Alison Wonderland is not any stranger to EDC. The Australian native, together with Anna Lunoe, made historical past because the first two feminine solo acts to carry out on EDC’s kineticFIELD mainstage again in 2016. She’s been a mainstay at different raves, festivals, and live shows for years throughout a time when ladies DJs have been few and much between. And sure, she carried out 9 months pregnant ultimately 12 months’s EDC with docs on standby simply in case she went into labor.
However Alison Wonderland, who’s sporting a brown sweatshirt with the phrase “underdog” emblazoned on the entrance, is extra than simply “a feminine DJ.” She’s lengthy been a psychological well being advocate — her most up-to-date album, Loner in 2022, was a type of rebirth for the artist — and final month, she launched an all-gender magnificence line, FMU Magnificence, which boasts festival-friendly merchandise like physique artwork pens. It’s a mission she’s enthusiastic about, stopping mid-convo throughout our 30-minute Zoom name for an impromptu make-up tutorial to exhibit learn how to dab FMU Magnificence’s Hyper Hue Lip & Cheek Tint for a fast refresh.
The wonder entrepreneur has additionally embraced the title of mother; final 12 months, she and director Ti West (X, MaXXXine) welcomed their first son Max, who made an look on our name and who, I can verify, is essentially the most lovely child ever.
It’s a balancing act that the working mother has totally invested in. “I at all times knew we [as women] might do something, however then after I had a child, I used to be like we are able to actually do something,” she tells me.
Forward of her EDC Vegas efficiency, the artist talks about her relationship with the pageant, motherhood, and the thought of doing all of it.
Refinery29: What makes EDC specifically so particular to you personally?
Alison Wonderland: I believe that persons are all there for the appropriate motive. I believe that there’s a very loopy sense of group amongst ravers, particularly at EDC. It has a really cult following, and it’s only a actually nice type of escapism. It’s like a pilgrimage yearly. I really feel like EDC is a DJ’s Olympics or DJ’s Coachella as a result of everybody’s simply attempting to play their finest set and everybody within the crowd is simply attempting to have their finest time. I like the power. It’s actually concerning the folks and the rave and the tradition. Shout out to [Insomniac founder] Pasquale [Rotella] for doing that.
Final 12 months’s EDC, you carried out 9 months pregnant on the principle stage. That’s unimaginable. Did you actually have an ambulance and docs on standby?
There’s a video! 100%. I used to be so cautious. I want folks to know that I’m an expert and to not do what I do in the event that they’re very pregnant and go to a rave. I used to be extremely cautious. I had docs monitoring me each step of the way in which. Each time I performed a present, each time I toured, I made certain my child was protected, and he was and he was loving it. However sure, there are a variety of precautions that we took to guarantee that I might nonetheless play reveals.
Why was it essential so that you can nonetheless see this gig via? As a result of I really feel like some folks would have bowed out.
I don’t suppose I even actually advised anybody I used to be pregnant till I used to be six months pregnant. So I used to be simply on the market taking part in reveals. Actually, for me, it was very troublesome to grow to be efficiently pregnant so when it lastly occurred I didn’t need to be utterly paranoid and worrying about it. So I assumed the very best factor to do is let the child prepare dinner and stay my life and do issues that make me blissful. And the explanation I did EDC Vegas 9 months pregnant is as a result of it makes me so blissful, and I needed to go that power onto my child and I used to be in a position to do it. Folks requested, how did you keep up there for over an hour and I’m like, straightforward. It makes me blissful. It’s a factor that makes me blissful. Feeling the child kick whereas I used to be taking part in music, it was simply, I imply, I can’t clarify it. Coachella I did eight months pregnant and he was simply going arduous.
Actually I didn’t need to get too into my very own head, and it was actually troublesome for me. So lastly, being that far together with the being pregnant, I spiritually needed to only have good vibes across the child.
How have issues modified or developed within the EDM scene out of your perspective as an artist?
