Known for his adding a gritty touch to any original or remix, LICK‘s career has catapulted over the last twelve months. Years of hard work and non-stop grinding have materialized into a breakout year for the Arizona-born producer. In addition to having his tracks played out by artists across the scene and touring with greats such as Zeds Dead, LICK has also signed to United Talent Agency and got picked up by the management team at ALT:VISION, all of which are influencing an imminent move to Los Angeles. None of this success comes as a huge surprise, though, as LICK consistently impresses us with each and every release. From hype remixes of Virtual Self and Skrillex and Wolfgang Gartner to energy-packed originals, there is no telling what LICK has up his sleeve, but we knew we had to ask. We had the opportunity to catch up with the mysterious producer about his early influences, his breakout year, and much more. Check out the full interview below.
Tell us a bit about LICK, from growing up in Arizona to your origins as a producer.
Hi there FUXWITHIT, thanks for having me on here. Arizona has been great to me. It’s my stomping grounds. Every moment here has taught me the qualities of hard work and dedication. This will always be my home.
You mentioned that drum and bass first fueled your creativity. Did you give that a go at first, or have you always been making heavier, more experimental stuff?
DNB has been a huge inspiration to me. I’ve mostly stuck to whatever comes into mind. Music is always evolving, so I just create and every track goes down its own path.
Zeds Dead has been a major influence in my life and being able to go on tour with them was such a great experience.
How did you first get in touch with the guys at Deadbeats? How impactful have they been on your career to date?
Deadbeats and I bonded together when I first sent them my first track ‘PUSH.’ They loved my industrial dark sound and signed it to their label on the compilation last year. Zeds Dead has been a major influence in my life and being able to go on tour with them was such a great experience.
2018 has been a breakout year for you. Congratulations on everything, from signing with UTA to the new management. You’ve also stated that these signings are influencing your move to LA. How stoked are you for that?
Moving to LA is one of the most rewarding things to me. It always has been in the back of my mind due to the fact that my agents and mgmt are there. I want to be with my family and create and succeed together. Also makes collaborating more easy.
How do you think LA will change your career? Do you think it’ll change your approach to creating music?
LA is influential to me because there are so many amazing people out there. The culture and hunger to succeed there, and being around people who care about me is what matters to me. I will always be writing music and I don’t believe it will change my approach but it will help enhance my creativity.
What will you miss the most about home?
Free rent lol.
The culture and hunger to succeed there, and being around people who care about me is what matters to me.
What’s your favourite song at the moment? What’s your favourite song to play in sets?
My fav song at the moment is unreleased. Been playing it out a lot. It’s coming out on my EP via DEADBEATS in Feb.
What can we expect in the coming months from LICK?
Lots of quality music.
Finally, with no exceptions and including liquids, if you had to eat/drink only hot stuff or only cold stuff for the rest of your life, which would you choose and why?
Iced peach green tea and sushi. That is the ultimate dream combo dont @ me. Also follow me on Twitter: @IAMLICKx.
