How New Girl Went From Twitch To The Frontline Of Tech House
The Vancouver DJ and producer is making her Unlearn Records debut
New Girl is an up and coming DJ and Producer from Vancouver, BC, Canada. She first started by DJing on Twitch and became a Twitch Partner within her first year of streaming. Some of her bigger bookings include Electric Love Music Festival, Monstercat Compound, Physical Friends Festival in El Salvador, Bailar and Rise and Shine Music Festivals, DJ sets in events run by Dirtybird Records, Era Records and True Sound Events.
This month she makes her Unlearn Records debut with Time Is Frozen. With rasping synth lines, sultry vocals and a tense, urgent bassline, Time Is Frozen absolutely delivers the tech house goods.
With the single out now, New Girl gives Beatportal the lowdown on her path from Twitch experimenter to bonafide star in the making.
Can you share some of the most memorable moments from your early Twitch streams that helped shape your path as a DJ?
Where do I even start… I guess it’s with a greenscreen, my old roommates, my best friend, and a grand total of two viewers (on a good day). But whether I’m playing a set to five of my closest friends or hundreds of online viewers, the energy is the same. I’m just pumped to share the amazing music that I’ve listened to since childhood—all the tracks that shaped me, inspired new ways of thinking, and changed my life in ways that words cannot even begin to describe. Music is this beautiful unifier, and as a person that loves bringing people together, DJing felt like home. It is a role I take to heart; the trust that artists have in me is not something I will ever take lightly. I couldn’t even imagine in the early days of streaming all of the amazing artists, performers, and producers I’d have the privilege of knowing and making music with. There’s nothing like the natural high of slaying a B2B with like-minded creators.
How did you overcome the technical and creative challenges of live streaming, and what advice would you give to others looking to start DJing online?
Consistency. Stick to it, even when it’s hard. When I began streaming, every tech challenge was overwhelming and reduced me to a DJ New Puddle. I have less patience than anyone I’ve ever met. I’ve had moments of absolute frustration with tech, and I would advise anyone pursuing a career in this industry to build a team of opposite minds. For instance, I am a creative mind with a lot of unique ideas for art and problem-solving, but I love surrounding myself with analytical minds when it comes to business and tech planning. I’m also less emotionally expressive than most, so work relationships that challenge me to dive deeper into my creative process on an empathetic level allow me to thrive.
What role has the Twitch community played in your development as an artist, and how do you engage with your fans on the platform?
The Twitch community has been a consistent inspiration and motivation. From the very beginning, what drew me to Twitch, in its relative infancy, was its unique capacity as a platform for performers to engage with their audience while performing. Twitch allows me to create long-term inside jokes and connections with people. I want everyone that comes into my streams to feel included. Even when a new viewer comes into the stream, I always like to explain the lore behind the jokes again so that everyone is involved; that is the root of a positive community that makes everyone feel part of something special. The beauty of the family I’ve built is that regardless of the day I’m having, knowing I get to share the music I love with my community immediately erases any negative energy from my day.
Looking back, how did your time on Twitch prepare you for performing at major festivals? And what challenges did you face transforming your online sets to the real world?
Twitch prepared me for being a live entertainer in so many ways that made the transition to performing at festivals relatively seamless. Twitch definitely taught me how to use the mic to my advantage and as a means to make my audience feel like they are a part of the musical journey and the quickly changing energy of my set. But ultimately, whether it's casual daytime stream energy or pumping up a live crowd, the ability to assess an audience and form a musical connection with them on their energy level is the same. The beauty of my Twitch family is that I get to take them everywhere I go to perform, while collecting new fans along the way.
Regarding your single "Time Is Frozen" on Unlearn Records, what do you hope listeners take away from this track, and how do you think it represents your growth as an artist?
This track is both an expression of my complicated relationship with time and the pressure that time places upon all of us. At the heart of this track is an invitation to pause, reflect, connect, and be truly present, even if only for a few minutes, and dance it out. Ultimately, I hope it can serve as a release for my listeners in the same way it allowed me to let go of the pressure that I’ve always associated with time, both creatively and in the industry.
"Time Is Frozen" is out now
