JKYL & HYDE - Creating A Memorable Brand In The Dubstep Scene

Jkyl & Hyde is a dubstep producer who’s been consistently climbing the bass music ladder and making a powerful name for himself in the industry. After touring with Excision this summer, he’s now on his own headlining tour and playing shows all over the US.

In this episode we talk about how to bring emotion into your music, the challenges on life on the road and what has helped him build his project and become a full-time artist.

Follow Jkyl & Hyde here:
https://www.instagram.com/jkylxhyde

Follow Nik Cherwink here:
https://www.instagram.com/nikcherwink

And visit my site to join the mailing list or book a free coaching call:
https://www.nikcherwink.com

Transcript

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 0:00

to really gain someone as a fan, sometimes it does take coming to a city two different times, or them seeing you release new music five, six, seven times. So not putting the pressure on myself of being like, this needs to be like, exploding, but just consistently growing has been probably the way. secret,

Nik: 0:34

What's up, everybody. Welcome to the headliner mindset podcast. Today's guest is a powerhouse in the bass music and dubstep scene. He's currently on his own headlining tour. He just finished touring with excision and his brand and his audience just keeps getting bigger and bigger every day. This is Jekyll and Hyde. welcome to the show, bro. I am pumped, pumped, pumped, pumped to have you here. I was just saying before we got on that, uh, You know, this is going to be one of those episodes where I get to catch up with, uh, you know, an old student. You went to icon collective many years ago. This is happening very often where I'm just opening up Instagram. It's like years since we've seen each other. And then all of a sudden I'm opening up my Instagram and I'm just like, Seeing you play in front of fucking thousands of people, playing shows, killing it, touring and stuff. This has happened with a handful of artists. I'm just like, oh shit, something went down over the last few years. Like, this guy, this guy's been fucking grinding, this guy's been working, making shit pop off. So, I'm very excited for this episode. I have no script, no questions. We are just gonna dive in and, uh, and get to catch up over the next hour. So, welcome to the show, bro. Happy

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:42

Absolutely a pleasure to be here. I have been quite the fan since episode one. So it's awesome to get on myself. And like you said, catch up. Um, it's been far too long. And even thinking back when, um, the other day, just kind of, you know, When you texted me brought back the thought of when we first ever met and I don't even know if you'll remember this but before I went to the icon in springish of like 2016 I came out and visited and actually sat in on you teaching a music business or art of flow class, not even a music business class. And Scott from slander was just in that class. So to come from Colorado and just the one I sit in on was just like, in terms of the content you were talking about and I feel like that was one of many things, but one of the things that really was like, I would say it was an instantaneous know that I needed to be out there after coming and seeing the campus, seeing the vibe, and

Nik: 3:00

Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 3:01

cool to build that and see that, I mean, obviously I had you as my teacher in ICON, both for, I believe, Artaflow and Music Business, if I remember right.

Nik: 3:14

Yeah. Yeah. I was doing both. And so just to give some context to the listeners, you know, we're talking about the, uh, famous Icon Collective Music Production School. If you're listening to the podcast, you probably know what that is, but at Icon, they teach a class called the Art of Flow. And that was, uh, A class about, it's about creativity, how to tap into your authentic expression, how to tap into the moment. I always describe it as a class that was kind of a combination of psychology, philosophy and spirituality, right? That taught you really about yourself and about your mindset, your ego, how to get that out of the way and, and, and be a real true authentic artists. And for me, everyone kind of had their own flavor. I was the first one that started teaching it outside of the owner. I really leaned on the spiritual side of it. I like, I wouldn't like heavy fucking woo woo. Cause that's just, you know, y'all, y'all know how I roll. We get down with the woo woo shit, but that's really where it came from. Now here's the, here's a funny story as well. I haven't shared this on the podcast, but, um, almost kind of similar to you. That was actually how. I got involved with icon in the first place was this was back at the the previous location not the original location But I think it was like their second location. This was probably 2011 2012 and My buddy was signed up to go to a different production school he was gonna go to I think the LA Recording Academy or whatever that's

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 4:39

Mm hmm

Nik: 4:43

Icon that like my friends have been telling me about I'm hearing about it like Before you like fully commit to that. Let's go check that school out And so I went with him to go do his his tour and similarly they sat us down in the art of flow and it was like they had just done like a meditation, you know, they were like meditating in class and I was like, what the fuck is this place? I was like, I thought we were going to a production school. These guys are in here meditating. And I was like, this is kind of my vibe, you know? And then

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 5:09

Mm

Nik: 5:10

how I met. I met the owner and, you know, ended up working there later. But, uh, yeah, similar, similar story. Just like, Ooh, I think I belong here.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 5:18

Exactly. Yeah, I felt like it was pretty immediate after seeing just how everyone was Working and even like you said the vibe of the class like I don't think you guys necessarily had just gotten out of a meditation But the vibe was on point and like the questions that were being asked were really things that just made me be like Wow. This is so much more than just learning how to make beep boops in Ableton. And it was a beautiful introduction and then I mean, circling back to it was great to then full circle see you at Lostlands this past September. And,

Nik: 5:56

So good to see you there, dude. That was

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 5:57

I mean, like you said, too, it's, um, It's a thing that I feel like I experience among some of my peers as well, and it's really cool to see people after couple years of maybe not staying as in constant touch as we were and then seeing that they're absolutely killing it or doing something that I knew they had always talked about wanting to do. So it's really cool to see everyone grow and evolve in that way.

