From Studio to Stage: Life on the Road with Olly James

Last Friday Olly James made his debut on HILOMATIK with his new track ‘Synergy’. The UK producer is known for his explosive big room releases, and now he brings that same drive into the techno lane. With a packed schedule of 60 to 70 shows a year, we asked him questions about his touring life as a DJ and what is essential to stay healthy being constantly on the road.

1. How many shows would you say you are doing annually? 

• Around 60-70, which allows me to have a nice balance between studio & DJing. 

2. Who usually comes along on tour with you?

• My manager usually comes with me as he was a tour manager for years. 

3. (How) do you try to stay as healthy as possible when on the road?

• I definitely try to stay healthy on the road, though it doesn't always happen haha. I try to eat protein bars & have a good breakfast when I can, the flights are where I eat the most sweets. 

4. What would be your best tip for a starting deejay looking to book his first (run of) show(s)?

• Give people a reason to want to see you play! There are so many talented producers out there nowadays, give yourself a reason to stand out. Find a sound you're passionate about & stick to it, eventually it will pay off. 

5. What are according to you essentials to bring with you on the road?

• Besides my headphones & USBs I take a lot of stuff to entertain me. Travelling is tough, so I like to make it go as quickly as possible. I usually take my Rog Ally X so that I can play FIFA wherever I am, as I can’t be without FIFA for too long! 

6. (When) do you feel like it’s worth investing in a tour team, and who should be part of that team?

• The ideal team when you are full time touring would be to have 1 tour manager, 1 VJ & 1 videographer, but you can honestly do everything alone. In the beginning I would do a lot of shows alone, just reaching out to local videographers to help me get content. 
  
  
   

7. Do you prefer planes, trains or automobiles?

• Trains are my favourite as I always get the most work done. Being 6”4 (193cm) means I very rarely get the space to work properly in a car or on a plane. 

8. Do you road test brand new productions before releasing them? And if so - what do you tend to focus on when testing them?

• With my new sound my records are built for the dance floor so testing them is crucial. I always give them 3 or 4 tests just to make sure it works everywhere. I’m mostly just looking & listening to the energy, compared to other tracks I’m playing.
  
   

9. What’s your top three cities to play a show in?

• Sydney, the crowd is always amazing, Tokyo as they are always such a dedicated fanbase & also the city is sick. Thirdly I would say Kuala Lumpur again for the crowd energy, they always go crazy.

10. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever received from a fan? 

• I’ve received a lot of stuff from fans & I always bring them home. I once got a big toy lion from Tokyo as I had a song out at the time called Lion. It was an interesting travel home carrying that thing everywhere. 

11. What’s the first thing you do when you get back home from touring?

• The most important thing is to recover, try & get back into a good rhythm as I’m never working at my full potential in the studio when I’m exhausted.