1️⃣ The Name StarGirl How did you come up with the name StarGirl? Did you realize at the time how catchy and memorable it would be?
It’s actually a super random story! I was hired to illustrate some characters for an NFT project a few years back (when NFTs were all the rage) and needed an online alias to chat with their community on discord and other social platforms about the project. I originally came up with the username “stargirlfanta” because it was available on all social platforms and it sounded unique. I think I watched a commercial for Fanta that day on youtube or something… “StarGirl” though, not sure where that came from exactly! All I know is that I am here to cancel the rumors that it was derived from The Weeknd’s song “Starboy”, because I get asked that a lot and I’m personally not a fan of that song haha
Anyways, the project never ended up going live, and so in return that alias was never going to see the light of day. Fast forward to when I had my very first DJ gig lined up, I was asked if I had a DJ name yet, and that was the first thing that popped into my head. I ended up dropping “Fanta” and “StarGirl” was it!
2️⃣ A Breakthrough Year 2024 seemed like a major turning point for you, opening up new musical opportunities. Has this year changed your outlook on Vancouver’s music scene?
It totally was! 2024 was definitely one for the books. I went from practically being a bedroom DJ to ending the year opening for Netsky for a Contact Music Festival afterparty, which still blows my mind.
Yes! I would say it absolutely has. Vancouver’s music scene is definitely still growing and has room for massive potential. I can sense that people are craving music that isn’t in your typical Top 40 night at your local bar more than ever. Seeing how fast artists like Nia Archives, Sammy Virji and even Sara Landry sold out their debut shows in this city last year was really eye opening to me too. I had no idea people would be so eager and accepting to listen to genres like that here!
Being invited to play for MadTing Party as well created a big shift in my perception of the music scene here too. Witnessing how positively people reacted to me playing UKG, Speed Garage and even Jungle really made me feel more confident that people are more welcoming to different genres than we all may have thought in the past. They may not know what they are listening to exactly, but they do love it!
3️⃣ Digging for Music In a time when DJing is often mistaken for just blasting a Spotify playlist, where do you go to find the music you love to play out?
Soundcloud!! I spend so much time digging in the depths of that platform on a regular basis for new tracks and edits. Also Bandcamp if I want to explore more of what a specific producer has created - love supporting them directly as well by purchasing their projects and tracks.
4️⃣ The UKG Clip Moment The UKG in Vancouver clip from the MadTing party has to be one of our favorites. The comedy in the captions made an already great moment even more relatable. Were you expecting so much love for it?
I had no idea it was going to do as well as it did! I really enjoy sharing moments like that from my sets. Shoutout to Jed for making that clip as memorable as it was. I honestly didn’t know how the crowd was going to react with Wake n Break by Oppidan, but it was a huge success. Didn’t know Vancouver liked breakbeat like that, but now I know!
5️⃣ AuxCordKids Tell us about AuxCordKids. What does being part of the crew mean to you?
Those are my Day 1 DJ homies!!! So so so much love for them. We basically all met on the same day – the first Comespinwithus event at Bside Radio in January 2024. The bunch of us all stayed connected by showing up to the same open spin events over the next few months, and then eventually all rented out a studio together, not only making us all grow closer as friends but as better DJs as well. We formed Auxcordkids shortly after and threw our first event in December, which turned out wildly successful! Very grateful to have them in my life. It’s been so cool to see how everyone is doing their own thing, but also how much we’ve grown as a group. Being surrounded by so much talent all the time really pushes you in a healthy way to do more and better. It’s a win/win situation for everyone involved.
6️⃣ The Next Chapter What’s next for you? Do you see yourself continuing to focus on DJing, or are you exploring production?
I’ve started to dabble in production! I definitely want to dive into it more. I set out a goal this year to produce one track or edit that I really love, which I think is totally doable. I really want to open for more artists this year as well – I got a taste of that last weekend with opening for Camoufly. What a fun crowd!! You could tell everyone was there to have a good time and dance. I would love to have more of those experiences this year.
7️⃣ Vancouver Club Culture What’s your favorite club in Vancouver right now?
I think it’s a tie between The Village and Fortune for me! I’ve spent a ton of time at Fortune either supporting my friends for their sets, or seeing some of my favourite artists perform like Skin on Skin and Notion. I really love the atmosphere and the underground vibes of The Village though, so it’s a tough decision between those two!
Also, this isn’t a club – but I have so much love for Bside Radio at Beaumont Studios. That spot has a special place in my heart.
8️⃣ Food Obsessions What’s been your go-to meal or favorite food as of late?
I think my favourite will always and forever be sushi! However I’ve been making a lot of homemade hot pot at home with this colder than usual weather we’ve been having, so I’d say that’s been my go-to over the last little while.
9️⃣ Current Sounds What genres have been grabbing your attention the most lately?
I’ve definitely been a little all over the place as of late, but the genres that I keep gravitating towards are Juke, Jungle, Breakbeat and Garage. I’ve found my sound within those genres.
🔟 Shoutouts & Inspirations Who are some of your favorite producers at the moment, and any shoutouts you want to give?
Oh man there’s a few! Human Movement for deeper garage, MPH when I feel like I need a boost of energy, and Oppidan of course – she’s one of my idols.
Big big shoutout to Auxcordkids, Comspinwithus and honestly all of my friends and family who have been so supportive on my journey so far! Wouldn’t be the same without all of them.
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