Nik: 6:22

Yeah. So, you know, you said. A moment ago that you realized it was about more than just making beeps and boops. All right. So what else is it about? Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 6:39

a feeling, an emotion, and that like in the simplest level is kind of what got me into it in the first place, like seeing live music and being like, holy shit, this is really moving me beyond just listening to a song I might know or coming and hanging out with my friends at a place to party. And I feel like there were a few, honestly, Zedd's Dead was a really pivotal one the first time I ever saw them and just seeing how the set was So, so thoughtfully constructed and in a way that like, as a naive teenage music listener, I was like, I know they didn't just play only Zedd's dead songs, like they're playing other people's music, but it sounds like those could have all been Zedd's dead songs. And like the universe they built within that hour, like changed my life and was like, wow, I want to evoke some of this emotion. And feeling beyond just the surface, I guess, of it. And I'd say I had a little bit of interest in music growing up, but it was really that connection that like, Whoa, this can be an emotional. experience and really like bring the listener to a beautiful place while you're doing that through say your productions, your live shows, your brand in itself. And I think that that's kind of been like a driving force for me from day one is just that I was impacted so strongly in a way that I want to be able to give that to my fans and make it a show that is a bit more To remember than just like, Oh, it was a random concert and there's something about it that makes you feel. And that's, I would say on the, on the surface of it, kind of where I come from being about more than beeps and boops. Cause it's definitely tough in dubstep and bass music too. When I would say a driving force is like the technology or the like technological side of it and being a great sound designer and whatnot, but there is really so much more.

Nik: 8:54

yeah, yeah. Well, first off, I love that you referenced Zedd's dead because I'm actually not a basshead, like, Really at all, like I, I'm learning, I'm, I'm warming up, you know, but like I've always been way more of like a house guy and a lot of the, especially the sound designing bass music is like, is a little much for me. I'm going to be honest, I'll be honest. But when we were at Lost Lands, Zed's Dead's set was the outside of Sippy, who I went with, that was the one set that I actually like, Watched beginning to end right fucking you know in the middle of it, and it was like So obvious how it was a true piece of art And it was very different than just like just an hour of you know Just bangers and just like real aggressive stuff. I was like, oh these guys created like you said a fucking universe These guys created a a real true piece of art. So I they won me over at lost lands. Hell. Yeah Now i'm curious from your perspective You know How do you find that balance of, you know, the heavy sound design, bass music, but also like actually really bringing in emotion. How do you create feeling and emotion in your music? Because I think it's easy for a lot of people to, you know, go on splice or just get like really down the rabbit hole of serum sound design. And, and, you know, there's kind of like the production wars, like the, the sound design, you know, dick measuring contest, right? But it's like, how do you actually. You know, you personally, like, how do you bring emotion and feeling into your music?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 10:24

I would say one, big way is going in with, like, very strong intention when I'm writing something. So, uh, there's definitely, like, pluses and minuses to just fucking around and twisting knobs, but I do feel like my strongest ideas and the ones that do convey more of an emotional feeling Are something where I intentionally went in and it doesn't even have to be too crazy But just be like i'm going to make a really sick 32 bar orchestral intro And i'm gonna have a melody in there with plucks that stands out to me And like that is as much as I need almost to give me the the kind of like Setup for my map to then make things rather than just coming at it with like a blank Ableton project. I feel like a lot of producers like don't really talk about that particular moment Like a lot of the shit on youtube and stuff is like tutorials of full Arrangements full songs But there's not really a lot talking about the moment from in your head wanting to create something to When you touch the keyboard and like how you best do that and almost set yourself up for success So I think that going in with like such intention and sometimes it's like I just need to write a melody that's one bar long that, like, makes me remember it. Or, ooh, I really want to make hip hop drums today. And like, having that tiny bit of a guide, almost, I feel like, has expanded the life of my songs, in a way, and made them feel so much more like an actual, like, record, for lack of a better word, and not just a 32 bar Ableton dubstep drop that I like just shit out in a day.

Nik: 12:25

Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 12:26

And also, I think, aside from the intention going into it, what I put into my own brain and like, the energy I'm feeding myself is very important into that and what my like, influences are, I have for sure noticed the more like, If I'm only listening to dubstep bangers that my friends are sending me, or that's like the poppin songs, my writing deteriorates a little bit, and it definitely, like, goes in that direction of, like, make bangers, whereas if I'm listening to things that are old music, outside of electronic music, um, pop music, because I feel like the writing is so strong in most pop music, that Those things kind of almost subconsciously carry over to my production and I noticed that I'm like writing more Emotionally when I'm not listening to sound design y bass music.

Nik: 13:23

yeah a thousand percent. I think that's a trap I see a lot of people fall into is it's like yeah You're a dubstep producer and all you do is listen to dubstep and it's like, okay Well, you're kind of then just living in an echo chamber or or you know a house music producer All you do is just listen to house music all day long. I was like, okay, where are you ever going to? Crack open new neural pathways in your brain to create anything new and fresh. Right. And this is probably the struggle for so many artists is like, how do I create something unique? How do I create something that doesn't sound like everybody else? We'll stop listening to everybody else. You know, I've, I've heard of people also sometimes like, just stop. I'm just not even going to listen to anything and just be so in touch with myself and my feelings and my thoughts and my inspiration. Like imagine if you just didn't listen to music for three months, you

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 14:16

yeah, and that's like almost sounds impossible to people on the on the rip But it's like I truly do wonder what something like that would do. I find myself listening to a lot of non music as well, ironically. Like, And I mean, your podcast is one of many, but I am a huge podcast person. Like when I'm driving and when I'm traveling for shows and tour, definitely is like what keeps me busy brain during a flight is just like throwing on a four hour podcast,

Nik: 14:49

Yeah, hell yeah. What are some other ones that you, that you enjoy, that you want to shout out and recommend?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 14:56

um, Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin is a great podcast and very like in depth. And just crazy creatives.

Nik: 15:06

I just found out that Rick Rubin had a podcast literally like, like a month ago or so I was like, how was I sleeping on this?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 15:12

Uh huh.

Nik: 15:13

goat. Like literally like, like everything that we taught in art of flow, like once I got his book, the, the creative act and I read it, I'm like, Oh my God, I'm like, this is literally the fucking curriculum. You know, I was like, he put it in a book. Uh, he, he's just. Crack the code on that. He's the

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 15:31

Yeah. I read that this year and it felt like a refresher. Tetragrammaton.

