For me, I get all these different feelings about what people listen to in different places.
Nick Martin is an up-and-coming EDM DJ and producer making his way through the globe’s hottest dance clubs and venues. This energetic musician from Greece is passionate about the electronic dance music movement sweeping the world and hopes to produce a billboard hit in the near future. Nick just got done touring in Europe with the legendary Chainsmokers and gave us a chance to talk about the tour, his favorite travel destinations and the future of electronic dance music.
Tell us your story. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m from Greece. Born and raised here. Lived here all my life. I was a high school drummer, high school DJ, I went to Boston University, and it was a very difficult place to get gigs.
At Boston University I studied Business Management and Economics. I was DJ-ing in Greece in the summer and I was trying to get DJ gigs in Boston but it was really hard. And I got discouraged by the whole situation so I was done playing in Greece because I had played in all the clubs and I wasn’t really getting paid for it. Even DJs were not getting paid back then. DJ-ing was like a $100 thing. I didn’t care about the $100. So I just went to the club and DJ-ed for like 500 people because it was cool. And the DJ back then wasn’t even like in raves or the center of the club. More like side of the club. It’s a totally different thing. That’s like 2002-2003.
Quit DJ-ing altogether in 2004, but back at it in 2011. My parties were doing amazing. Then I started visiting the U.S. to attend Ultra, XS in Vegas, Cosmopolitan Marquee and all that. I was like ‘Wow I need to do this.’ And then before you know it I started producing in 2013.
Not a piano or guitar player. One finger piano player. And then as you obviously get more experience in it you become much better at it. By 2014 I got my first international gig in Las Vegas opening for Cedric Gervais.
PHOTO DJ Nick MartinWhat kind of person do you think you have to be to succeed in dance music?
I figure DJ-ing is less about DJ skills and more about musical ideas and who you are as a person. Because when I was going to see Tiesto in 2004-2005 or Armin van Buren, whoever else before the new DJs, pre-2010, I had another idea about why they’re famous.
I realize it’s totally about music. But the second part is who you are as a person, the relationships you can have in the industry with the promoters, your story.
There’s a saturation of DJs that don’t have character or they’re not good-looking. So I think that the 16 to 17 year olds that’re going to like your pictures on Instagram obviously want you to be funny, good looking, have a sense of political correctness. I don’t think it goes a long way if you post pictures of your cars and your jets all day. You have to sometimes show people that you are normal and act normal. You might be the biggest star in the world but the stars with the most appeal are the ones that seem normal, approachable, people they even feel could be their friend. This is an art.
I was well-traveled and I had been in most places before. I’ve never played at Tomorrowland but I’ve been to Tomorrowland. It’s a major festival. Ultra and Tomorrowland. Those 2 festivals right there are like the 2 most important festivals in the world, in terms of image. Vegas pays the most, Ibiza pays the least. But Ibiza is the mecca of dance music. Whether I like it or not I’m from Greece, I prefer Mykonos to Ibiza. But if I go for instance to a club and I ask ‘Have you been in Ibiza?’ And they say ‘I haven’t been to Ibiza.’ It doesn’t go down very well. Even if you haven’t had a gig in Ibiza or Las Vegas but you want to be an international DJ, good or bad, you have to go there before you have even played. You have to show that you’re a part of this. Never be looking like you’re not.
Do you mind telling us what your day job is?
My day job is quite surprising. Our family business is in shipping and I’m basically the CEO of our family shipping company.
Do a lot of DJs have day jobs?
I’d say no. What I’m trying to do is very difficult and very unique. I think that my full time job would be to be an artist, musician, DJ, producer. But at the same time I do share responsibilities to my family and I’m a really responsible person.
How would you describe your musical style?
My music style is definitely on-the-floor house music with all the sub-genre variations. But I incorporate in my sets these days a more urban sound. But I would say 80% for the floor house, groovy and melodic at the same time which is difficult. And around 20% urban electro-pop.
PHOTO DJ Nick MartinWho are your biggest musical influences?
Everybody’s influence is Michael Jackson, at least the serious people. Bruno Mars. Any of the famous people. Beyonce, Justin Timberlake. Big influence from a rock point of view, U2 and the evolution of that would be Coldplay for me. And from an electronic point of view, huge influence I would say from older DJs, Danny Tenaglia which is like 1996, my first record, my first vinyl was from him. And then evolving from that obviously you know the generation of Tiesto. And in the more recent times after Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia. Personally I’m friends with Axwell and he’s been mentoring me in general. And lately I love what Major Lazer and those guys have done.
