RB Exclusive Interview: Pauline Herr

Los Angeles-based DJ Pauline Herr is rapidly rising in the EDM ranks, spreading positive vibes on an international scale. Her music is thoughtfully produced and she puts her heart and soul into her craft. Her musical inspirations include dynamic acts such as Porter Robinson and Skrillex. Pauline is currently on a headlining tour, returning to Darkstar this Saturday, April 20th. To celebrate, we proudly present a Relentless Beats exclusive interview with Pauline Herr. Read below to get ready for the show!

“In Your Eyes,” your collaboration with NGHTMRE and Jon Casey is incredible. How did this track come together? What was it like working with such a massive and talented artist?

It’s a really cool and full circle story! I had this demo called “tired of the world” sitting around for a few months and got a text from Tyler (NGHTMRE) one day asking if I could send him the stems for it. He told me Jon Casey was in the studio with him and they wanted to work on it so I freaked out and quickly sent over everything. About 6 hours later I got a facetime call from Tyler and they were bumping the track in the car. We were all making our bass faces on facetime and I was so pumped they turned the track into a banger (The original demo was super chill and vibey). It’s been such a pleasure working with Tyler and Jon, they’re two of the sweetest people I’ve met in the industry and I’ve been a huge fan of NGHTMREs since I got into EDM so it was a huge full circle moment to collaborate on a song together and go B2B on his tour a few times.

What role did you play in the production of “In Your Eyes?”

Aside from the track being built from an old demo of mine, Tyler and I also got into the studio to add some finishing touches to the track. Pretty much all of the melodic intro / breakdown production you hear (and obviously my vocals) is all me and Tyler and Jon made the drops together in the studio.

You recently performed at Ultra and did some B2B’s with both NGHTMRE and Jon Casey. How would you describe your experience at Ultra? Were you affected at all by Night One’s rain delay/cancellation?

Unfortunately my set at Ultra got cut because of the storm. I always have a ton of fun going b2b with Jon because he’s one of my best friends and we always have a genuinely good time and his energy is infectious so we just feed off of each other and it’s great. I was pretty nervous about my first b2b with NGHTMRE because I’ve been a huge fan of his since I got into EDM and he’s the one that inspired me to go to ICON Collective (a music production school him and the Slander boys attended). After our first b2b I got a lot more comfortable but I still would fangirl a bit when I was up there and I’m just really grateful to be in a position where I get to go b2b with one of my favorite artists since day 1 of this journey.

Did you learn anything about your craft or stage presence from these live B2B experiences?

I definitely learned a lot just by watching NGHTMRE and Jon mix. I’m a great DJ but as with any artist craft there’s always something to learn and everyone does things a little bit differently. I’d say I have good stage presence but my shows with Jon brought me even more out of my shell because he brings a rare energy that’s contagious.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Some of my biggest influences would be Porter Robinson, Skrillex, RL Grime, and Fred again..

You are scheduled to perform at Darkstar Tempe this weekend. What are you looking forward to most about coming to Arizona? Have you performed in The Valley before, or will this be your desert debut?

So I actually performed at Darkstar with Jon Casey last year in the fall and we had an absolute blast! That was my favorite stop on our B2B tour by far. The venue is so cool and the crowd was amazing so I can’t wait to be back doing my own headline show and playing a lot more of my own music.

What have been some of the most unreal personal moments for you as an artist? What made these moments stand out?

I would say my b2bs with NGHTMRE, playing EDC Las Vegas and EDC Mexico mainstage, and getting to travel to Thailand, New Zealand, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong (this June) to play festivals. I absolutely love traveling to other countries and it feels really special to be able to do it for a job that I love. All of these moments were especially exciting and surreal for me, I cried like a baby at EDC Las Vegas because I was just so shocked and grateful to be playing at such a huge festival.

What are your personal, career, and music-based goals of 2024?

In 2024 I’m hoping to expand my headline tour and hit some more cities, release a ton of music and collabs, release my first Pauline Herr jersey, and focus on my health. I’m a huge wellness nerd and as a creative and touring DJ it’s super important to nourish my body and mind so I spend a lot of time making healthy recipes and reading/listening to new studies on nutrition and health science.

Are there any artists that you aspire to work with live, in-studio, or both?

I’d love to work with RL Grime, Alison Wonderland, Porter Robinson, and Skrillex one day 🙂

You frequently use butterflies in your logo(s), posts, and overall aesthetic. What about this symbol inspires you to use it?

So the butterflies are actually because of my grandma who passed 7 years ago. She always called me “Butterfly” and taught me how to paint so I have this painting of a butterfly I made for her in my room and I got a butterfly tattoo for her. I decided to incorporate it into my branding because she was such a huge part of my life and they mean so much to me because of her.

Do you have any last-minute comments or updates that you would like fans to be aware of?

I have some new merch I designed that’ll be available exclusively at all of the tour stops and I’m just really excited to connect with everyone at the show on Saturday. I’ve got some new music I’m gonna test out and my good friends Deadcrow, Cab, and Brycycle will be joining me on support so it’s gonna be super fun, I can’t wait. 🙂

See you all at the show this Saturday, April 20th! If you haven’t snagged tickets yet, click here.

Connect with Pauline Herr: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud