Alison Wonderland isn’t any stranger to EDC. The Australian native, together with Anna Lunoe, made historical past because the first two feminine solo acts to carry out on EDC’s kineticFIELD mainstage again in 2016. She’s been a mainstay at different raves, festivals, and live shows for years throughout a time when ladies DJs had been few and much between. And sure, she carried out 9 months pregnant finally 12 months’s EDC with medical doctors on standby simply in case she went into labor.
However Alison Wonderland, who’s sporting a brown sweatshirt with the phrase “underdog” emblazoned on the entrance, is extra than simply “a feminine DJ.” She’s lengthy been a psychological well being advocate — her most up-to-date album, Loner in 2022, was a type of rebirth for the artist — and final month, she launched an all-gender magnificence line, FMU Magnificence, which boasts festival-friendly merchandise like physique artwork pens. It’s a venture she’s enthusiastic about, stopping mid-convo throughout our 30-minute Zoom name for an impromptu make-up tutorial to reveal easy methods to dab FMU Magnificence’s Hyper Hue Lip & Cheek Tint for a fast refresh.
The sweetness entrepreneur has additionally embraced the title of mother; final 12 months, she and director Ti West (X, MaXXXine) welcomed their first son Max, who made an look on our name and who, I can verify, is essentially the most lovely child ever.
It’s a balancing act that the working mother has absolutely invested in. “I at all times knew we [as women] might do something, however then after I had a child, I used to be like we will actually do something,” she tells me.
Forward of her EDC Vegas efficiency, the artist talks about her relationship with the competition, motherhood, and the thought of doing all of it.
Refinery29: What makes EDC particularly so particular to you personally?
Alison Wonderland: I believe that persons are all there for the precise purpose. I believe that there’s a extremely loopy sense of group amongst ravers, particularly at EDC. It has a really cult following, and it’s only a actually nice type of escapism. It’s like a pilgrimage yearly. I really feel like EDC is a DJ’s Olympics or DJ’s Coachella as a result of everybody’s simply making an attempt to play their greatest set and everybody within the crowd is simply making an attempt to have their greatest time. I like the vitality. It’s actually in regards to the individuals and the rave and the tradition. Shout out to [Insomniac founder] Pasquale [Rotella] for doing that.
Final 12 months’s EDC, you carried out 9 months pregnant on the principle stage. That’s unbelievable. Did you actually have an ambulance and medical doctors on standby?
There’s a video! 100%. I used to be so cautious. I want individuals to know that I’m an expert and to not do what I do in the event that they’re very pregnant and go to a rave. I used to be extremely cautious. I had medical doctors monitoring me each step of the way in which. Each time I performed a present, each time I toured, I made certain my child was secure, and he was and he was loving it. However sure, there are quite a lot of precautions that we took to be sure that I might nonetheless play reveals.
Why was it essential so that you can nonetheless see this gig by means of? As a result of I really feel like some individuals would have bowed out.
I don’t suppose I even actually advised anybody I used to be pregnant till I used to be six months pregnant. So I used to be simply on the market taking part in reveals. Truthfully, for me, it was very troublesome to turn into efficiently pregnant so when it lastly occurred I didn’t need to be utterly paranoid and worrying about it. So I believed the perfect factor to do is let the child cook dinner and dwell my life and do issues that make me blissful. And the explanation I did EDC Vegas 9 months pregnant is as a result of it makes me so blissful, and I wished to move that vitality onto my child and I used to be in a position to do it. Folks requested, how did you keep up there for over an hour and I’m like, straightforward. It makes me blissful. It’s a factor that makes me blissful. Feeling the child kick whereas I used to be taking part in music, it was simply, I imply, I can’t clarify it. Coachella I did eight months pregnant and he was simply going arduous.
Truthfully I didn’t need to get too into my very own head, and it was actually troublesome for me. So lastly, being that far together with the being pregnant, I spiritually wished to simply have good vibes across the child.
How have issues modified or advanced within the EDM scene out of your perspective as an artist?