I believe the road between producer and DJ has been blurred much more from once I began. Once I began, I actually thought-about DJing utterly separate to manufacturing. Now, I really feel like each producer is predicted to DJ and each DJ is predicted to provide. So there’s much less of a type of separate tradition inside that, which is okay and nice for me as a result of I do each, however I believe for some folks it’s a bit unusual. I do consider that ladies in digital music are having a means higher time now than once I began, which is superb. I believe we’re taken much more significantly and it’s nice to see so many ladies killing it now.
You’ve been very outspoken about psychological well being and sustaining that positivity in your life. It’s Psychological Well being Consciousness Month proper now. What’s one factor you would like folks understood about your trade in terms of managing your psychological well being and the way do you prioritize that once you work in such a fast-paced excessive power scene?
You simply must study to hearken to your self, and it’s okay to say no generally. I believe I discovered it arduous previously to cease and simply pause for a couple of weeks. And now it’s actually essential that I try this. I believe it’s extremely lonely once you’re touring. You’re in entrance of tens of hundreds of individuals on this massive stage, and so they’re all screaming your title and singing a tune. Then half an hour later you’re alone in a lodge room, and it’s simply not regular. It’s not a standard existence. Studying that it’s okay to take time sometimes for your self is basically essential and have steadiness. That’s solely one thing I realized not too long ago, however it positively helped.
Being a DJ or simply being within the scene, I really feel like there’s a variety of longevity on this house than say an artist in one other style. Take a look at this 12 months’s EDC lineup. You’ve obtained folks like Paul Van Dyk or Kaskade, who’ve been doing this for many years, and so they’re nonetheless exhibiting up.
Kaskade nonetheless seems like he’s 20! Pay attention, right here’s my principle on issues. In case you are doing what you like, it’s ageless. [With] digital music, nobody’s on the market judging actually what the DJ seems like. Everybody simply needs to really feel actually good power on the market and it’s only a stunning tradition, and I hope I’m nonetheless DJing once I’m like 85. I will likely be.
Your single “Satellite tv for pc” was launched final month. You’ve additionally teased a brand new album for 2024. What are you able to inform us by way of new music?
Uhh, there’s a variety of music coming. I even have a variety of collabs coming this 12 months. Nonetheless engaged on the album, however I’m additionally engaged on new Whyte Fang stuff, which I’m tremendous enthusiastic about. I believe my first present again as Whyte Fang, (Alison Wonderland’s darker persona), is Bonnaroo. I’m actually excited to premiere some stuff there.
You additionally not too long ago launched your festival-friendly magnificence line FMU. Inform me about it. What was the inspiration behind it?
That is one thing that I’ve needed to do for a very long time. Once I began [DJing and producing music], I didn’t really suppose that that might be a profession so I used to be finding out particular results make-up. I’ve at all times needed to have a make-up line that’s extra sensible, and other people can deliver in every single place, like multi-use merchandise. Actually I stay in it. I’ll present you proper now. … I would like issues that you may hold in your bag at a pageant and both high off once you’re there or if you find yourself staying the evening and you’re feeling a little bit dusty the following day, you don’t want a giant make-up bag, you may simply deliver this [lip and cheek tint].
You might be juggling a lot: you’ve a profitable DJ profession, you’re a magnificence entrepreneur, you’re a mother. How do you do all of it? Are you able to do all of it? Can ladies have all of it? Is that even a factor?
Oh, yeah. Years in the past, somebody that labored for me stated I hope you by no means get pregnant as a result of your profession will likely be over in the event you do. And I used to be so fueled by that, that I stated, okay wager. Watch me do all of it. It type of fueled me similar to when folks doubted me as a DJ or an artist. I believe that girls can do something, and after having a child and being pregnant, I do know that much more. I do know that we’re stronger than anybody can ever think about. There’s this fantasy that claims you may’t, however there’s a means. I at all times knew we might do something, however then after I had a child, I used to be like we are able to actually do something.
I believe a variety of ladies artists have been scared to be mothers due to that stigma, however now there’s so many artists which have had children. Grimes, Halsey, Anna Lunoe. They usually’re all killing it. Each time I see a pregnant lady on stage, I’m like that’s so fucking cool. I felt means hotter pregnant, like I felt badass. Nobody can mess with you once you’re creating life.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
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