By Emily Nelson
On a gloriously sunny Saturday evening deep in the heart of Aries season, I sat down with the reigning Rock the Bluff performers to capture their thoughts on all things music post-performance. First up was 19-year-old DJ/Producer Whethan, whose “Alien Boy” baseball cap was very excellent and I’m v upset that I cannot find it on Google. Later, Detroit pop artist Quinn XCII sat down backstage to share some advice for student musicians.
WHETHAN
Who are some of your biggest influences/People who got you into making music?
Definitely Skrillex, Flume, Daft Punk… those are my top three, but also Tame Impala. Those are the bands that…every piece of inspiration I take is from those four.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
I used to play a lot of hockey before I was really into music. I thought I was pretty good, and I feel like I could have gone to the NHL if I’d kept going, but I’m too small and too skinny and it was too much work!
What’s your favorite part about the music making process?
The start of it! You just never know where it’s gonna go, you might have an idea but then as soon as you start working on [a song], it goes a completely different direction and I love never knowing where it’s gonna go.
How did you come up with your stage name?
So, it was actually a nickname that started in high school. My name is Ethan, so it works. Some kid in my class started it, I would just walk into class every day, and he would be like, “Hey, Wheathin’s here!” It was just a joke, and like nobody else called me Wheathin. And then — I didn’t know what to call my music, so I thought, “Why not just call it Whethan?” And it stuck, and now here we are.
Who are some artists you’re listening to right now that we should check out?
I just found this crazy group called IC3PEAK, they’re a Russian rap group — they’re insane. I think they’re in jail right now, actually, because they’re revolting against [the Russian government]. Their music is just crazy. Who else…Tierra Whack, her stuff’s great…and I would also say Chemical Brothers. They’re not new, but they’re putting out a new album and it sounds insane. And Still Woozy! Gotta shout him out.
QUINN XCII
Who are some of your biggest influences/People who got you into making music?
I grew up in Detroit, and Motown music was what my parents played around the house when I was growing up. They wouldn’t force it on me, but they would be playing it at parties and stuff and I would sneak downstairs and watch people dancing to it, I was kind of infatuated with it all — artists like the Temptations, the Jackson 5, James Brown…a lot of soul music got me into music in general. And then as I got older, artists like Jack Johnson, Jon Bellion, Kid Cudi, and Chance the Rapper inspired me to write my own stuff. You know, I had a big love for writing, so I kind of fused my writing with music and wrote a song one day — it sucked, but I fell in love with the process and kept going.
You started doing music as a sophomore in college; a lot of folks at KDUP are also student musicians. Do you have any advice for them about steps to take or things to focus on?
I would just say….when I get this question, I don’t really have steps to take, but I would just say be true to yourself throughout the entire process and I think that authenticity is always in style. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s the most valuable advice anyone could have, no matter if you’re a musician, a writer, or a DJ, whatever, just not necessarily giving in to what’s popular or big in pop culture and really staying the course and trusting your intuition. For me, at first, I was really easily affected by what other people were saying, and I think the minute I just started focusing on the stuff that I wanted to make and what I thought was good, those comments went away and I actually started to see the most appreciation for my music. So I think it’s the most important thing, to just trust your gut.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
I studied advertising in college, and I was working at an insurance before [music], so…probably just a 9-to-5 cubicle thing. It’s funny, because when people ask me that, I don’t want to make it seem like 9-to-5s are terrible, because everything serves a purpose, but for me, I just always knew I couldn’t do that. I was such an ADD kid and I needed to always do more — I was such a terrible employee! I don’t think about it too often, but yeah, I’d probably be working a desk job somewhere.
How would you describe your music in one word?
Can it be hyphenated? … I kind of say my music is best described as “melting-pop.” It’s so corny, but I see my music as a mixture of so many different genres just thrown in a pot and stirred together, and whatever comes out comes out.
Who are some artists we should be listening to right now?
Cautious Clay is amazing. He’s a friend of mine, he’s so good, and I think he’s extremely talented. I think also Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, ayokay…there’s so many more, and with Spotify nowadays there’s so much to digest, but off the top of my head, those four come to mind.