Welcome back to our blog! We hope wherever you are, whatever you’re doing or whoever you may be with, that you’re doing well in these crazy times :) we totally got this!!!
We’re super excited for this one, as we had the chance to catch up with up and coming DJ, producer and writer Ruby Savill-Downs AKA SAVVY!
Ruby has been making waves in the Leeds music scene over the last year, and has also kept herself busy working on BabyStep Magazine, starting Ladies Lovin Radio and producing her own music - all whilst studying!
We catch up with Ruby below on how she got started, her up and coming projects and any advice she may have for those who fancy getting into DJing themselves! Read the full interview below:
1. Tell us a bit about yourself! How long have you been DJing and producing music?
I’m a DJ, producer and writer, currently residing in Leeds. I’ve been DJing for about a year and started producing this August. I’ve always been into playing music but was very hesitant to try producing any. But as I started, I fell in love with it and now produce whenever I can. I’ve been fortunate enough to get releases on some sick labels since the summer, such as Posse Up!, Action Reply Codes and GAB Records, which I’m very grateful for!
2. We are totally digging your collective Ladies Lovin Radio! Can you tell us more about this and what plans you have coming up?
Thank you! Ladies Lovin Radio is a project I created with my friend Millie (@milliebethwright) at the start of our second year of uni. We had both always wanted to get involved in radio but were hesitant to start (common theme here), so scrambled some ideas together for a show application on Leeds Student Radio.
We wanted to focus our ideas on music and art, particularly regarding women, as there are of course many discrepancies between men and women in these industries. We wanted to use it as a chance to celebrate amazing creative ladies and learn more about how the worlds of art and music collide. What started off as a radio show then quickly became so much more, as we learnt to DJ at the same time and proceeded to put on an event at Blueberry Hill. Fitting with our theme, we had an all-female DJ line-up, who absolutely blew us away. We also collaborated with ten female artists, who provided the visuals that we projected around Blueberry. It was such an amazing evening as it really felt like a whole team, full of incredibly talented women who came together to celebrate music and art. Unfortunately, as soon as we were getting ourselves off the ground, we were stopped by the pandemic.
Over lockdown we continued with a few mixes and radio shows, but then took a break for obvious reasons. We’re now really excited for the this year with (hopefully) the chance to get some of our projects going again. Our zine, about womanhood, will be released at the start of 2021! This was our way of getting female artists, musicians and writers together but in Lockdown-style. We’re also still planning on our next series of events, but who knows when that opportunity will come by.
3. What kind of music/DJ's are you listening to at the moment?
I really try to expand my listening as much as I can, as I have a bad habit of getting stuck in genre-holes for months on end. I mainly mix booty house, footwork and electro, so these are my go-to’s when searching for music on SoundCloud. The stuff coming out of these genres at the moment is outstanding, with producers like DJ Mell G, Sarah Farina, Speedy Gonzales and Ghostwhip constantly pushing the bar higher. My stand-out album of this year was with no doubt Queens of Club: Astral Booty, a two-part VA by women and non-binary producers in ghetto-tech, electro, footwork and breakbeat.
Deffo worth a listen if you get the chance!
4. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to get into DJing/production?
You really have to throw yourself into it. I found it pretty daunting at the start because I had absolutely no idea about how to DJ, or how to work my way around production software, but I was very fortunate to have talented friends who had the patience to help me!
Start DJing with others, watching YouTube clips on producing - the more time you put into it the more you’ll get out. I also believe you shouldn’t be afraid to be rubbish at first – when I listen back to mixes I’ve done or music I made at the very start, I think it’s awful! However, it’s all about progress and building on your style.
The most useful thing for me has always been talking to people I know – the help you get from this is way more accessible and less intimidating. If you don’t know anyone, the range of collectives and production groups out there at the moment is so great, especially for women! I’d recommend getting involved with @thebeatriarchy, @shiftingsspheres or @selextorhood.
5. What's coming up next for you?
At the moment I’m trying to get as much producing done whilst finishing my degree haha. I’m sitting on a few tracks at the moment, with the hopes of releasing an EP at some point. I also have some collaborations in the works with some musicians outside of my normal circle, which is super exciting!
Check out Ruby’s soundcloud here for latest mixes and releases and be sure to give her a follow on the gram! Thanks so much to Ruby for chatting to us, we will see you very soon for a dance <3 <3