Nik: 15:37

Tetragrammaton. Yeah, whatever the fuck that means. But yeah, rick

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 15:40

I know.

Nik: 15:40

listen to that shit.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 15:42

Yeah, that's a great one. And then he also has one that he like co hosts with Malcolm Gladwell. And um, Broken Record is what it's called. And then one other host, I'm forgetting his name, I think like Bruce something. But that one, similar vibe, kinda, to the Rick, to Tetragrammaton, and it's just like interviewing very creative people. And it's fascinating to get that little, like, look into it. I like Hank and John Green as well, for non music. They're just like,

Nik: 16:14

Hank and john green

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 16:16

Yeah, John Green wrote, like, The Fallen Are Stars, and, like, all these, like, romance novels. Yeah, and his brother is, like, a science nerd. And they just do fun, like, life podcasts.

Nik: 16:29

Love it. Love it, man. Yeah, dude, there really is something to be said for that of you know I was just talking to West End last weekend and like a big piece of that conversation was just like, you know Have other shit outside of music that you're into and that you do especially with your life like have some hobbies Have a life, what a concept, but it's like, and I get it though. It's like when you're just so driven and you want this, you know, this dream and this goal so bad, or like, you know, also if you're just, if you're working and you're spending so much time, maybe at the day job, you don't maybe have, you know, you gotta put as much time as you can into the music, but honestly, it kind of can become counterproductive to a certain point as well, right? Like you're actually going to, you're actually going to benefit yourself more Not doing music for, uh, at least a little bit of, you know, your, throughout your time and energy throughout the week of just like filling your cup up in these other areas, because then you actually have something to bring to your sessions. You have something to bring to your art and to your creativity, right?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 17:31

Exactly, and kind of like some life lived to bring to it, in a sense. Like, there's so many times where I get inspiration or just motivated from something so external from music and it could be even me like at the grocery store witnessing a person doing something and it's like holy shit if i was living in my studio 12 hours a day and not touching grass for lack of a better word like there's a lot that i might be missing that my brain could really Get value out of in that sense like

Nik: 18:09

Did you ever read the artist's way? Or go through that process.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 18:14

Yeah, i'm i'm pretty sure

Nik: 18:16

the artist's way is Julia Cameron's 12 week workbook. It's kind of based off of like the 12 steps, you know, she went through the 12 steps and was like, I'm going to create like a 12 step program for artistic recovery, for like basically rediscovering your inner artist, filling up your, your creative well. Right. I think I'm going to go through this again, cause I've actually really been feeling the itch to start creating again and kind of getting back into my artistry. But one of the. Requirements. I've talked about morning pages many times on the podcast and the stream of consciousness writing. We taught that in the art of flow that comes from Julia Cameron's book, the artist way. she has, you do that every day, every day, wake up, write three pages of just, you know, journaling, whatever comes to your mind, just Be in the energy of just flow and letting things come out. But the other thing that she does that she recommends that I really love is, um, to do an artist date every week. And that is a date that you go on with yourself, right? You don't bring anybody else. It's a date with you and your inner artist. It's basically, you know, you and your inner child, you and your inner creative, and you go do something that is just purely for shits and giggles, just for fun. You know, and it's so cool. Like, it's such a fun thing to do is like, go take yourself on a date, go, you know, even like when you talk about going to the grocery store, I go to the grocery store and go buy something that you've never had before, go make a recipe and just bring in something new into your life that you've never done. Because I always say like the opposite or like the antithesis of creativity is monotony. Just doing the same thing every day. And I'm a fucking routine guy, dude. I'm like, I like to like, here's my day. I plan it out. I want to go to the gym. I'm going to do these things. Like I try, I'm so such a routine person and that serves us. And that's kind of like the, you know, masculine energy, half of duality. But there's also the other side of it, right? The, the spontaneity and introducing novelty, right? So just a fun little challenge for yourself is like, take yourself on a date once a week, go do something that is just, just purely with yourself and for yourself. It's like, for me, I remember I went to like target and bought a basketball and went to a fucking park and shot hoops. I'm like, I hadn't done that shit since I was like 10 years old. It was so fun, go buy a Lego set and put a fucking Lego set together, go, you know, I remember I took myself to like an Ethiopian restaurant that was in my neighborhood in LA, like I never had Ethiopian food before, it was fucking awesome, you know, and so there's there's so much flavor in life. That we're not tasting, that we're not trying, because we're so zeroed in on like, I'm a dubstep producer and I'm gonna just make dubstep every

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 20:55

a

Nik: 20:56

listen to dubstep. It's like, dude, you're like eating, you know, it's like going to a buffet and being like, I'm just gonna eat this mashed potatoes, and

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 21:03

Yeah, like that's what I came here

Nik: 21:05

yeah, but you're at like a Vegas buffet with like every possible fucking flavor of food you could try. Like, dude, go try some other things.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 21:13

It's crazy and I would say too as like that's definitely something i've Been and continue to work on personally is just that like work life balance a little bit and especially as things have gotten bigger and The shows have gotten bigger and there's more people following for lack of a better word even like it is something I definitely have to Commit to and just be like hey i'm gonna get out of this for a second It's good to be like locked in but at the same time if you aren't living on the side of that, like you start to lose touch with things a little bit and I feel like it drastically does affect my creativity for sure. So that, that balance of touring and writing music also definitely has its hand in hand of me coming home and Wanting to mow my lawn and wanting to go on a walk in the neighborhood and just breathe and not think about music, the industry, Jekyll and Hyde. And I think that's a really healthy thing to do that. Is not as, also not as talked about, and I think too, the bigger you get, like, the, the easier it is to, to not be able to do those things, when you are on a rigorous touring schedule, and you have deadlines to meet, or you are flexing your production muscles so often, like, it's obviously very important to exercise that and continue to produce, but at the same time, I feel like I have I've overdone it plenty of times and been like, wow, I'm making dog shit right now because I have been forcing myself to produce music for five days in a row.

