Hi Bri! First of all, tell us a little about you, your music, and what you like to do.
Hello! I’m Bri and I am a DJ, radio host, digital content producer and all round music enthusiast living on Dharawal land. When I am not doing something music or work related, I am a big outdoors lover and try to spend my free time hiking, swimming, surfing and getting caught up in nature - it’s where I am happiest! In terms of music, I am drawn to so many different styles and sounds! Mostly rhythmic bass lines and big drums.
How did you get into the world of DJing? Did you find it a smooth ride?
I started out in radio first. During uni I wanted to do something else on the side for fun so I decided to apply to become a fbi radio volunteer! Here I am 6 years later, radio is now a huge part of my life. I didn’t initially have the goal of being on air either, I wasn’t completely confident in my ability to be any sort of authority on music, arts and culture but the longer I hung around the more that stress faded. I was able to meet so many great people through radio and discover all these different ways to share music with people. DJing did not occur to me as a thing I could do and enjoy until I started going to gigs in Sydney, establishing a specific taste and identifying these really caring communities centred around the music.
Growing up in a rural place, the only idea I had of nightlife was “retro” at the local pub turned nightclub - way too much mr. brightside. I always loved music and was band obsessed as a teen but besides learning flute as a kid (I quit because I thought classical musical wasn’t cool, what a fool I was at 8) I hadn’t taken the time to nurture any instrument skills but I was forever searching for music and I guess that slowly turned into DJing once I found the inspiration to perform. To answer the question, it was a pretty smooth but patient journey and it wasn’t particularly goal driven. I just kept taking on new experiences as they popped up and learning from the people around me and that eventually translated into being supported and given multiple platforms to do what I love! Recently I’ve joined the Fruit Bowl roster/fam and it’s been a dream being among so many artists I respect and look up to.
Photo by Grace Stevenson.
What have been some of the bigger challenges in making a name for yourself?
I’m not sure I’ve had many huge challenges. That’s not to say there hasn’t been any, but access and privilege does dictate how easily we move through life and I consider myself very lucky to have met so many people who believe in me and to have had the opportunity to learn new things and grow creatively. Probably one of the biggest challenges is dealing with imposter syndrome. I feel like everyone gets it but I’m so bothered that as women and POC we seem to have to work the hardest to prove that we deserve a seat at the table. Ah to have the confidence of a white cis-man….. Maybe we’d be too powerful haha.
Which genre speaks to you the most to play?
Half the time I don’t know what to say when people ask me what I play, there’s too much I like playing to narrow down. I do play lots of leftfield house, bass, electro and breakbeat. I really enjoy UKG so that makes its way into my sets too. Actually I am usually drawn to tracks that exist somewhere between genres and also tracks with an interesting sense of space sonically.
Tell us a little about your role at FBi Radio.
I will never stop talking about the importance of community radio!!! I spoke a bit about starting out volunteering at fbi before but it really has been the springboard for all this music stuff in my life. I’ve had a few different roles: I spent time producing the mornings program for a while, I was part of the allnighter roster (keeping the radio alive at all hours of the night, 1-6am to be exact. It was truly a slog but I learnt so much!) then I was on Thursday Lunch and now I am the host of Monday Arvos! I enjoy the freedom of presenting a general music program as we’re encouraged to keep the genres diverse so I can play a bit of everything. I’m glad we are always there to keep people company!
We’ve read that you’re starting to get involved in the producing side of music. What inspired this step, and how are you finding it?
Ah yes. I’ve said it enough to various people, in various places so that I can hold myself accountable and actually make something one day. I would absolutely loooove to play something out that I’ve made and see people dancing to it, that would make me so happy. But ableton is a wild place and while I have a decent understanding of how to use it, my biggest issue is making choices about what sound I want to make and finding a workflow that works for me. I’ve been stuck down so many rabbit holes. So it’s early days on the production front but hopefully I’ll get there one day! But if not, that’s okay too.
What has been your fondest memory of DJing?
So many fond memories both playing and attending gigs. It’s hard to nail down but one of the most wild memories was playing the Boiler Room set at Lost Sundays last year! I still think back like ‘woah can’t believe I did that’ and on the day I had this oddly calm energy which I managed to maintain all the way through my set. I was elated to say the least!
Also any time I get to DJ outside haha, I still love the club but more outdoor sets for 2022 pls!
The music scene is one that our generation really needs to work at diversifying and improving practices. What would you like to see more of/change in the scene in 2022?
It definitely feels like there is more and more awareness recently but I am more interested in what follows. I would like to see us go beyond tokenistic diversity. We should all be going beyond simply acknowledging we’re living and working on stolen land, seeing First Nations DJs/creatives in all facets of the industry and questioning promoters when they fail to book these artists for lineups. I’d also like to see us supporting these parties/collectives/groups run by POC because this is where I feel the true magic is happening. I’d like to see more emphasis on community building and well being. It’s safe to say we’ve all gotten so much out of the dance music community but it’s been a challenging few years and we all need to continue to look after each other.
Do you have any exciting gigs coming up we can get tickets for?
Hmm it’s a bit of a funny time for gigs, hey. There is a bunch of exciting stuff in the works that I hope will be rescheduled soon! And even a naarm date I am so excited about but it’s all up in the air currently. I’ll keep the gram updated.
Bria | Boiler Room x Lost Sundays