We caught up with the brilliant and insightful DJ Loveless a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

DJ Loveless, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

As a little kid, maybe 10 or 11 years old, I fell in love with music. From digging into my Dads old vinyl records to the days when MTV was actually ALL music videos and FM radio was how kids learned about the newest hottest music. I started playing music instruments in middle school and high school and eventually started DJ after I graduated high school. I was definitely better at DJing and scratching then I was at guitar or the trumpet and immediately saw others taking notice. It was then that I decided I could maybe do this for a living or at the least a profitable passion/hobby.

DJ Loveless, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I go by the name DJ Loveless or Double L’s. I have been DJing for over 20+ years. When I was 19 I started off by DJing at my friends parties, raves and eventually local bars. Once I moved to the Eastside of Milwaukee, I started playing at bars/clubs that had Hip Hop nights during the week. This is where I met a lot of established DJs and MCs from Milwaukee and the Midwest area. I was lucky enough to have become friends with a few DJs who were getting gigs at The Rave/ Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee. They gave me the opportunity to DJ with them, opening up the shows for some of the biggest Hip Hop and Rap groups during that time. That experience was a great step in helping me become the DJ I am today. I also started producing and making beats at this time. I have been in several Hip Hop groups in my career as a DJ/Producer. I started doing more live shows and gigs and even traveling out of state as a solo DJ and with the groups I was in. Another great experience seeing all sides of the music business, good and bad. As I got a little older and had a family I decided to try another angle of the biz and started DJing weddings and corporate gigs. This was another notch in my DJing career belt. I take pride in the fact that I’m able to DJ at just about any kind of show or event. A DJ of all trades! Currently today, I’m still DJing weddings, corporate gigs and hip hop/edm shows. I’m also DJing and producing for the hip hop group “The Oddfellows” based out of Milwaukee/Rockford.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a DJ/Musician, the most rewarding part of my art is making someone else feel good from hearing my music. Whether that is at a wedding, at a club or with my hip hop group at a show. If the listener is enjoying themselves, dancing or relating to what I’m playing, that is what makes this job worth it. I make music as a release and also a way to express myself. If the listener is vibing to my sound, there is not a better feeling!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have played a lot of gigs in my DJing career. Some gigs were amazing, some were OK and some were horrible. I’ve done gigs out of state where I had to drive hours to play. It was always exciting to get out of your city and comfort zone, meet new people and check out a new music scene. It also can be a major disappointment when the promoter or person booking you does a poor job organizing the show, resulting in a very small crowd or other issues like sound quality and set length/times. I can remember doing a bunch of shows to little or no crowd, driving hours to perform for very little pay. Questioning myself if this is what I really wanted to do. Was it worth my time and talent to continue this journey. While those gigs were difficult to do, they made the really good gigs even better and more appreciated. My love for the music is what helped me through those tough gigs. I always tried to give it my all and perform my best no matter how big or small the crowd. I also just tried to have fun in the situation, even if it wasn’t what I had hoped it to be. Experience is the best teacher. I wouldn’t trade mine for the world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/double_ls_dj
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/doublelsdjservice
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/oddfellowsmusic8029
• Other: www.instagram.com/the_odd_fellowsmusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/5pNPi4iyjECQOTF9j7SBiu