Nik: 22:59

Mm. Yeah. Yeah. You know, now that you've been out playing shows more and more, like, what's your life look like? What's your schedule look like? Like, especially when you're out on tour and you're, going out on the weekends, you know, what's that been looking like and how have you been, juggling and balancing that lifestyle?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 23:18

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I am currently in the middle of a headline tour right now. I have about four shows left. So when it's like this, it's pretty consistently every weekend, one to three shows. And with this, I am lucky because it is like a fly tour, so I'm not bussing, and that is cool in its own right, something I'd love to do, but just like, logistically, doesn't make sense for an act my size, but I do get the privilege of being able to fly home on the weekend, so I typically We'll leave Thursday or Friday, get to the city I'm playing, try and relax, try and, like, kind of like we were talking about, do non music stuff, like, give myself a walk, familiarize with the area, try a new restaurant that I've, like, never seen before type of thing, play the show, typically if I can, um, a later flight so I can sleep that night, travel to the next city around like noon to 3pm, get there, same routine, kind of like, try and go on a walk, get some sun, um, yadda yadda, sound check if it's in there type of thing, play the show, and then like come Sunday, fly back home, and I, Usually use that day to just like recover and then back on Monday I try and as well stick to like a pretty good routine and my girlfriend who I live with works a like Day job where she starts at like 6 a. m so that definitely helps with her being on like a pretty consistent schedule and Just living normal life from there. I would say during my four days off definitely will like to the set every week, try and write some new music. I put a little less pressure on myself when I am in like heavy touring mode and I care so much about the live sets that I put a lot of time into that rather than like writing a ton of new music every week.

Nik: 25:29

Will you just produce if you kind of feel inspired or do you have, you know, like a time block on certain days that you try to show up for? Or is it a little bit more loose? Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 25:42

and not as busy with shows, I do try and time block it a little bit more and do try and like give myself from x to x time on this day you're gonna work. At the same time though I, if I feel like inspired, I will not hesitate to run in here and like Bop out whatever I'm trying to do super quick and even if it's like 15 minutes That's another thing. I'd really like feel like I've grown with In the past. I was definitely a one shot through finished the project type of vibe But I felt like that had negative side effects where I wasn't necessarily, like, thinking about the idea in a clear space always. So now I've really, like, gotten comfortable with the idea that just because I'm starting something, it doesn't have to be perfect. And I actually was answering a question someone asked yesterday about how do you produce on the road? And, like, similarly, hand in hand, Biggest tip for me is just like, don't put pressure on yourself. It's like, I can start an idea in my hotel, spend 20 minutes on it. And just cause it's not playable that night for the show doesn't mean it was like a waste of time. And then it's like, if it is really an idea of value. There's no problem with me getting back home on Monday or Tuesday and like cracking it open with fresh ears with a fresh mindset And being like whoa, I made this sick ass beat. That's like 16 bars in the hotel Now let me flush this out and like really expand on it so just not putting that pressure on myself to like have to finish and crank things out while i'm Busy with shows has been very good for my production. I would say

Nik: 27:28

Yeah. Yeah. And so I imagine you're probably flying out by yourself, right? Like you don't have a tour manager, anyone you're traveling with, right?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 27:37

Yeah, um, Ashley, my girlfriend, does kind of like double act as the tour, the TM role, if she, uh, and she does, she only works four days a week, so that makes it nice with being able to travel like on Fridays and stuff,

Nik: 27:50

Oh,

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 27:51

um, but aside from that, she is really, and like, she's my girlfriend, we live together, so, it's, it's not exactly the same as like meeting a TM in a different state, but,

Nik: 28:02

But, but I was just wondering about how that is if, you know, just spending time on the road, you know, flying around, being in hotels, you know, by yourself, like how you handle that and, what that's like for you.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 28:12

Yeah, that has definitely been a part of this job that I was not quite thinking about at the beginning when I first got into this and didn't quite realize it. I would say it has been Quite the trip sometimes to go from a thousand people in front of you screaming There's lights flashing in your face to empty hotel room traveling by yourself for the next 12 hours

Nik: 28:35

Yeah. Ha ha

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 28:37

makes a lot of time for people watching when like at the airport and just kind of taking things in and just like really getting to Be in the moment almost. Um, I don't love it by myself always and I feel like that The worst for me is literally like the two to three hours before I head to the venue because i'm just like in the hotel like What do

Nik: 29:02

What do I do? Yeah,

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 29:04

ready Like let's go. Let's just play the show already. Come on But I've definitely gotten better for sure and like just found ways to kind of distract myself whether it be Doing something very like mindless on my computer like an Ableton type of thing and just like no pressure at all like trying to just make something cool or Finding a movie finding something to like watch. I do really enjoy like As, and it's totally case by case, like some cities are sick, some cities I'm like in the middle of nowhere. So it's not really a beautiful place to like go take it around. But if that's a possibility, I do like doing that. And it's cool to just see a little sliver into like the culture of some of these cities and kind of walk around, catch the vibe. So that for sure helps pass the time.

Nik: 29:56

And I actually haven't thought about it from this perspective because I do hear a lot of artists talk about like, man, it is, you know, there's that sort of lonely side of being like, all right, I'm on planes, you know, maybe by myself or whatever. But also I know people that will go backpacking for a fucking three months by themselves. And there's something to be said about like solo traveling and, and actually having the experience of like, cool, I get to just go explore the city on my own. And like that, that's actually really cool too. Like I know people that love taking solo trips. I haven't really done too much of that, but I also can see like there's a little bit of sense of freedom there too to just sort of like bop around and you know, like you get some kind of some, some meat, some me time is also a good thing too, right?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 30:37

It's almost like taking yourself on a date, but a long, a longer date.

