Max HeyraudWe’ve teamed up with Cupra to chat with some of Ireland’s leading electronic music talent, starting with Caz, about the early stages of their careers, ahead of Cupra’s On The Pulse DJ competition, an initiative that continues to spotlight the next wave of Irish talent.
Wicklow’s Caz opens up about his early beginnings as a DJ, sharing the thoughts and feelings he experienced while learning his craft, finding his sound, and navigating the pressures that came with it, reflecting in hindsight on the importance of patience, trusting his instincts, and not getting too caught up in outside noise.
Those lessons have played a key role in shaping his current career, one that has seen him sign to Patrick Topping’s Trick label, as well as play to packed-out festival stages across Ireland’s biggest events, including Longitude Festival and Electric Picnic. Alongside a regular and busy schedule across Ireland’s club circuit, Caz continues to build momentum, grounded in the experiences and perspective he developed from those early days.
You can enter the competition here.
Tell us about your first ever gig, where was it and what was it like?
My first actual gig was in The Venue in Wicklow Town (RIP), I was 16, and I don’t actually remember much aside from sneaking in and out of the keg room to get into the club hahaha.
Once I started producing and getting into the Dublin club scene, I played 39/40 for Chantel Kavanagh’s Sexy Dancing, and that was the yeah, let’s do this forever moment, but I was so shit …
What is the biggest lesson you learnt over the years, since you started your DJ journey?
Probably, I don’t need alcohol to be good on stage. I never had an alcohol problem as such, but I was using it to cope with nerves and anxiety, so when I stopped drinking before shows last year, I was like oh I’m actually so much better sober hahaha. I’m really glad I tackled that problem before it progressed into a bigger one.
What would you say to a DJ about to play their very first set?
Assuming it’s a warm-up set, spinning Beatport top 50 bangers for an hour isn’t necessarily a good set. Value setting the tone over having your big one, your time to do that will come.
What’s the one thing you know now that you wish you’d known when you first started your DJ journey?
To view failures and rejection as lessons, not losses. That came with the development of my frontal lobe, I think, hahah.
How different was your taste in music compared to now?
It honestly hasn’t changed that much. I’ve always listened to everything since I was a kid. I think I just appreciate it differently, but on any given day, I can go from DJ Tonka to Alice in Chains.
Who was your biggest influence when you were starting out?
Calvin Harris for his production versatility. Liam Howlett from The Prodigy for his magic brain and sample usage.
