DJ Tigerlily opens up about why she left her record label

She’s been Australia’s #1 female DJ for almost a decade, here’s why Tigerlily is shaking up her sound after leaving her record label.

Pictured at Ivy Pool in Sydney is DJ and producer TigerLily. Picture: Richard Dobson/The Daily Telegraph.

The queen of Australia’s EDM scene is going back to her roots.

After parting ways with Universal Music Group, DJ Tigerlily says she has the “creative freedom” to make the music that got her behind the decks in the first place.

“Both myself and my label agreed that where we saw my future going wasn’t really aligned,” the Sydney-born producer said.

With her trademark blue wig, vivid style, and sharp beats, Tigerlily has trotted the globe and electrified crowds of revellers for 10 years.

The choice, made 18 months ago, to veer away from “radio friendly” beats and focus on “underground dance music” has been transformational.

DJ Tigerlily is playing on the Great Southern Nights line up in Wagga Wagga on March 23. Picture: Richard Dobson/The Daily Telegraph.

Sydney DJ Tigerlily, husband Scott Lawson, and their 9-month-old son, Lando. Photo: Instagram.

“I heard Skrillex say this in his Grammy acceptance speech: Writing music is not about trying to make a hit or the next big radio sensation. It’s about writing what you want,” Tigerlily said. “It’s a really nice thought to start the year off on: that being creative should be fun and enjoyable.”

“The Australian crowd is very commercial and we’ve gone down that route even harder in the last few years,” she said.

DJ Tigerlily at Cocktails Nightclub. Picture: Kitt O’Halloran.

At home, Tigerlily is Dara Lawson, wife to a longtime partner and mother to her nine-month-old son, Lando.

The 31-year-old said she’s “embracing scary” in her personal life too – by jumping on Sydney’s “run club” trend, training for a half-marathon and surfing “terribly” just for fun.

“The last time I was in Europe, the head designer from JBL asked me what I’m passionate about. I was like … my dog, pilates? It always stuck with me.”

Her Great Southern Nights gig in Wagga Wagga this month will be her testing ground for her new DJ material, ahead of a European tour later this year.

“I’m playing around with a heap of stuff that I didn’t have the freedom to before,” Tigerlily said.

“Trying new things – that’s the vibe for 2024.”

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