Nik: 30:43

A date for like a weekend. I'm taking myself on a little weekend trip. Yeah, out of town.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 30:48

Yeah. It's, it's definitely something that has taken some learning too. And, um, I think something that, Will always be a little weird like going from the contrast of it for me is what's so crazy Is that you're like dead alone? And then you're like the life of the party you are the person people came to see And then it's back to nothing. And then it's like, oh, these people who came to see me are probably like, back at home partying still? And I'm on my way to the airport at 5am to make

Nik: 31:21

Totally. Totally. Yeah. You know, I bring that up with people who, you know, obviously, getting caught up in the excitement and the party, you know, when you go in a promoter's like, Hey, here's a whole fifth of alcohol just for you. You know, like what, what, like full out of, you know, bottle of alcohol. Do you want to drink by yourself in your green room? There's

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 31:42

Yeah, you have two hours!

Nik: 31:43

yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 31:45

Smash it!

Nik: 31:46

Yeah. And, you know, we see people get caught up in that and, you know, we've talked about that a lot on the podcast, uh, but I think it is good to remember just the difference of like, yeah, when you're there, you know, you're, you are there as the artist to, you know, for one, you're getting hired, you're there to be a professional and provide a service. This is your job. This is your business. You are. I provide a service as a life coach. You know, like when I show up, it's like, that's the service I provide. I'm there to be a hundred percent focused on my clients. Similarly, as an artist, you're there to perform, to deliver the promoter's job. Is there to like. They're there to party and have fun. They don't have to wake up and get on a fucking flight the next day. And just something I always like to point out when like the promoters like, yeah, dude, let's take some fucking shots. Let's go. It's like, yo, they don't have to get on a flight.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 32:30

You live here, bro! Like, I don't!

Nik: 32:34

they're doing their job. So just like keep that in mind. But you know, this whole aspect of. The highs and the lows. I'm so, I would be so curious to just strap on like, like a brain scan on an artist when they go through the journey of, I'm playing in front of thousands of people and literally like, Dopamine and serotonin, all these neurochemicals are being released in my brain and now I'm back in a hotel by myself or I'm in a shuttle for, two hours going back to some other city and like, yeah, I've heard a lot of artists talk about that, you know, just that, that roller coaster. And I do, I really do think like there is a, there is a, um, a, a chemical, biological thing happening in your body, right? Not to mention like. Travel and travel fatigue and exhaustion and all of that. And then coupled with like literally just this massive release of dopamine and serotonin, and then also followed by total isolation. It's like, there's a reason why that, that can be really, really hard. And I just think it's so important for, you know, for artists to be aware of, for us to start talking about, and also hopefully as we have this. Conversation as a community and as a collective and actually start really like helping figure out how can we do it in the most healthy way, you know? Cause for a lot of people, it's just like, well, I'll just take some fucking shots and not worry about it. And, you know, just to go be able to pass out and just be hung over on the plane and then lose half my week. And, you know, that's a, it's only going to work for so long.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 34:07

exactly. Takes a toll. I definitely, about two years ago, made a pretty conscious decision to not be drinking at shows. And I have loved every second of it. And I feel like one thing you just said, but I actually heard from Funkcase long ago, like when I first started touring and I think he was like the first show I played in LA at Academy was like a Funkcase headline, a DPMO thing. And he talked about it. He was like, it's your job. You don't get fucked up and go work your job. Like, what would you do if you went to Walmart and the cashier's just loaded? Like, something's up. And he's like, why would I do that? Like, all these people are paying me, and I'm getting paid to perform my art. So I want to do that in the best ability possible and like give the best performance possible and that really resonated with me and also he's been a very successful act for over a decade and that speaks for itself where I'm like the longevity is not something that comes with Getting super fucked up every night. Like it just doesn't really it does take a major toll physically mentally Not to mention all the other like negative side effects that can come from that But I I've definitely noticed an insane Benefit from not drinking during shows and it makes the travel so much nicer Not being all hung over on an airplane. It just makes my evening nicer. I feel like I get to You Truly take it in a little bit more and Definitely something that I will not be changing anytime soon for any reason

Nik: 35:52

probably the 10th artist that I've talked to that's said the same thing, and it's like, I think, as a young artist that's just starting and you're just getting your first shows and you're just getting your first free alcohol, it's like, okay, you're gonna have to figure it out, you

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 36:06

have a little fun. Yeah I did try it

Nik: 36:08

little fun, but it's like, I think it's like after anyone's been doing it for a couple years and especially as the touring starts to pick up, it's like, I think everyone I've talked to has really made that decision. You know, there might be some outliers where they're, they're just, they're just, you know, there's those guys that are just made of fucking steel and they're like, I could, I'm going to, yeah, I'm going to fucking party until I'm dead, you know, like cool. But for us other mere mortals, you know, like we, if we want to, if we want to survive, we probably got to tone it down. Um, now. When you were going to Icon, or maybe shortly after, like when you started Jekyll and Hyde, there was another You were a duo, there was another

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 36:44

yes Luke and Duke

Nik: 36:47

Luke and Duke, yeah, what happened to Duke? How did this become a solo project?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 36:51

Um, it was a pretty mutual splitting of ways. There was nothing really crazy and it was kind of in the works, I would say, for a bit, like six months to a year prior to it happening. We both kind of felt like things were like coming to just a creative head. in that regard and I mean I've seen it with so many other duo projects that then turned solo where it just wasn't necessarily working like creatively and I wish Duke the best and love him still to this day but we just were not supposed to be doing this together and I think we both were not even necessarily like losing interest but It just wasn't working the way it once did, and we both kind of knew that, and just went our own ways, and I continued the project. Um, I would say I definitely was, like, doing a bit more of the head production when we were a duo, which I think is very common, too. Like, I don't think I've actually ever met a duo where it's like, Oh, yo, we're 50 50 work split on everything we do. So coming from that, it was a bit easier for me to be like, okay, I'm going to continue this forward. As well as with the actual brand side of it, the true like old Jekyll and Hyde story is like one guy who's Dr. Jekyll then turns Mr. Hyde, that's his evil side. So I kind of was like, Oh, well, I can like really play on that. And if I continue the project as a solo act, it won't necessarily like, Change the branding of things in that regard I would say every now and again someone asks and is like, where'd you two people and i'm like you You've been around But

