there mostof the time, it seems All of the
music has been created there,because Sequoia shits you out.

Yeah, sequoia, like we do like monthly RBMBs, I like
live like the Nomad life and Ijust jump from monthly RBMB to
monthly RBMB and just travelbecause like that's a creative
sugar for me.
I just like I feel morecreative when I'm always in a
different atmosphere, because Ifeel like you create differently
when you're in different places.
So, but there's a magic aboutMexico and if anyone's ever been

(01:37:52):
to Mexico I'm always in likethe Yucatan Peninsula, cancun,
playa del Carmen, tulum, thatarea.
There's magic to that part ofthe world that just creates.
I don't know what it does, it'shard to explain in a sense, but
I think that that has also beenan integral part of creating

(01:38:13):
the music that we've created islike you're just having friends,
like you just have your friendsand we all come down to Mexico
and we have this little coollittle spot and we go to the
beach and just make fun music ina magical atmosphere.

And you guys tried to go elsewhere, and then
you had a yeah, we tried to, wetried to, we tried to.
You know, what?

let's switch it up.
Like let's go to the mountains,let's go to Sequoia National
Forest.
We rented a rented a place inthis place called Wofford
Heights, which is like thissmall town, like 2000 people in
the mountains in Sequoia and upin Northern California and or
Central California, whatever youwant to call it and get a knock

(01:38:54):
on the door like halfwaythrough my stay there and it's
the guy from the fire departmentand they'd had a lot of rain
and snow at that time and he'slike hey, man, I just want to
let you know, be something whereit's on your property.
I'm like what?
And he's like see that likeland up there.
You know, like it could becoming down tomorrow when it
rains.
He's like you're gonna have toleave, like a landslide and they

(01:39:17):
evacuated the whole town so wehad to leave.
It was like almost like theuniverse was like nah, bro, go
back to Mexico, man.
Just go back to Mexico, man,just friggin.

Just like a bad hole, you can erase it from your
mind, exactly.

It's a bad hole, man , you know.
Just get on it and just go backto what you know you know, yeah
, yeah, but yeah, no, mexico isa.
It's a special place withspecial people.
It's just completely changed myoutlook on life and how I view
life now, I think, is just I'mso much more grateful, I'm so

(01:39:53):
much more appreciative of justlife in general.
The people there are just sokind and amazing and the nature
is just absolutely breathtakingthe beaches, the sunsets, the
water, it's like just theoverall atmosphere is just it's
amazing, really life changingfor sure.

Yeah.
So what is the plan for Sex onthe Beach?
What is the overall goal?
I do know you want to be thebiggest DJ in the world with
this project.
But what is the?
I don't know if the timeline orwhat does this project look
like?

Yeah, I mean honestly, like you know, sex on
the Beach, you know we're doinga lot of remixes right now and
just kind of just creating, justcreating music.
We're in the stages of creatingmusic.
I'm going to be dropping somemusic very, very soon.
It's very exciting news thatI'll be announcing really,
really soon.
But honestly, the plan is tojust release a lot of music,

(01:40:55):
unique music, and just createsomething, create a product and
a brand where it's like that'sthe only place you can get it.
You know, like I think, like welisten to songs now and like
some things feel very formulaicor something like that, and I
think that, like with Sex on theBeach, it's every time that we
approach a song whether it's aremix, whether it's Jolene or

(01:41:17):
you know I've done remixes withall different types of artists,
like Megan Trainor and Flo Ridaand Oliver Tree and like all
these other people you know it'slike creating.
Every time you hear a song bySex on the Beach, it's like whoa
, I didn't see that coming.
Like it's like oh, that's aninteresting take, whether it's a
remix or we're going to havesingles that are going to come

(01:41:38):
out.
We'll do collaborations, alldifferent types of things across
the board, releasing a lot ofmusic but still maintaining that
identity of uniqueness and thefacets of the sound of what Sex
on the Beach is and justcreating amazing music that
people can make memories to and,you know, live to be the

(01:42:00):
soundtrack to their lives.

I totally hear it from the stuff that I've
heard, which I know have takenon different lives and versions
of what I heard, but yeah, I'm.
I think that one interestingthing here is that most people I
would say generally are anartist or they're a producer or
maybe they are an artist andthen a producer.