I believe the road between producer and DJ has been blurred much more from after I began. After I began, I actually thought-about DJing utterly separate to manufacturing. Now, I really feel like each producer is predicted to DJ and each DJ is predicted to supply. So there’s much less of a type of separate tradition inside that, which is okay and nice for me as a result of I do each, however I believe for some individuals it’s a bit unusual. I do consider that ladies in digital music are having a approach higher time now than after I began, which is superb. I believe we’re taken much more significantly and it’s nice to see so many ladies killing it now.
You’ve been very outspoken about psychological well being and sustaining that positivity in your life. It’s Psychological Well being Consciousness Month proper now. What’s one factor you want individuals understood about your trade in relation to managing your psychological well being and the way do you prioritize that once you work in such a fast-paced excessive vitality scene?
You simply need to study to hearken to your self, and it’s okay to say no generally. I believe I discovered it arduous prior to now to cease and simply pause for just a few weeks. And now it’s actually essential that I do this. I believe it’s extremely lonely once you’re touring. You’re in entrance of tens of 1000’s of individuals on this massive stage, and so they’re all screaming your identify and singing a track. Then half an hour later you’re alone in a resort room, and it’s simply not regular. It’s not a standard existence. Studying that it’s okay to take time often for your self is basically essential and have stability. That’s solely one thing I discovered just lately, nevertheless it undoubtedly helped.
Being a DJ or simply being within the scene, I really feel like there’s quite a lot of longevity on this area than say an artist in one other style. Take a look at this 12 months’s EDC lineup. You’ve acquired individuals like Paul Van Dyk or Kaskade, who’ve been doing this for many years, and so they’re nonetheless exhibiting up.
Kaskade nonetheless seems like he’s 20! Hear, right here’s my concept on issues. If you’re doing what you like, it’s ageless. [With] digital music, nobody’s on the market judging actually what the DJ seems like. Everybody simply desires to really feel actually good vitality on the market and it’s only a stunning tradition, and I hope I’m nonetheless DJing after I’m like 85. I will probably be.
Your single “Satellite tv for pc” was launched final month. You’ve additionally teased a brand new album for 2024. What are you able to inform us when it comes to new music?
Uhh, there’s quite a lot of music coming. I even have quite a lot of collabs coming this 12 months. Nonetheless engaged on the album, however I’m additionally engaged on new Whyte Fang stuff, which I’m tremendous enthusiastic about. I believe my first present again as Whyte Fang, (Alison Wonderland’s darker persona), is Bonnaroo. I’m actually excited to premiere some stuff there.
You additionally just lately launched your festival-friendly magnificence line FMU. Inform me about it. What was the inspiration behind it?
That is one thing that I’ve wished to do for a very long time. After I began [DJing and producing music], I didn’t truly suppose that that may very well be a profession so I used to be learning particular results make-up. I’ve at all times wished to have a make-up line that’s extra sensible, and other people can deliver in all places, like multi-use merchandise. Actually I dwell in it. I’ll present you proper now. … I would like issues that you would be able to preserve in your bag at a competition and both high off once you’re there or if you find yourself staying the evening and you’re feeling a bit dusty the following day, you don’t want a giant make-up bag, you’ll be able to simply deliver this [lip and cheek tint].
You’re juggling a lot: you may have a profitable DJ profession, you’re a magnificence entrepreneur, you’re a mother. How do you do all of it? Are you able to do all of it? Can ladies have all of it? Is that even a factor?
Oh, yeah. Years in the past, somebody that labored for me stated I hope you by no means get pregnant as a result of your profession will probably be over in the event you do. And I used to be so fueled by that, that I stated, okay guess. Watch me do all of it. It type of fueled me similar to when individuals doubted me as a DJ or an artist. I believe that girls can do something, and after having a child and being pregnant, I do know that much more. I do know that we’re stronger than anybody can ever think about. There’s this delusion that claims you’ll be able to’t, however there’s a approach. I at all times knew we might do something, however then after I had a child, I used to be like we will actually do something.
I believe quite a lot of ladies artists have been scared to be mothers due to that stigma, however now there’s so many artists which have had youngsters. Grimes, Halsey, Anna Lunoe. And so they’re all killing it. Each time I see a pregnant girl on stage, I’m like that’s so fucking cool. I felt approach hotter pregnant, like I felt badass. Nobody can mess with you once you’re creating life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
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