Nik: 38:44

was, but probably most people now, I mean, you've probably gained so many new fans now that like, don't even know that you ever were a duo

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 38:50

I would say it has definitely gotten to that point Um as well as just kind of like made me realize that not every fan Like cares to know You Like, not every fan of Excision knows what he looks like. Same with myself, and

Nik: 39:09

I saw him at Lostlands, I would have I would have had I'd probably fuckin talk to him. I would have no idea. I use excision I use excision as a as an example all the time of like, what we call like, playing the man versus playing the brand. Whereas like, playing the The man is very like a personal brand. It's like a, you know, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, David Guetta. It's like they are the brand. And then excision is a fucking robots and monsters and dinosaurs. I mean, I don't even know what he looks like straight up to this day.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 39:35

Yeah, seriously. So that definitely has, like, came across my mental radar, in a sense, where I'm like, okay, yeah, like, the people who are, like, the superfans engaging on socials and whatnot, like, They know who I am, they can put the face with it, but like, Some of the people who are probably streaming my music more than anyone, Just don't even care. Don't even care to research that. And that's totally okay, and like, There's so many artists I listen to, where I'm not going out of my way to like, Be like, this is who they are. This is their brand. This is what their thing is

Nik: 40:11

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 40:12

So that's been something that I've realized throughout the years.

Nik: 40:16

So if it's not necessarily the brand and everybody really knowing who Luke is and being a huge fan of, the man behind the artists in the project, what would you say have been some of the biggest contributing factors to your success being able to build this project to the point that you are touring and doing it full time?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 40:39

Yeah. I mean, one, I would say is just the consistency with music and quality of releases. Like I've always strived to be like one upping myself or like putting out something that's better. And I think that people who have been around. Or have even done the due diligence to like, look back on the back catalog. I've been like, wow, this is cool growth. And you can hear from day one where the sonic palette has like evolved to, but it's still all makes sense. And you can tell it's like all Jekyll and Hyde music. As well as kind of like. Really focus on making the live set something special and making it like a very well thought out, put together experience, um, playing to the right crowd, depending on like what the show is I'm playing and really kind of just like honing in on, I guess, the art side of it, I think has been a huge proponent of why I've gotten to where I am. I think certain things like throughout the years have just caught. Because of the consistency every now and again, something takes off kind of, and I'll have like a social media post about a song that went viral or a song even in itself that like streams really well. And I feel like most of those are almost hard to predict prior to them happening. And the only reason they happen is because of the like consistent approach and continuing to just be like, okay. Maybe the past release wasn't played out by as many people as I love, or maybe it wasn't, like, received on streaming as well, but I know I can stay true to the Jekyll and Hyde vision and keep putting out X, Y, and Z type of music and, like, it will build a loyal fanbase, and I think that's something that I have realized over the past few years is just that, like, it's not really a quick win always with stuff like this. And for some of these people too, like, to really gain someone as a fan, sometimes it does take coming to a city two different times, or them seeing you release new music five, six, seven times. Like, some people really just need to keep seeing something before they connect, I feel like.

Nik: 43:00

Yeah.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 43:01

So not putting the pressure on myself of being like, this needs to be like, exploding, but just consistently growing has been probably the way. secret, for lack of a better word, to how things have just kept building in that direction. And I would say as that's happening, continuing to like refine what I love and believe in and what I want the music to be has just made such a difference. And as well as just like pumping shit out, like having a huge back catalog of music to be able to release whenever you want and kind of move with the pulse of things, I feel like has been a major benefit.

Nik: 43:43

Yeah, you know, it really, this last week on, this week's episode that I put out with West End, that was a big point he made too, where he was just like, I've seen so many people succeed, and it's like, The one thing is that like everybody just didn't quit and it was like this they were just consistent it's just like just keep going keep going keep going and To go even further into that, I think just that like what you're talking about of like that consistency, it's not like okay I'm gonna let me put out a track Every four months and and post on my instagram once every other week. It's like that's just not the game, right? You gotta like you gotta show up be consistent with your releases Also, you know, I think probably finding that balance of quality versus quantity as well, right? Like you have a, I love that you have a high standard for the quality and continuing to push yourself. But um, but there's definitely something to be said for, for consistency. I really love the other piece that you said there as well, which I've heard from a lot of the bigger artists. And I think a lot of the smaller artists aren't necessarily thinking about this yet, maybe because they're not really playing shows yet. But. I can see how much you really focus on your live set. Making sure, like you said, you're putting together great sets. Having the, you know, the visual experience of your set. Like, that's the difference between just being a producer versus really being a performer, right? Creating the art is one thing, but then performing the art. Are you putting on a fucking show that people walk away and they're like, holy shit. Like, for me it was like Zed's Zed. It's like, I've, I've heard some, you know, Zed's Zed stuff. I was like, alright, that's, that's cool. It's dope. It's cool. Again, I'm not a huge Bay sack, but seeing the fucking show, I'm a fan now. I'm like, Oh dude, yo, this is some next level shit. These guys are performers. These guys are artists. And you know, yeah, I get it. If you're not. And maybe you're still in that stage of, you know, you're in the studio, you're, you know, you're learning the production, I get that and start thinking about how you're going to fucking rock the crowd. You know, start thinking about like, start, start putting mixes together. Like, even if you're not playing shows yet, I would say like, start putting mixes together, learn how to DJ really fucking well, learn how to get creative, start creating like what's the vision. Let's say you have a huge budget for visuals. What's that going to look like? What's that going to be about? It's such a key component, so I love that you bring that up.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 46:00

A hundred percent. Yeah, I feel like throughout the years too, I've just learned more and more from larger acts and people that I have toured with. Like, honestly, this past summer doing the Nexus tour with Excision, just, Clearly, I mean, hundreds of hours of more have gone into that production and like seeing how well it was executed and how many people are involved was something in itself that was just like motivating to me to be like, Oh, my God, like, truly, anything is possible if you have the vision for it. And like, if you want to, you know, Make this the craziest thing someone's seen and really go break some boundaries of production like it's possible And that is just a motivating factor In that sense for me, honestly, and something that like Zed's Dead just really does hit the nail on the coffin for like a mixed media experience type of set, but yeah, that's something that I really do strive to give with the Jekyll and Hyde project and something that I've always really been a big fan of is the DJ mix set and like the, what a set can mean.

