We caught up with the Dutch duo Wouter & Sjoerd Janssen, also known as Showtek, to talk music, fashion and what’s in store for 2017.
Who influences you musically?
Wouter: Ranging from legends to newer names: Pharrell, Wu-Tang (Rza), Snoop, Dr Dre, Bob Marley, Tupac, Drake, Timbaland, The Prodigy, Faithless, Coldplay, Skrillex to name a few.
When was the precise moment you realised you could make a career in music?
Wouter: When we stopped worrying about every penny. For the first couple of years, music was a side thing. Then we started getting booked for shows and some royalties of our music came in and we realised music became a career. It was exciting!
Where was your first ever DJ set? How did it go?
Wouter: One of our first shows was in the south of Holland. We played ‘live’ and had to fake half of it to make it work on stage. We had experience on production but not enough to perform live. We had a backup CD playing in the back of the club. It was one of the sweatiest moments in our career haha!
How do you find working as brothers?
Wouter: It’s easier than with anyone else. If you transform the energy of brothers’ natural rivalry into a business you’ll have a strong engine!
Who works the hardest?
Wouter: We both work hard in our own way.
What’s been your career highlight so far?
Wouter: There’s been many highlights but the main thing for us is that we are still here living this career. Success for us is being happy with what you do. That’s definitely the ultimate goal!
If you could collaborate with one other artist, past or present, who would it be?
Wouter: Drake
Sjoerd; Kanye
Where is the most memorable venue you’ve ever played?
Wouter: The first crazy show was at the Arches in Glasgow, Scotland. That crowd was so intense and showed us how amazing the response can be internationally.
Who and where was the most memorable DJ set you’ve ever seen?
Wouter: Marco Bailey at a festival called Shockers. It was a huge techno event in the early 2000’s. We both loved it!
Who are you listening to on repeat at the moment?
Wouter: Rap Caviar playlist on Spotify. There is so much good hip hop out at the moment!
What’s your guilty pleasure track?
Wouter: Every cheesy 80’s song
Where can we see you guys playing next?
Wouter: We’re all over Europe this summer with an occasional trip to Asia in between every few weeks. This is literally the busiest time of year for us.
What other shows have you got coming up this year?
Wouter: We’re doing a big US tour in the fall. We’ll be covering a lot of states and we’re super excited for this!
What does a typical day in the life of Showtek look like when you’re not creating music?
Wouter : It depends on the season but I eat healthy food, lots of veggies, fruits, and fibres. An endurance based work out every other day which is usually a run / hike / biking or a gym session. I try to play a little piano in the morning before I go to the studio to start up my musical engines. Then a full day in the studio finished by a nice meal and a glass of wine.
Sjoerd : Depends on the agenda but besides work (being in the studio producing music or being on the road and performing) I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost two years and lately I’ve been trying to be Vegan as much as I can which isn’t the easiest since we travel so much. I love boxing and jujitsu which I practice a few times during the week. For the rest I listen to music a lot, mostly hip hop and reggae and I try to spend quality time with my girlfriend, family, and friends since it makes me very happy to be surrounded by the people I care about the most.
Are you going on a lad’s holiday this year?
Wouter: A holiday for me is to be home and relax
Drink of choice on a night out?
Wouter: Glass or bottle of Amarone
Favourite film/TV series?
Wouter: SNL
We usually ask people to describe themselves, but we want you to describe each other in three words?
Wouter about Sjoerd : flexible, loyal & social
Who’s you biggest fashion inspiration?
Wouter: I don’t have anyone in particular that inspires me a lot but I like Alexander Wang’s collection. Comme des Garcon is cool too.
Can you describe your style? (Fashion)
Wouter: Basic and not screaming too hard. Simple, sometimes a bit preppy and fitted. Does that make sense?
Do you have any advice on anyone aspiring to be a DJ?
Wouter: Trust in who you are, what you want to do, and achieve in your life. You only have one life and one career and life’s too short to listen to other people’s opinion that might affect you negatively. I believe everyone is a strong individual. No one else can express your story besides yourself.
