Congratulations on your first Beatport number one! On social media you announced that you’re “gonna cry a single tear of joy and then get absolutely obliterated.”

How did you celebrate the news?

As soon I saw the news I told my mom who gave me a giant hug and then I promptly opened up a bottle of champagne and proceeded to have many more drinks. After having a solid nap I went to a small party in Chicago with some other industry people I’ve worked with over the years who all gave me a huge congratulations and then I played for a few hours. I think I played “Deep End” four times during the night haha.

“Deep End” first came out as a self-release and many people first heard it when Sam Divine dropped it during a DJ live stream. When did you notice that this was something special?

 I knew immediately that I had made something special because I was so hyped about it that I posted a clip to all my social channels. The clip immediately got huge traction so I decided to put the track out ASAP as a self-release because there was no reason to wait without gigs or much of anything going on. From there I got reached out to from about every major label to sign it, but since Defected has always been the goal for me, I knew that would be a perfect home for the track.

Is it true that “Deep End” came together rather quickly?  

The track came together all in one night! The vocal was actually a sample which I had downloaded a few months prior and could never really make anything work with it. I made this fun, bouncy bassline along with the drums and was looking for a topline when I found this vocal in my sample folder; and once I threw it on top they ended up clicking together. It was really just one of those studio sessions where everything came together perfectly. 

You’ve been very productive ever since your first single came out two years ago. Has the current crisis had an effect on your creativity or work flow?

I’ve honestly been more creative than ever. When the touring was really picking up I started only making club-ready tracks that didn’t have much crossover appeal, but being forced into lockdown has allowed me to work on my songwriting more and not only concern myself with how a track does on a dancefloor. I’ve started working with more singers/songwriters as well and I’m honestly happy to have been able to use this time to expand my overall production knowledge. 

You’re from Chicago. Are there any of the pioneering house DJs and producers from the city that you’ve especially looked up to?

Yes so many! Gene Farris has become one of my best friends, which is pretty crazy because he was the first DJ I ever saw in a club and I’ve looked up to him for so long. One of my first ever club gigs was with Mike Dunn too who I’ve heard on so many classic records so it was great to end up meeting him in person. Also, Lee Foss, who is from here has become one of the closest people in the industry for me. We’re actually working on a track right now about summertime in Chicago. 

Repopulate Mars, Farris Wheel, Dirtybird — you’ve already put out records on some of the biggest indie labels. When “Deep End” was picked up by Defected you said: “lifetime goal achieved.” What does the label mean to you?

I absolutely love all the labels that I’ve been working with, but what sets Defected aside from the rest for me is how much of a staple they are for the true house music sound. Being from Chicago, I think they have been the best representation of our classic house sound and that’s really helped give it exposure to the entire world. As someone who also wants to start travelling to Europe more, and of course Ibiza, I always knew Defected would be the perfect home for me to fully pursue this dream. Once things are back in action I already know the Defected parties are going to be next level and I can’t wait.