Featured Interview
How Chicago Underground Art Parties Led to Autograf
Bobby talks with Lewis and Michael of Autograf backstage about the group's start throwing illegal underground art parties in Chicago a decade ago, leaving an earlier project that kept getting heavier and more aggressive, and where the Autograf name came from.
Transcript
Bobby: What's up guys, it's Bobby from DJ Lovers Club. Today we got Lewis and Michael from Autograf. What's up fellas, how's it going, man?
Autograf: Yeah, good.
Bobby: Arizona right now. Is this your first time here?
Autograf: Oh, we've been here a lot. Love Arizona. We just did another festival at this same location, Phoenix Lights, I think. It's got a great music team, and they're really open to coming up with EDM stuff. They love house music.
Bobby: So have you guys been playing any other festivals lately, other than Gold Rush? Was there something before this?
Autograf: Yeah, yeah. The other weekend we were in Vegas, there's Lost in Dreams. Very similar vibe, there's like a sunset set, which is good for the type of music we like to play.
Bobby: What was the transition like for you guys, going from that weird time period of not really playing shows, up until now? How does that feel?
Autograf: It feels great. It's back right now, and everyone just has so much energy, they want to get out there and party. Yeah, I mean, everyone's been cooped up, including ourselves, for so long, so when they went to their first show, it felt way more wild than before. One of our first shows back was at Sunbar, their first show back after they reopened. I just noticed people forgot how to party. People were not handling their liquor well. That's just what I noticed, people were just going crazy. They hadn't had a chance to do this in a while.
Bobby: That's the thing, man. How did you guys end up meeting and coming together?
Autograf: Started out in Chicago, just doing these illegal underground art parties.
Bobby: Really? How long ago was that?
Autograf: Ten years ago now. We started Autograf, this is our second project.
Bobby: Really? What was the first one?
Autograf: It was a bass project, really. Actually started out as an indie dance project, that turned into an EDM project, that turned into bass music, because EDM just got heavier and heavier, more aggressive, more aggressive. And we were eating it up because all these new genres were popping up. Then dubstep came along, like a bunch of Skrillex's.
Bobby: Yeah, like with Skrillex.
Autograf: I think everyone, all the producers at the time, were kind of writing all the new genres because it's exciting to try something different in there. But then I got to a point where it's like, whoa, things are getting way too aggressive here. And that's why we started Autograf. We just wanted to do something else.
Bobby: So how did you come up with the name Autograf, by the way? What's the meaning behind that?
Autograf: People's lives represent the art they create, and we want people to leave their stamp, leave their mark on the world. And in the most literal sense, you do that by leaving your autograph. We thought that was a good theme to rally around.
Bobby: So do you fellas have any upcoming releases or albums or shows you want to let the people know about, any exciting things in the future? What you guys got going on?
Autograf: Yeah, we just played it out just now, brand new track coming out next month, "While Drifting Away." Super excited for that one. Let's go.
Bobby: You guys teasing some of your stuff right now and working on the next album, your second album?
Autograf: Yeah, we got some singles lined up, we're working on the album. Let's go. We just make music, we play music, we hang out.
Bobby: Well, listen fellas, this was a pleasure, by the way. It was great meeting you guys. Yep, guys, we got Autograf here. Shout out, DJ Lovers Club.