(01:42:27):
But you did it flip flop.
You were a producer first andI'm really curious how you think
developing all of thoserelationships as a producer, as
someone who is quality, you know, on the production side but,
just all of the relationshipsyou put in place, how you think

(01:42:49):
that that is going to help blastoff Sex on the Beach Really, so
that maybe people watching orlistening, who are producers
right now that want to be anartist, can understand how those
relationships are going to justcatapult them 100%.
Or just look from a differentangle, because I think, that
this is a rare circumstanceRight.

Yeah, it is in a sense.
Like most people, like you said, it's normally flip flopped or
the other way around.
But I think when you, like mydad, always said this in my life
, like as a kid, he's like Eric,it's all about who you know.
Like your life is about who youknow and if you can create
those relationships like andcreate that trust, you know what
I mean.
Like with Christian fromGalantis, he just, he just

(01:43:35):
believes in me, believes in myproject because I've.
You know, we've gone to wartogether, we've worked on so
many songs together.
You know cheat codes like I'mopening for them and at a show
in Boston and you know thingslike that.
Like I've become friends withthese guys and you know, I think
that that is really invaluable.
It's like goes back to thatpoint of the same thing, of like

(01:43:56):
you know what I mean, like youearn the right to be there, and
it's like creating thoserelationships will catapult you
in a way, like you'll cut off somany things but you had to put
in the work to do those thingsright.
But at the same time, like if Iwas just starting out, like I'm
going to be on a like I'm goingto start at a different level
because I've, you know, likeworked with them for so long and

(01:44:18):
created those relationships,and relationships is literally
the key to everything in this,in this game.
You have to be able to be ableto create strong relationships
too.
You know what I mean and, likeI've been very lucky to have
been cross paths with thesepeople and we've had, we shared
a lot of memories together andmoments together and like
they're gracious enough and tohelp me in my career and yeah,

(01:44:44):
you know, I think it's, I thinkit's really just, it's really
invaluable.
It really is because but thething is like you also learn so
much in that process you knowwhat I mean Like I've learned so
, like I've honed my craft as aproducer so much to the point
like where it's like I've almostlike skipped all those steps,
because, like I've learned somuch from these people that I've
looked up to like and I've beenaround some of the best minds,

(01:45:07):
like the minds of people thatare crazy successful, like that
is like you can't buy.
That let's like, let's justyears of like them going on
their journeys and them learningthings along the way and they
teach you and it's like wow,like I skipped so many steps,
whereas if I just went by myselfand I'm just like, oh, I'm
gonna go, you know what I meanLike I'd have to go through a

(01:45:28):
whole learning process.
But I can skip all that stuffbecause I'm like, I'm like I
have mentors, you know peoplethat can really help me and put
me on and kind of pave the wayfor where I'm going for sure.

Yeah, yeah, I think.
I think the electronic cultureis so inviting.
Yes.
The whole plur thing is likelet's just remove that.
I think it is a very loving andlift your people up kind of
community.
Yeah for sure, I think one ofthe most iconic people, or if

(01:46:02):
not the most iconic, going froma producer to an artist, is
Kanye.
I mean and I know, because I'vewatched the documentary, how
freaking difficult it was, ashim, moving into an artist.
Nobody wanted to give him thetime.

Yeah, they were like .
Oh, they were like no dude,you're the producer, 100%.
What do you mean?
You want to be an artist?
Kanye is a great example.
Like, kanye obviously said somevery questionable things
nowadays.
Of course, if we're justspeaking to who he is as a
creative I mean like as acreative you can't deny that
he's a genius.
I mean, he's one of the guysthat's really paved the way for,

(01:46:40):
like you know, artists, likeyou know he was.
It's a similar yeah, kind of asimilar path to Kanye, obviously
on a different level, but in adifferent style of music.

Who's to say you're at the start of the
artist?

Yeah, of course of course, of course, but, but yeah
, but no, but he's, you know,he's obviously a like like he
was a producer and like you knowyou kind of have to like people
know you as a producer.
And like it's one thing to beknown as a producer, it's
another thing to be known as anartist.
You know what I mean and it'slike shifting people's vision of
you also is very, veryimportant.

