[Interview] Return of the Jaded Talks Upcoming Projects, Hit Livestream & More!

Without a doubt, the following interview was one of the most entertaining ones we've conducted to date! Not only due to Return of the Jaded's often surprising answers, but also because of the events that occurred ahead of our meetup!

Ottawa's rising superstar and I were set to gather at a park. However, the universe had other plans. An impromptu torrential downpour hit our nation's capital, forcing me to conduct the interview in Return of the Jaded's car.

Both now sporting soggy clothes, we were then interrupted by a police officer who told us not to park on that particular side of the road. Pedestrians and drivers passing by gave us some perplexed looks...

Despite the minor hilarious hiccups, we managed to sit down together for the exclusive interview. The Canadian producer didn't hold back! He spoke to us about his upcoming releases and shows, a memorable fan interaction, his point of view on livestreams, among much more!

We want to thank Return of the Jaded for being an open book and for being such a good sport! We look forward to seeing his already impressive career skyrocket to stardom. In the spirit of rain and sudden change, water you doing? Check out our interview below...

1) You've had nearly 10 productions that have charted in the Top 100 on Beatport. We can imagine now that your popularity has grown that you've started to come across some interesting fan interactions. What's the best follower exchange you've encountered thus far?

"The most recent one that comes to mind is an interaction I had with an Italian follower of mine on Instagram. I meant to send an unreleased track I produced to a friend of mine, but I ended up DMing it to him! Right away, I received a voice memo from him, in a strong Italian accent, saying that this was one of the best Christmas gifts he had ever received. He couldn't contain his excitement - he was over the moon that I had sent it to him! I didn't have the heart to tell him that it was a mistake on my part; so, I'm hoping he doesn't read this interview, haha!" 

2) In your opinion, are doing live shows, whether it be a festival or a club setting, still the best way to get your name out there and to build experience, or is that path to success more or less steered towards the way you manage your overall social media?

"Great question. I think you can really leave a good impression on people when you play a live show. It can be an emotional experience compared to some photos you quickly post on social media. I would say, the fans you get from live shows are a higher quality because they've shared that experience with you in person. They're just much more emotionally invested in what you do. On the flip side, the pandemic has closed everything down, so I'm heavily relying on social media. It also plays an important role in my career. I am thankful for it!

I've been working hard at upping my social media game. I've been posting some videos in the studio, where I've given some previews of my upcoming releases. I hope to continue to share lots of new music and reveal some upcoming shows with my followers very soon."

3) Your aptly named BEATS & CUTS monthly livestream at the Hare & Hound Barbershop features your chart-topping singles and some other truly killer tracks. Firstly, what have been some of the positives and the negatives of livestreaming during a pandemic? Lastly, when can we expect to hear some new releases & can we catch them on the livestream before everywhere else?

"The positives are that you get to keep your DJ skills intact. On that note, when you're DJing, you always have to be aware of which songs you have in your crate. If you don't practice very often, you end up forgetting and just see them as titles. So, when I play these livestreams, I get to keep my memory fresh by listening to these tracks and knowing how they flow together. It also forces me to discover new songs and build my music repertoire.

The disadvantage is the obvious lack of people in front of me. The engagement is just not the same. It's been an adjustment having to write to my supporters during my set instead of interacting with them in person. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy doing the BEATS & CUTS stream despite not feeling people's energy. However, I have some news to share...

Looking back on how it all started, i.e. me approaching Tom, AKA Thomas Fulwood, the owner of the barbershop, to beg him to let me play music in his super cool space with actual people at the beginning of the pandemic...to now, the near end of COVID, I've come to realize this project needs to come to an end.

Everything is starting to open back up again - so, I don't see much point of continuing these streams unless I do something ridiculously original. There's also the case of if you're trying to show your fans the overall process of you working on a new song. I would do a livestream for something along those lines. But, a DJ livestream at this point in time seems to be on the way out. They've had their moment, now it's time for something fresh.

As for new music, you won't be able to hear my new releases on BEATS & CUTS for the reason I just mentioned. I'll be playing them in my upcoming sets. So, I'm excited to see you all in person! 

My next release will be coming out on September 17th on Sink or Swim. It's called 'Polite' because of the lyrics which are definitely more after-party oriented, haha. I was thrilled to work with an artist from Montreal. Because we live so close, it made the creation process that much easier. That's all I can say, but I'm just so excited for everyone to hear it!

You can also expect two songs set to be released on Nora En Pure's label, Purified. I am also really happy to announce that I've signed some tracks on Spinnin' Deep. The release dates have yet to be confirmed for these songs, but they should be out by this fall."

4) Now that the pandemic is slowly ending, can you share some of your near and future plans with us? Which upcoming project do you hold closest to your heart and why?

"Yes, of course! I have quite a few upcoming projects and shows. On top of the new releases, you can start to catch some of my live shows. Keep it locked to my official website and socials to stay up-to-date with all my show announcements.

[Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Spotify]

For my Ottawa supporters, I will say that I'm also in the midst of planning some shows in the Capital. It's tricky because the restrictions are still somewhat strict. My hope is that by August or September my Ottawa fans can catch me playing at shows I've organized. It's always special playing where I live."

5) Is there anything else you’d like to share with The Flag Gang?

"Things are starting to look up! I'm excited to see what's in store for my career. I'm looking forward to sharing these new projects with you all. Big news: I'm even working on launching my own record label. It's going to be called Jaded Select. I anticipate it'll launch in 2022. Stay tuned for that! Thank you, Flag fam."