British house and dance producer D.O.D has seen an incredible run of successful tracks over the past couple of years, to the point that he now has more than 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and has played to crowds at festivals like Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival, and Creamfields.
His original music has come on some of the biggest labels in his genre, including Axtone, Polydor, and more frequently, Armada Music. The Dutch imprint is also responsible for the release of his latest production, ‘So Much In Love’.
We recently got the chance to ask him a couple of questions, where we spoke about his newest music, his advice to any aspiring producers wanting to replicate his success, and which festivals he’s looking forward to most this summer. Read the full interview with D.O.D below.
Hey Dan, I hope you’re well! How has your 2023 been so far?
Thanks! And thanks for having me on to chat. 2023 has been a whirlwind so far, with some amazing gigs and mega responses to the music I’ve been putting out. Really happy to already be in the swing of festival season, too.
You recently dropped your new single ‘So Much In Love’ on Armada Music, talk us through how this one came together in the studio?
The whole track came together pretty quickly to be honest. I set myself a challenge just before Christmas 2022 to make 30 tracks in 30 days, ‘So Much In Love’ was one of those records from the 30 days. Me and my team decided to sit on it for a while because we just knew with it having such a festival-ready sound, that it needed to come out in the run up to summer. We were able to get this message across in the music video which also came out a few weeks ago, set against the backdrop of a festival. You can check it out on YouTube, and MTV just picked it up too!
You’ve also had enormous success over the past few years with tracks like ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘Still Sleepless’, do you know a track is going to do well when you’re in the studio or is it still a surprise at this point?
I always have high hopes for all my tracks, and never put anything out that I don’t believe in. It’s amazing when the reaction to a track surpasses your hopes though, which is exactly what happened with ‘Set Me Free’ for example. DJs like Fatboy Slim playing it in all of his DJ sets and to have Radio 1 listeners calling in for it after the first play makes it all worthwhile because after all, it’s the listeners that mean everything. I’m really grateful for all of the support my music gets.
And what’s one production tip you would give to other producers?
It sounds very cliche, but never give up. I’ve been doing this professionally for over 10 years now and it’s only been the last two years I’ve seen real success with my productions. View the label rejections as a tool to drive you even more. If you want it badly enough, you’ll get it.
You’ve released music on Axtone, Polydor, and of course Armada, are there any other labels you’ve got your sights set on for a future release?
I’m actually really enjoying remixing at the moment, so I’m keeping my eye out for music coming through that I can put my spin on. It’s especially fun putting a dance twist on a pop song to completely switch it up.
Which festivals are you most looking forward to playing this summer?
Sundown Festival in the UK is always a vibe, so I’m looking forward to that one. I grew up a fair distance from a major city, and always had to trek to get to a decent festival, so it’s great that Norwich can provide something so on point for people local to the area. That’s what I love about Radio 1’s Big Weekend that I just played (this year in Dundee), that they always head somewhere regional.
Is there anything else you want to bring attention to before we go?
I’ve got lots of new music coming this year that I can’t wait to share with the world, but for now everyone will have to sit tight!
D.O.D – So Much In Love is out now on Armada Music.