(01:47:12):
Like an artist is not justnecessarily like I'm an artist
now you know what I mean Likeyou need to have the mind, you
need to have the vision, youneed to have the abilities to
like all the facets that take itto be an artist.
You know, like that's a wholecompletely different toolbox,
completely different skill set,and it takes time for people to
view you in that light.
So, you know, I I definitelythink, like someone like you

(01:47:34):
have to really believe in it.
You have to believe in yourselfmore than anybody else and I
think that that's what makes agreat artist and that's why
Kanye ended up becoming sosuccessful.
Because Kanye was a hugeproducer, very successful.
He had hits with Jay-Z and then, literally he's like I want to
be an artist, I want to wrap himmy shit.
And he was a great artist, butpeople still didn't give him the
time of day.
You have to prove it to peopleand you can't expect people to

(01:47:57):
just understand.
That's another thing.
I think, like a lot of times wego, they don't get it.
You know I'm an artist.
Like it's like what have youdone to prove to people that
you're an artist?

You know, like prove it Like where's your
vision?
The hip hop culture is veryvery different at least at that
time, 100%.
And in that documentary he's inthere over beat just spitting
bars.
Right then, right there.

Yeah, very different era.

And it was like, oh my God, this dude is so
talented, holy crap.
But nobody wanted to give thatthe time of day, because it was
in my mind this person is this,and also I think that seemingly
from the documentary there inpeople's minds there's only so
much space for like the guyright now.

(01:48:41):
Like Jay-Z was the guy 100%.
Don't, don't tread on my ground.
100%.
In the idiom world, man,there's like so many festivals,
so many shows.

Yeah.

Everybody.
I mean, there are clicks 100%100%, especially in like the
rhythm side.
Yeah, of course.
But I think I really see thatpeople lift each other up.

But yeah for sure, the dance community in general
is just a.
It's a very fun lovingcommunity.
Like cause it's happy music man.
It's like it's just yay dancingin drugs.
I mean like I don't do drugs butlike you know, like it's a lot
of people, that's what it is.
It's an experience, it's like adopamine rush.
It's a happiness, likeeveryone's like.

(01:49:20):
Like, like Galantas' biggestsong is Runaway.
Like I want to run awayanywhere out this place.
I want to run away, you and I.
Like it's like it's acamaraderie, and you know you
look at a lot of the mostsuccessful DJs.
They've all been put on youknow what I mean by other DJs
and it's like that cosine is soimportant.
I'm really really lucky to haveyou know DJs that believe in me

(01:49:42):
enough to be able to do that.
So you know, but that thatstarts because I you know, was a
producer and did all that stuff, so you got to put in the work,
man.
That's like I think that that'slike the thing, like I think a
lot of people like they look for, like, especially nowadays,
everybody just wants it quick.
They want that viral moment orthey want that thing, and it's

(01:50:05):
like, yes, but you know you canget that quick thing.
But it's like, like I alwayslike compared to like stocks
because I come from like thefinance world like if you look
at stocks that last a long time,it's because they incrementally
grow up over time.
They build support at levels.
That's how stocks work.
But if you have some stocks thatjust balloon, they go up like
200% and then they just crashbecause they didn't build

(01:50:27):
support.
It just has like this huge hypeand then it just falls.
It's the same way.
Like you need to view music isthe same way.
You need to incrementally go up, go up, go up, go up and just
work hard.
You know this is really it Justwork hard and be passionate
about it.
But I digress, but yeah, reallylucky to have some great
mentors, you know for sure.

Yeah, so, dude, thank you so much for coming on
to this podcast.
Like it means so much to haveyou here.

Thank you, we're like super close, absolutely my
brother.

It allows us to talk about these cool, deeper
nitty gritty things and,honestly, the way that this
podcast works and I think, theway that a lot don't.
And my lane is that I don'treally want to do a ton of deep
research about my guests.
I want to have, like thisbeautiful organic conversation

(01:51:21):
and I have a couple of pointsthat you know I want to hit
because I know that they willbring on like a great
conversation.
But yeah, I didn't do a ton ofresearch so that we can just
like have this beautiful organicconversation.
I think that I learned, and Ihope that everybody viewing this
has learned some of the innerworkings of your mind and really

(01:51:43):
how to, how to grow with a coregroup of people yes.
Yes, that, even though the twothat you came up with were
already moving and things wereyou know already on the up right
.
We all lift each other up 100%and if you find those people
that believe in you and youbelieve in them and you know

(01:52:05):
consistency, like like the boardsays, I think great things will
always happen.
I don't think that you will everfail if you just keep going.
Yes, man.

