Hey, thanks for talking to me. Would you rather I call you Minx or Rachel?
Minx is actually my nickname from before I started DJing. You can call me Minx if you want, or Rachel, it doesn’t bother me but most of my friends call me Minx.
Ah, well you’ve sort of answered two of my questions there.
(Laughs.) Really?
Yeah my next question was how you came by your DJ name?
I’ve had it for a long time, before I started DJing. I think it’s because I’ve got quite almond, cat shaped eyes. It just kind of stuck at a party one night and just never disappeared.
How long have you been DJing for?
It’s been almost nine years. Eight and a half, or nine years.
Do you come from a musical background? Play any instruments?
Actually no. I did the whole piano and singing lessons at school but nothing I ever really stuck to. I always loved music and bands though; I was always begging my mum to take me to concerts and stuff when I was at school. So music has always been a passion of mine but it was never something that I thought I could make a career out of.
How did it all start?
I was a little bit of a grungy teenager, always going to bands and clubs. It was when I started clubbing that I started getting into house music in Adelaide where I first started. I just became really interested in it as a hobby, just started going into the clubs when they were shut during the week and practicing, a few DJ friends showed me the ropes and I became hooked! Then one night one of the promoters heard me and said ‘you’re playing Saturday night!’
You won the 2011 She Can DJ comp, how amazing was that experience?
Obviously there are a lot of DJ comps and I normally would not enter them. But it stood out from the rest; they were offering a global recording contract with EMI, a major label, which is obviously something you don’t come across every day. EMI have people on their roster like Deaudmau5, Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta, amazing artists and real inspirations of mine, so there were no questions about entering.
When can we expect your debut album to come out?
It’s not quite finished yet (laughs) so it’ll be the first half of next year. I can’t pinpoint an exact month but definitely in the first half. The first single Night to Remember just came out.
How did you go about approaching Reigan Derry to do vocals on that track?
A mutual friend of ours, one of the original Sneaky Sound System guys. I went to him with a couple of tracks I’d been working on and Reigan popped up. She ended up writing for another track we didn’t use and when Night to Remember came up she was perfect for it, she wrote the lyrics and did an amazing job!
You’ve done a lot of touring the last 12 months, where is the best place you’ve played?
Oh my gosh, well I played in Paris for the first time ever this year, which was such an experience! Then I went to Ibiza, and having bought it up I’d have to say that is my favourite place! I know it sounds a bit of a cliché but I’ve been there three times in the last twelve months and every time it just gets better and better. I played Pacha over there and it was just the best time.
Do you prefer clubs or festival gigs?
They’re both so different. I’m always been really keen on festivals and with Stereosonic I’ve played it ever year since it’s started in 2007. It’s quite dear to me. One Love DJs gave me my first interstate gigs and tours and stuff, so i have a lot of love for them and the festival. It’s my favourite time of year but I’d also say that nothing beats the vibe of an intimate club gig.
Does the hectic DJ schedule negatively affect your TV work?
Well we usually film the Channel V stuff during the week, it’s not broadcast live or anything. It’s all pretty flexible around what everybody else is doing and it’s definitely not done in the a.m.
What does 2013 hold for Minx?
With Pacha now coming to Sydney I’ve been locked in as a resident for them and supporting a lot of the artists that they’re bringing over. Which is huge for me, as well as Sydney.
Catch Minx at the Pacha Sydney opening at the Ivy (Nov 24) pachasydney.com, and Stereosonic Festival in Sydney (Nov 24), Per (Nov 25), Mel (Dec 1) and Bris (Dec 2) stereosonic.com