How was touring with the Chainsmokers?
That was a lot of fun. There’s a few more to follow soon. I’m friends with the guys. There’s a good bonding there. They are huge right now, big stars. What surprised me also is that they’re very big in Europe. So all the shows we went to were sold out. The people there were clearly there to have an amazing time. Full crowds of 5,000-8,000 people, intense energy. I know what they play and I can go harder and bigger because then they play a very aggressive sound as well. Just an amazing experience.
So much in 10 days, so much inspiration from different crowds. Growing it from what I play and changing it every night to adapt. Remove the songs that I didn’t feel do that much. And by the 10 days I have amazing feedback of what works and what doesn’t work and I can go back to the studio and work on those sonics and sounds.
We did all of Europe: Cologne, Amsterdam, Vienna, Paris and we did 3 shows in London. And you can see the difference between cities: which like it more aggressive and which like it more musical.
Where have you always wanted to travel to? Where do you like to travel?
I’m from Greece but my 2nd home emotionally would be London. I love to be in London all the time. I go there like 10 time a year. I know all the restaurants. I know all the clubs. I know the nice shopping areas, so much arts and crafts over there and shows. And I combine my business because it’s a big hub for shipping as well. So that’s my favorite place, I go there all the time.
Similarly I go to Paris a lot. But there it’s more for relaxed weekends. It’s not so much for business.
Obviously the United States is my favorite place in the world. I studied there, I’m there a lot. I used to love New York but it’s so hectic right now I can’t handle it. Miami, I have a love and hate relationship, plus I have a lot of good friends there. LA seems nice to outsiders but I hear that people who live there get bored of how perfect life is there I guess.
When I go out of that zone, every summer I spend a lot of time in the Greek islands. And I think this is a must-do for anybody everywhere.
I’ve been to the whole of the Far East. I’ve never been to Australia or New Zealand but I would like to go. The Caribbean I’m not such a big fan. Latin America I’ve been to Machu Picchu and you know the classic Peru stuff which is really exciting. Brazil I’m not a huge fan, I preferred Peru to be honest with you. I haven’t been to South Africa which I hear is great. Maldives I hear is amazing. The Philippines is quite sexy. And then I’m a big fan of Italy in the autumn. When you have the mushrooms coming out, the truffles. The wineries have wine tastings and there’s so many nice road trips to be done. I’m a huge fan of Italy.
Another really beautiful place I’ve only been twice for music is Stockholm and I’d definitely recommend that in August, September. Favorite place in the world Costa Rica. Combining the warm weather and the wild life and coming out of your room and seeing a monkey steal your croissant is so fun. And just 4 hours from LA. You should think about it.
PHOTO DJ Nick MartinWhat’s your favorite Greek island?
Very busy. Second favorite is Santorini but Santorini has too many tourists for me and they look like tourists. What I like about Mykonos is you go and there are a lot of tourists but they don’t look touristy. They are pretty great.
How does travel influence your music?
Basically I listen to a lot of music on the plane. And with my business schedule in general, plane is a nice place to think. If I travel alone and I’m sitting at the window, sometimes I space out and look out at the clouds and listen to music. I have the most vivid sonic ideas to the point that sometimes I will sing out loud a melody and the people next to me look at me like I’m a crazy guy.
Other than the plane, obviously when traveling for music and gigs, all the different cities from the taxi to the nightclub and what the DJ is playing, for me I get all these different feelings about what people listen to in different places. And I can see that when I come back to Greece and I go to a nightclub here they are so stuck on some things. I think between Ibiza and the U.S. and the big festivals in the summer in the north here in Europe you really get the trend for the next 6 months.
PHOTO DJ Nick MartinWhere do you hope to go from here? Advice to other musicians?
My 2017 goal is to have my next few releases along with the one I have getting a lot of attention and people starting to notice the brand. And in 2018 I’m hoping with all the music I have and all the ideas, that I’ll get a global hit on either iTunes or Spotify. Obviously Billboard 100 is important.
Where can we catch you in the upcoming year?
Basically I’m doing a pause for a couple of months because I have some family stuff going on. So you can catch me anywhere in Europe, dates will be announced in May, June, July, August. Gigs in Ibiza.
Nick Martin usually plays in high end places like Ushuaia, Ibiza, Club Paradiso in Mykonos. Miami.