They say.
They say like it's anotherthing in stocks, like you don't
lose until you pull your moneyout, Like you haven't lost money
until you pull your money out,and it's so true, Like you know,
I mean things go up and thingsgo down.
It's like another thing.
That like is like in this game,like the happy times are
temporary and the bad times arealso temporary, Everything's
temporary.

(01:52:37):
So it's like if you're happy inthe good good shit's going on,
enjoy it while it's there.
If it's bad, oh shit, Well,it's only gonna be bad for a
little bit of.
Eventually a little get good.
But if you're always with thepeople that you grow with, and
like your core people, yourfriends, like you never feel,
you never feel completely lost.

(01:52:58):
Cause at least you have eachother, you know, Cause it is an
up and down battle, man, it's anup and down battle, but I
really really appreciate yourfriendship and you having me
here today.
This is like so dope.
I'm really really excited foreverything that you're doing.
World, watch out this guy thegoat.

Dude I mean, I feel the same.
I can't wait to.
I can't wait to be invited toVegas to watch you, dj oh dude
man, we got to bring you toVegas, man.
Yeah, we've never done Vegasproperly actually.

Oh man, it's like Sam to Vegas, and it was like I
know he won't shut up about it.

It's like the greatest experience of his life,
yeah, but I want to go and seeyou, dj.
Oh, dude, heck, yeah, man.

Heck yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
You got to come by and see theset.
It's a good time man, you know.
I think, like I try to playlike a lot of music that's like
you wouldn't normally hear in aDJ set.
It's kind of like sex, thewhole thing.
Buying sex on the beach is justlike yo.
There's the rules, fuck them.
It goes just like dude, like beleft be different?

(01:54:00):
Yeah, absolutely, man, I'd lovethat for sure.

Hell yeah, Dude, thanks for being here.

Thank you for having me man, my brother, my brother,
my brother Go Patrons.

All right.
So now that you've listened tothis episode, I'm sure that you
can see me and Eric are realgreat friends.
Art Bantur back and forth aboutCowboys and Patriots and
everything in between is.
It was a fun conversation tohave and of course, I'm really
close with Eric and while he'snot in LA all that much,

(01:54:37):
whenever he's here I always seehim.
So you know it was fun to getto share this with him.
The first point that I want tobring up is Eric wrote on the
chalkboard the key to greatnessis consistency, and I just don't
think that there could beanything more true.
That is like the.
In my mind, the epitome of whatmakes somebody successful is

(01:55:01):
just having consistency day inand day out.
If that's five minutes, ifthat's an hour, if that's all
day that you put into your craft, being consistent with it, that
is literally the answer toeverything, and I just thought
that was really cool.
I guess it was a tiger thingthat Tiger Woods said, but
ultimately, that is probably thebest key you take away from

(01:55:23):
this episode, but I'll tell yousome other amazing ones as well
Just getting stuff out into theworld, if that's a song, if
that's a painting, if that's anarticle that you wrote, a book,
a drawing, whatever.
Just putting yourself out thereand allowing others to judge,

(01:55:45):
you know, for the good or forthe bad or whatever.
Just releasing things is thekey to becoming great and moving
forward.
If you forever just keep thingson your hard drive or at your
house or, you know, in your head, you don't get it out there.
Like, how could you ever moveforward?
You don't ever have peoplegiving feedback and being able

(01:56:09):
to resonate with your art.
It has to get out there.
So the quicker you can do that,the better.
If it's, you know, a shittyquality, whatever, just get it
out there, like, get the badstuff out so that everything
afterwards is a little bitbetter and a little bit better.
Just move forward.
One of my favorite stories fromthis talk was the one about how

(01:56:31):
Eric would create beats andmusic in the library at his
college until like 3 am in themorning and he had class so
early that it was a 45 minutedrive to school, so he would
just, at 3 am, go out in theparking lot and sleep in his car
to be able to wake up and go toclass in the morning, just

(01:56:52):
because he wanted to put thatmany more hours into music and
you could hilariously joke abouthygiene and like he's grinding
too hard and he needs somebalance.
But Eric is incrediblypassionate and he knows where he
wants to go with music and he'sobsessive, and that's what you
need to be great at something.
So he was dedicating everysingle second he could to this

(01:57:15):
craft.
And you know I know whenever Iwas doing my early 10,000 hours,
I wasn't sleeping Even wayafter my 10,000 hours.
I was pulling all nightersdoing custom music to hopefully
land in a trailer and doingvarious things, and that's just

(01:57:36):
because I love this.
And you know if you're watchingthis or listening to this.
This is what you have to give.
This is the mindset you have tohave to be able to break
through, because there are otherpeople doing this who are maybe
not as good as you, but theywill work so hard that they will
be given the opportunities andthey'll be able to deliver.

