Hix: "You’re never going to please everybody, so you just have to stay true to yourself"

With an already impressive discography under his belt, Hix has been going from strength to strength with his music. Between producing radio-worthy bangers and DJing around Ireland, he has sat down to talk us through the busy last few years he has had since diving into the music scene over lockdown.

It’s safe to say Hix knows his way around a dance track – so it only made sense that he and Rhea Melvin got together to create ‘Waves’.

"Rhea is someone I have been aware of for a few years," he explains.

He didn’t have far to go, considering Melvin only lives down the road.

"I was a big fan of hers but it never really clicked that she lived down the road from me. It was only about six months ago when we randomly ended up DMing each other on Instagram and we both sort of said the same thing, 'Why are we not working together?' We’re both very close to each other, geographically. She makes dance music, same as myself so I was like 'This is a no-brainer, let’s do it'."

 

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The song came to them in no time, the DJ explains.

"We basically got together and played some ideas for each other and we both liked what we heard but she had this particular idea, which ended up being ‘Waves’," he says. "Whenever I heard the first demo, it really blew me away.

"I could hear so much potential in the track and it was just her singing over a gentle piano. As soon as I heard it I said, 'I need that. That’s the one.' Then she sent me her vocals for it and I wrote and produced the track around that and turned it into what it is now. We’re absolutely buzzing with it. It’s got a real groovy, chill, dance type of feel, which we really love."

There’s no doubt we are bursting at the seams with talent on this little island – and Hix couldn’t agree more.

"I feel like Ireland’s music scene has always been iconic and impressive over the years, going back generations. For such a small part of the planet, we always punch above our weight when it comes to music but recently I think there’s no doubt that – especially in dance music – things have gone stratospheric with the impact so many people are having here."

The DJ also expresses his admiration for his peers in the industry.

“Obviously the stand-out names being the likes of Belters Only and then up my neck of the woods we have the likes of Symmetrik and Billy Gillies. It’s so good to see that Irish dance music in particular is really strong and I feel like there’s a real sound that a lot of people are identifying with and I kind of like to think I fall in there somewhere – but I’m also quite happy and keen to have my own sound as well. To be even a small part of something so powerful is really cool. It’s a really exciting time right now.”

His history of listening to all types of music has a major effect on what he creates.

“I grew up listening to everything from soul music to R&B to rock music so I never really felt boxed in and maybe that comes across in my music. I like chords and melodies and I like soul and flow in my music. Heritage-wise, it would be legends like Stevie Wonder, I think the music he wrote is timeless.”

As for the music scene right now, there are countless artists that Hix looks to for inspiration.

“Calvin Harris and Sonny Fodera, they’re people that manage to straddle perfectly the line between having commercial releases that do well in the charts and also being able to create club bangers and underground-orientated tracks which is what I do. Although my official releases have been quite radio-friendly, when I DJ, I do like to bang it out a bit as well. I play a lot more edits and bootlegs that are more in that vein. I think a man who ticks that box better than anyone is Joel Corry – who can release a commercial pop-banger that can go No.1 in the charts and then put out an absolute weapon of a club track that maybe won’t go No.1 but all the DJs all over the world are playing it.”

Being no stranger to the Irish club scene, he is very passionate about keeping the flame lit.

“Between Drogheda, Monaghan, Belfast and wherever else, I do find that there’s still a great appetite for the general, week in week out club scene but I have experienced that because of the big events that are happening there’s a middle-ground that never used to happen. You have the mega concerts and festivals and then there’s your weekend club nights, now there’s a middle ground."

He uses his own stomping ground as an example – "Here in Belfast, we have the Telegraph Building which has turned into an iconic venue. It’s sort of like an upgrade to your average Saturday night nightclub but it’s not quite a massive arena festival but big names are going in there. I think what’s happening to lots of clubs around the country is that they’re finding that on the regular weekend nights, people might be choosing to save up for a few weeks and go and see the likes of BLK at the Telegraph or Belters Only at the 3Arena instead of hitting the clubs week in and week out."

When asked who he would like to work with in the future, Hix made it clear that he is looking forward to working with a range of different artists.

“From an Irish point of view I think someone like Jazzy and the Belters boys, I think everybody would like to work with them, they just have the golden touch at the moment. I’m quite happy with what I’ve done so far, I’m only a few singles into my career and I’ve worked with the likes of Kelli-Leigh and that was only on my second single."

"She is a bit of an icon when it comes to dance music, she has had so many hits over the years," he smiles. "What I have learned is that you just need to be patient with these things. I always want to get everything out as soon as I make it but these things take time.”

He reveals that a big dream of his would be to work with Brit-award-winning, dance-pop trailblazer, Becky Hill.

“I think she is incredible but I’ll probably need to work my way up a bit more before Becky is reaching out to me. But you never know,” he laughs.

It’s hard for Hix to pick just one career highlight so far – but if he had to choose it would be the release of his first single.

“It’s gonna have to be my first single because it meant so much to me at the time. To decide over lockdown to get stuck into building a little studio and to treat it like a job. Doing an hour, twice a week isn’t going to do anything so I started getting up at 6 and working on music till 4. It paid off, before I knew it I was having conversations with major record labels. For Warner Records to sign me for my debut single was just amazing. It was humbling and mind-blowing – and to kick off what I now consider a career, it was wonderful. From a performance standpoint, this year has just been incredible. I played Ibiza Rocks with Joel Corry and I’m hoping to expand on that next year, so onwards and upwards.”

 

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Looking back on the beginning of his career, he has already learned so much that he wishes he could tell his younger self.

“I know it’s best to just make as much music as possible. At the very start I was making lots but only settling on one or two tracks and thinking I had to put everything into those, take my time, see how it goes and then get stuck into something else – when really, you’re not going to have a hit with a song sitting on a hard drive.”

He explains, “You can’t be too precious and protective about your music. I had to have more faith in what I created and just get more music out there. It’s easy to be cautious and worried about what people are going to think. I just realised you’re never going to please everybody, so you just have to create as best you can and stay true to yourself.”

As for what fans can expect from Hix, this is only the beginning. The DJ and producer is eager to raise the bar for himself.

“I want to make as much music as possible next year,” he reveals. “I gave myself a target for 2023 and we have done that, which is great but I just want to ramp up the consistency of releases next year. I have so many tracks that are almost ready to go, a few of them are ready to go. So, hopefully, lots of music, lots of big singles and collaborations."

As for the club scene, Hix plans on sinking his teeth into more club-orientated tracks too.

"I love my commercial music that sounds great on the radio at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon but I want to release more club music as well that ties in with what I do in my live sets. From a performance point of view, I just hope to play more gigs and bigger gigs. All being well, I’ll be back in Ibiza next summer as well.”

Listen to Hix's most recent track, 'Waves' with Rhea Melvin, below: