NEVERGLOW on Rediscovering Their Passion for Music [Exclusive Interview]

NEVERGLOW on Rediscovering Their Passion for Music

2/9/2019

Tell us about the formation of NEVERGLOW. What were you all doing before coming together to work on this project?
Frans: Before NEVERGLOW, we both had our own small careers - I was a DJ and Joris was making his own music and playing at bigger festivals. At one point, Joris was searching for a MC for his act and we happened to meet at a festival back in 2015. The topic came up and so I told him as a joke that I was the best MC that he could get!

Joris: At this this show, Frans was playing before Lucas & Steve and I had the ending slot, so I challenged him to come up and MC for me during my time!

Frans: Didn't see that one coming! (laughs)

Joris: But we went up there and he passed the test! So after that, he came with me to the other my shows and in that time, we talked a lot about music. After a while, he eventually joined me in the studio and I showed him how I made music.

Frans: And we've been together since!

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A post shared by NEVERGLOW (@neverglowmusic) on May 8, 2018 at 12:46pm PDT

You started out the gate with a widely supported Spaceman remix followed by a self-released collaboration with Steff da Campo. What steps did you take to launch this project so successfully?
Frans: I think it was about taking a step back and making sure we had a solid foundation for us to build off of. I believe that's really been the key to our successes so far. There was a time in 2017, before NEVERGLOW was formed, when we both lost all the fun we had in music. We didn't know why were were making tracks or playing in front of other people.

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A post shared by NEVERGLOW (@neverglowmusic) on Oct 28, 2018 at 10:46am PDT

Losing that excited feeling of being a DJ/producer was really hard for us. We're both really self-critical and perfectionists at heart, and we felt like there wasn't any place for us to grow that was within our reach. It was then when we decided to quit music and to focus on other things in life. We always stayed in touch with each other, and then after a couple of months, we found ourselves without anything to do. So we decided to come back together for a studio session with the sole goal of just having fun. It felt kind of empty to lose your biggest passion, but when we started making music for ourselves and improving as people and musicians, it made us more confident about what we wanted to do in the music. Shortly after that, Joris sent me the idea for our Spaceman remix, and the rest is history!

Joris: In that time before NEVERGLOW, people thought we didn't make music anymore and it freed us up and gave us the time we needed to think about why we wanted to make music. As a result, now we both really enjoy the creative process and it truly feels like a magical thing to make music all day. It also feels so good to receive messages and videos from people who're listening to our music and appreciate the things we've made in the studio. Even if the whole world tells us that we should do other things than just making music, we just don't care anymore. For us, it's clear that this is the only thing we want to do in life!

Frans: This counts for everyone who has a passion in life - it's always easier to just quit when that's what the people around you are telling you what to do. However, if that's not what you wanted to do, you'll find yourself regretting the fact that you didn't pursue that passion. If you have a genuine passion, put everything you've got to give you're all into it and follow that dream. You don't want to be that seventy year-old grumpy person who sits around all day, unsatisfied with where he is and what he's done in life. If he had pursued his passion while he could, he would probably be in a much happier place!

What's your creative process when you're making your tracks these days?
Frans: Take it away, Joris!

Joris: There's not one specific way we like to make our tracks. Sometimes, you've a great vocal to work with and build a track around, or I'll make a drum loop that opens up my creativity and I'll work off of that. It can even be as simple as one sound or sample and the rest of the song just pops into your head so it really depends on the initial inspiration. For our fellow producers out there who are struggling with their mix - one of the tricks that I've found really effective is to use parallel busses on every group that I had. It helps add more punch in the drums or more stereo-widening to my leads and basses. Overall it'll make the mix sound so much more full and powerful.

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A post shared by NEVERGLOW (@neverglowmusic) on Nov 29, 2018 at 11:38am PST

Tell us about your latest track with Jay-D on Showtek's label, Skink. How did this one come together and what were some of the challenges you encountered along the way?
Joris: I've known Jay-D for a long time and even worked with him on my previous project before NEVERGLOW. After we "quit" music, he and I still kept in touch. Around a year ago, I sent him the idea for this track.

Frans: We then met him at his studio, in Maarheeze of all places, and had a great time refining the track!

Joris: There was still some room for improvement after we left the studio, so we worked on it a bit more. Once we were happy with it, we sent it out to DJs and got early support from Mike Williams, Justin Mylo, Ummet Ozcan, Yves V, Juicy M and some others as well.

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A post shared by NEVERGLOW (@neverglowmusic) on Dec 5, 2018 at 10:59am PST

Frans: After getting that kind of support, we knew we had something special. Jordi knew someone at Skink, so he contacted them and they were really enthusiastic about the track.

Joris: Before releasing it, we had to mix it again which was a real a pain in the ass to get it perfect. When all was said and done, we're so proud with the result and the fact that we were able to release it on a label like Skink.

Frans: Everyone knows their label head, Showtek and we both saw them perform several times at really big festivals, so this was really special for us!

What have been some of the most memorable moments from your gigs?
Frans: Joining Steff Da Campo on stage when he closed Dirty House in Tivoli Utrecht was really special and also last summer we played at Peteyfest which was our first gig as NEVERGLOW! Both were incredible moments.

Joris: That's one of the coziest and nicest festivals in the Netherlands. It was lovely to be back after a while and play in front of our friends!

How do you guys like to unwind after a day in the studio or performing?
Joris: Netflix, Netflix and Netflix.

Frans: And also work out because it's perfect for relaxing both your mind and body.

Joris: Finish it off with a trip to the sauna and we feel on top of the world!

Frans: That sounds about right! And we both really like a good comedy shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine, Modern Family...

Joris: ...and How I Met Your Mother! We'll sit on the cough and veg out, but just for a moment, because most of the time we like to unwind in the studio! Music calms my mind because when I'm making tracks, it becomes the only thing I think about in the moment. When I'm away from the studio, my thoughts can just be all over the place.

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A post shared by NEVERGLOW (@neverglowmusic) on Feb 7, 2019 at 10:05am PST

What're some of your goals for 2019 and beyond?
Frans: We're ready to do a lot of shows, first of all! We're also looking forward to sharing all the music we have and give people a good night out!

Joris: Another collab with Steff Da Campo is coming as well as releases on Dharma and Metanoia. There will also be a lot of more collabs coming with a lot of talented producers like FineRefined, Jaak, Nick Double, Gooz, Daav One, and Nssnd!

Frans: A monthly mixtape is also in progress.

Joris: And then we're also building a new studio! There's just so much to come this year!

A huge thank you to Joris and Frans for taking the time to answer our questions! Be sure to follow them on social media to stay updated with their latest releases and shows!