Nik: 47:15

I like the saying that the, the music is just the soundtrack to the movie. Alright, what is the actual movie that you're playing out there? And I get that from Chris, from the Cult Creatives. You know, he always says, the music is the soundtrack to the movie. Like, what is the universe that you're creating? What is the experience that you're creating? Excision is probably one of the, Best examples. So cool that you got to be on tour with him and be around that and see what's possible. I think that's so important is like, you know, when you're not really close to it, it's like, it seems so far off where like, Oh my God, like, yeah, other people are doing this, but I never could. But when you start getting a, you're actually like around people, it's like, no, like this guy right next to me is doing it. You know,

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 47:56

And he's also just a dude. It's like, whoa, he's just like a guy and like, he's still, he's doing this. So I can also do it.

Nik: 48:03

you know, one of the best episodes that I've done was with Ben Hogan from UTA, booking agent for, uh, you know, he's worked with so many people, Marshmello, Slander, Nightmare, Jaws, like fucking amazing, amazing acts. Uh, we talked about Excision on that episode. Highly recommend everyone go listen to that if you haven't yet. But. You know, he talked about how basically excision like didn't make any money for years. He made money, but he didn't profit because he just reinvested everything back into his project. So he wasn't just like buying new fucking cars and shoes, you know, it's just like, no, he's like every dollar that he was making, he put it back into the production, put it back into the production. And now, I mean, this guy's throwing his own fucking festival. This guy's like, you know, he's built a brand and an experience. That is so much bigger than just being a DJ. And I had a really great call with Derek from slander, not too long ago at like a two hour conversation and, um, just went really deep. Love that guy to death. But that was one of the things that he talked about as well. He, cause you know, being at the stage that they're at and you know, he's mentoring a lot of young artists. He's like, if there's really one thing that I could get. Younger artists to like really realize it's the importance of that reinvesting into the show and into the experience. And the truth is when we unpack that, what that requires is a lot of faith and a lot of belief. Like you have to really fucking believe in yourself because it's just this constant series of taking leaps of faith of saying, like, I'm going to put This fucking money. Like I'm going to take, I'm going to stretch. There's no room for living in the comfort zone. It's just like basically just bet. You're just betting on yourself, betting on yourself, you know, like promoters are too. Promoters are like, they're putting up all the money for the show. They might lose money. It's a fucking gamble. And the same thing as like the artists that are taking those risks and they're saying, we're going to fucking send it and we're going to invest this money to create this experience. Knowing. That this is how we win over fans. It's not on Spotify. We're going to have some casual listeners that like our shit on Spotify, you know, to a certain extent there there'll be fans, but it's like you win them over in the fucking crowd. You know what I mean?

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 50:14

And I think too, like that confidence subconsciously radiates to the fans even like they can tell when someone cares about their project. And even Obviously the average fan doesn't know the logistics of like, oh well, they went 10k in the red to make this show happen and that laser costs this much, but like They know when it's a crazy ass show and they're like, whoa, that was an experiment, or that was an experience that I can't explain even, and I think they feed off of the artist believing in themselves so much, and that goes from six months in advance to the artist shelling out money to make something happen, all the way to like, The night of the performance and how the artist carries themselves on stage and how the show goes and like all those little things. But I do think that's a huge thing that a lot of acts who are young and starting out don't necessarily think about is that like, it is fine and dandy to make a quick buck on some of these shows. But like, What's the next move then? How are you gonna level up from there? And like, how are you gonna take that? And I, I mean, the biggest of the best are doing that. So it clearly is a path to take.

Nik: 51:39

One of the sickest shows I've seen in a long time was seeing Illenium last summer. And for me personally, why I loved it, like the production was sick, but I loved seeing the hybrid of live music and electronic. I mean, he had he had the Eight people up on stage with him at all times. A fucking guitar player, a drummer, like a bass player, three singers, It

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 52:01

Was this the stadium show?

Nik: 52:03

this was the stadium. So this was this tour that he did last summer. And I remember reading, you know, that the tour cost$9 million. Like they, they put up$9 million and I'm sure with the promoters as well. But like, let's talk when you're, you know, you're looking at these artists, you're going to these shows. Uh, if you're an artist, like one. It's so good to start learning about how this business actually works and like start learning like what do what is a promoter? What is a talent booker? What does it actually take to put these shows on how much did you know the information's out there to a certain extent you? Might have to dig for it a little bit, but I remember yeah reading article. You know he put 9, 000, 000 into that show, you know, for not from that show, but for the whole tour. But I was also there with, uh, I got invited. My friend was friends with his merch guy. And I remember the merch guy telling me, he's like, yeah, just at this one show in Austin, just off of one Jersey, or just maybe it was just there, just the Jersey line, not even like the full merch line, but just off of jerseys, we made a hundred grand. Just off of selling jerseys at this one show, not including tickets, not including the rest of the fucking, you know, stuff. So it's like, that's the game, you know, it's like, yeah, excision. How many people do you see wearing excision jerseys? You know, where it's like, you've built a brand, he's invested millions of dollars to build it, but he's also making millions of dollars probably literally just off his fucking jerseys at this point. So it's like, it's such a big game. And you know, obviously it takes a while to get there, but it starts with having that level of. Vision for like if that's where you want to be, you know That was also something Derek said in that in that conversation too is just deciding about like Where do you want to be on the totem pole? Like is your goal really actually to be that level of an artist because if it is It really requires that Super crazy delusional belief and

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 53:51

Then you gotta act like you're that level of an artist. Long before you are that level of an artist, in my

Nik: 53:58

And it's also, that's, that might not be your path. You know, also, you know what I mean? It's like, you don't have to be the biggest artist in the world.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 54:04

And not everyone is gonna be Marshmello. Like, it just is how it goes.