(01:57:57):
So I'm so glad that Eric saidthat little story.
I also love the story and justthe idea that having a
background or some kind of likeknowledge in sales is possibly
one of the greatest things thatyou could have in life, because
here are the things to sell aproduct to somebody.

(01:58:20):
You don't have to be great atmanipulating them, you don't
have to be great at sayingthings that aren't true, you
don't like.
A sale is not a transaction.
It's actually you being able toresonate with the person you're
talking to, making them feellike they trust you, making them

(01:58:42):
feel comfortable to open up toyou and not in a manipulative
way.
I mean, I think it is really agenuine connection.
So Eric worked at AT&T and theytold him that it's about
educating and not selling.
So how this could relate inmusic.
What Eric said is wheneveryou're pitching a track, you can

(01:59:06):
say what this song does that noother song does.
Yeah, it's a pop track, yeah,it's in the same key and it's
this and that and the other, butwhat are the things that it
does so much better than othertracks?
What makes it different?
And highlight those.
Don't sell the song.
Just tell somebody what's sospecial about it.
Or whenever you're out athaving coffee or lunch or

(01:59:30):
whatever, just be passionateabout what the other person is
doing and that, right, there isselling yourself, because that
person probably now feelsinvested in your world as well,
because you actually cared abouttheirs.
I loved the story.
This couldn't be any more truefor how I carry myself and my
business.

(01:59:51):
Another point is proximity.
If you live somewhere wherewhat you want to be doing in
life is not happening at thelevel you want to, or if the
people you want to meet are notwhere you live, you need to get
to a place like a cultural hubof whatever it is that you want
to do.
Whoever you want to meet,whatever level you want to play

(02:00:13):
at, you need to be in the placewhere people are doing that at
the level you want to.
In my opinion, it's alwaysbetter to be a small fish in a
large pond.
You don't want to be the bigdog.
You want to be in a placethat's going to help you grow
and nurture you and you're goingto be able to continue to get
bigger and bigger.
Or do do whatever it is youwant to do, but don't be in a

(02:00:35):
place that doesn't allow you todo that.
And last but not least, areally interesting take I'd
never heard this before and Ithink it's really cool Read your
energy before you enter a room.
So, if you're going into awriting session, if you're going
into a sales meeting.
If you're going, you knowwherever whatever you're about

(02:00:59):
to do, think of who you need tobe in that room energy wise, do
you need to be the calm, cool,collected person or do you need
to be the hype man?
Do you need to be energetic andexcited?
Well, read your energy beforeyou go into that room.
And if you need to bring yourenergy down to be more calm and

(02:01:22):
level headed, maybe take fiveminutes to do a little
meditation or, you know, somebreathing exercise or whatever
can lower your heart rate, canmake you just a little more
chill before you step into thatroom.
And if you're going into a roomwhere you need to be the hype
man, you need to be excited, youneed to lift up the room.

(02:01:42):
Eric said that he would shoutin the car before walking into
that room or something you knowplay some metal music, play
something that's going to getyou hype, scream along to a yell
, dance, jump up and down.
Whatever you need to do toraise your heart rate, to raise
your energy, so that you canbring that into a room, and I

(02:02:02):
thought that that was a reallyinteresting and cool little
tidbit.
So hopefully all those keypoints help you on this episode
and I'll see you in the next one.
Thanks for listening to theGrounds for Success podcast.
I want to thank all of thepeople who work on this podcast
and help me out.
My team is everything to me,and without them I couldn't

(02:02:24):
bring these to you every singleweek.
I couldn't post on social media, you know, with all the clips
that we have, and so I thank youguys so much.
I want to also thank all of myclients on the Mixing and
Mastering side, because withoutyou, I could not have Grounds
for Success.
So thank you so much.
If you're enjoying the Groundsfor Success podcast, please

(02:02:45):
follow, like and subscribe onwhichever platform you're
listening or watching on.
It helps us out a ton, and Iwant to keep getting this
content to you, in whichever wayyou listen or watch.

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