Meet Andy Rose | DJ / Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andy Rose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andy, what is the most important factor behind your success?
In a word, passion.

I’m driven to create, curate, and play music because of my deep connection with music. Something that most people don’t know about me is that most of my early childhood, I was only allowed to listen to Christian music. When I was a bit older and able to source music myself, I went really deep into many different genres. You couldn’t rip my headphones off me if you tried. I was the king of the mixtape back then.

My other life-long passion is snowboarding and extreme sports in general. If you are familiar with that world, you have probably heard the word “steeze”. It is a junction between the words style and ease. If someone does something really hard, but makes it look easy, then it is steezy. For my brand, I chose to marry these two concepts into “Steezify” as they both had a close meaning to me. The brand is based around the idea that if you are truly passionate about something, hard work just becomes good times. This concept has also been adapted to my events company, Style First Productions.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being a DJ and a producer looks glamourous when we are on stage, but there is a lot of grind that goes on behind the scene. It starts with a deep passion for music and grows into a strong desire to share it. A lot of people don’t realize how much practice is involved. Just like playing an instrument in a band, thousands of hours are spent mastering techniques and becoming an expert of the craft.

There are many ways to play a show and many people out there that love to share advice. I believe that every workflow has merits and I will spare you with opinions and just let you in on how I do things. Where my flow differs from the norm is that I don’t plan my sets. Every set is going to be unique. This takes great attention to detail when organizing my library. I can play any style I want at any time and get there with ease. This allows me to connect and flow with the crowd. I will say the biggest downside to this is that it took a lot of practice to get to the point that I can confidently play off the cuff while not making mistakes (which still happens). It takes a deep knowledge of the equipment.

The last thing that sets me apart is what I play. I am a crate digger. Sure I will have a few mainstream slappers in a mix for relatability, but for the most part you are going to hear songs that you wouldn’t otherwise be familiar with. I also try to make at least one new remix or song for every show that I do. My goal is to keep it fresh and exciting, even if you just saw me the previous week.

One last fun fact, I actually share all of the music that I add to my library that isn’t unreleased music in a playlist series I call Break Your Algorithm on Spotify. This is under the username steezify.me if you want to go check it out. Why the heck would I share all of my secret sauce??? Because I love sharing music! If someone wants to go out and play all the same tunes, more power to them. Music is for everyone. So next time you are at one of my shows, hold the shazam up high and proud because to me, that just means that you love music too and I am here for it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There is so many fun things to do in Denver! Here is a list of things that would not be missed.

– Day trip to the mountains (maybe a hike or snowboarding if they are up to it)
– A show at Red Rocks
– A STEAM Thursday show at Bar Standard because that is the vibe
– Casa Bonita if we can get in
– Rooftop party at Vinyl during the summer is a must do
– Temple so that they can see what a Vegas club looks like in a smaller
– Church nightclub because the aesthetics are incredible
– A night out in Larimer just to have a good time
– Some of my favorite restaurants (Slaters 50/50, Tamaki Den, Angry Chicken, Chubby Cattle)
– A game if they are into sports because we have awesome stadiums
– A festival of some variety because things are always happening here
– Boulder to have a drink and stare with wonder at the flatirons
– Elitch Gardens or Water World to release our inner child
– Paddleboarding to release our inner chill

Yeah, as I am writing this, I am realizing that this would be the least relaxing vacation ever…
Send it!!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is a lot to be thankful for, but first and foremost is to my fans. The people that come out to my shows to dance. This means nothing without you and I am truly grateful every time I see your beautiful faces out on that dance floor.

Gotta give a shout to the company that started it all, Entertainment Plus in Ellensburg, WA. Not to age myself here, but I actually got my start as a DJ by answering an ad in the paper. They gave me my first shot and I haven’t looked back since.

When I moved to CO, I didn’t really know anyone and the scene was massive compared to Seattle. I was really fortunate to meet some of Denver’s finest talent right off the bat in Rob West (RC3), Theo Charles, and Chris Dugan. They opened so many doors for me and I will forever be grateful.

Next up I have to give a shoutout to two groups that give me so many amazing opportunities to grow and share my passion with TheHundred Presents and Denver House Music. Big thanks goes out to Quite Right Records too for believing in my music signing my first release.

Lastly is my business mentor and good friend Jason Gorley (Cifernoise Productions) who is always there for me when I have questions or need advice.

Website: https://steezify.me

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steezify.me/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Steezify

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@steezify303

Other: https://open.spotify.com/user/steezify.me

Image Credits
Modified PhotoGraphics