Nik: 54:09

No, it's impossible. But also to be like, if you really do want to be, to like, start, getting realistic about what that actually takes and learning. You know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of dreamers, but it's like to actually know what is the strategy to get there, there's a strategy you're going to have to take. Yeah. For you. Uh, what's the vision for, you know, five years down the road with Jekyll and Hyde, like, tell me a bit about where you're taking things and what that vision looks like.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 54:36

Yeah, a hundred percent. Um, I would say in the longer term game, like the five plus years down the road, definitely do want to be doing branded events, ideally, and obviously not like, probably the scale of like, three a year, like fucking Exigeon is, but like, dream goal would be to do like, A Jekyll and Hyde two night event where the first night is like Jekyll vibes and a little like happier lighter And then the second night is like heavy, high, scary shit kind of, and like really playing into the duality of the brand and the light versus dark kind of contrast. And then within like the shorter term, like year to two years, I would say really kind of focusing on, you know, expanding my Horizons a little bit beyond like the hard dubstep fan base so i'd say I produce any genre more or less and like have never had an issue with that And i've loved playing out multiple genres and like kind of flowing in that regard through my set but now just a little bit more on the like back end focus of like, okay, so Here's the fans that I want to target. How do we get myself in front of those fans? Whether it be like certain bookings and looking to be playing support for certain acts or playing certain events that are catered to a certain market a little more like festivals that are a little more on the like experimental side than the heavy dubstep side, um, as well as collaborations. There's definitely some people I'm working with now that are a bit outside of my typical realm and I'm very excited to like continue with that. While still catering to All the people who have been there from the start kind of like Something Chris from Colt says is like talking about like you're a restaurant how do you serve each individual person at your table and that's kind of something in the next like year or two that I'm Driving a lot of focus to is like how do I still keep my current customers happy and fed? And eating what they want while also being able to cater a little bit more to some of these more, uh, expansive universes of bass music, whether it be like weird experimental stuff, like, I love all the walk on stuff and what Liquid Stranger is doing with that. Um, I love kind of the, Some of the trappier experimental guys something something icon Alum love his shit. Um, and like easy baked kind of that vibe is some stuff. I've been really digging personally Immersive tape be obviously are like killing it right now in that lane So kind of just trying to like include those areas of my production and Really like tie that together focus on my audience and then You Just grow and expand, um, with that goal of like in the future doing more branded events, more themed type of experience things. And there's even some stuff we're working on now, just making certain shows a bit more special and a bit more of an experience, whether that be like decorating the venue, giving some sort of secret thing, Involved in to participate in whether it be like scanning a QR code or having a certain merch item that you can only get if you do this combination of like things type of stuff almost like very kind of experiential type of things for the live events and just bringing it to be a bit more than just a show you're going to at a venue and kind of something where people will be like, whoa, I'm gonna remember this night. That was really cool.

Nik: 58:49

Hell. Yeah. Yeah, you know, I think that Collaboration strategy is such a great way to introduce yourself to new markets. You know, I think talking of Marshmello, like he did such an amazing job of like, Oh, I'm going to hit the Latin market. Let me do a song with J Balvin. And now it's like, boom, I've got my stuff over here. Like, let me. Collaborate with these hip hop artists. And now I'm like, I'm, you know, he's cool with every fucking

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 59:14

Literally did a Rhythm EP, like,

Nik: 59:16

Yeah. Yeah. You got sudden, You know, he's doing his sudden death thing also. And that's something I've been seeing more where it's like, even like deeper projects with people from other genres. It's like not just one song, but I'm seeing, you know, it's like, it's a full EP or an

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 59:30

like a collab. Exactly.

Nik: 59:33

you know? Yeah. Again, the, the mellow death thing was really great. Like, think about how. Happy a lot of you know original marshmallow shit is is very poppy is so poppy and he's doing literally like pop collaborations But then to also be like, oh no, I can do a fucking gnarly dubstep, you know show

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 59:48

Go play in the mall of America and rip Rhythm to these kids. Yeah, it's crazy

Nik: 59:54

it's it's genius and just such a great way to um, you know one I think have fun Artistically like cool like yeah again back to our original conversation. It's like I don't just You Listen to one genre of music. I'm not inspired by just one genre. I don't just eat mashed potatoes from the buffet. I like, I like to try it all. So artistically I can see how that would be so much more fulfilling, but also just in the bigger kind of chess game of like, yeah, let me expand into new markets. Like that's the best way that you can do it right there. So I love that. Yeah, man. Well, dude, I'm so excited to see what you create. I'm so happy that our paths have intersected. It was really, really great to see you out at Lostlands. Get to see you in person. That was such a pleasant surprise. And appreciate you taking the time to come on and hang out today, man.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:00:42

I'm so glad I could like I said been such a fan since day one So it's awesome to be on here myself and get to chat and i'm sure we'll be seeing each other quite often soon, too

Nik: 1:00:56

Let me know if you ever make it out to Austin. There's stuff happening out here. And so I'm sure it will happen at some point.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:01:03

next month

Nik: 1:01:05

Next month, you're coming to Austin.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:01:06

Yeah, for the haul tour that I am doing as well right now. That one is at Kingdom, I believe, like November 8th.

Nik: 1:01:14

Boom. I'll see you there.

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:01:16

I'll see you there. We'll talk.

Nik: 1:01:18

Hell yeah. Alright brother, have a good

Luke/Jkyl & Hyde: 1:01:20

Great talking to you, Nick. Thank you so much.