Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Isiah Haji. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Isiah, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew earlier on, probably between 11 -13 years old, that I wanted pursue a creative path professionally. I was introduced to dance music and allowed to freely use a computer around the same time and with that came the discovery of rabbit holes. Well, I went down one and found this entire world that intrigued me in a way that nothing had before. Over those years I became obsessed with every aspect of dance music and events. Who makes the music (the part that got my attention the most obviously), who builds the stage, who books the shows, who makes the merchandise. I even wanted to know who drove production place to place. I basically made a list of everything I needed to learn and went down it one by one. I wanted to know and understand to a degree every single piece of the puzzle and its importance. There were just so many things you could do all centered around such an exciting end result.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an electronic artist and live performer from southern Arizona (Sierra Vista). One o those towns where I was one of 3 people that I knew of at the time who knew The Glitch Mob or Madeon. I got into music early in life and threw my first event early on as well. My work is mostly geared toward creating exciting shows and performances that really do push boundaries and create moments for music fans that are truly unforgettable.

My most proud moment thus far would be working with Monster Energy and UP&UP Festival when they brought SUBTRONICS down to Tucson for one of the greatest electronic shows to happen in Tucson by far. It was the first time that I feel I was able to really showcase everything I have to offer as an artist and share an experience that even today people still talk to me about. The look in their eyes as they recap their specific memory tells me they experienced something really special. Thats something I live to do time and time again.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Something that is drilled into creatives early on is “create create create push push push nonstop work rush and get results ASAP”. It’s a way of thinking that I believe is simply a capitalistic perspective created to turn creatives into machines that don’t even know when to breathe. Not to mention the trite TikTok strategies people push onto musicians. While there is a place for it and surly some great discipline can be found, there is something really important to slowing down and taking your time. Giving yourself a second to actually embrace the moment and expand on the thoughts and ideas you’re working on creates work that actually elevates your career. Actually retaining the information you are learning. Cranking out 75 songs and rushing the release just for one to do well isn’t exactly a great ratio. I’d even say that you are simply gambling with your ideas. But, to release 20 great fully body songs with a creative fun release strategy and have 15 of them do really well, now thats something I can get behind.

Taking a moment to just let the creativity flow when it flows kept me from burning out and I am going to imagine kept me from being so zoomed in. Allowing me to zoom out and see the big picture. See that I can appreciate live in this moment rather than moving to the next so quickly.

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

The most rewarding thing has to be that moment after a show we’ve worked really hard on. Granted my team and I put the maximum amount of effort into every show we play, some of them really did push us in different ways. That moment for the team finally getting to exhale once the music is done and the lights are down and think “wow…we really just did that…”. For the fans who sometimes wait months for a show and bring their energy and add to the show the way they do. It’s the after show moment that really brings it home for me every time and really reminds me why I started this journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.isiahhaji.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isiahhaji
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isiahhajimusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/isiahhaji
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/isiahhajimusic
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7lO57e5Pvwa0NMZ6KzUsIX

Image Credits
Image one (in studio) – N/A Image 2 (on stage) – Joey Jessen ( @thejsgj ) Image 3 (out doors) – N/A Image 3 (side stage) – N/A