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04 - Matin Garrix by Tom Oxley

IN THE STUDIO
AND ON THE ROAD WITH
MARTIN GARRIX

WRITTEN BY ZACK TREMBLAY  |  PHOTOGRAPHED BY TOM OXLEY / LIVE BY LOUIS VAN BAAR

September 01, 2017 — Martin Garrix opens up about his beginnings as Zack Tremblay reflects on Martin's journey to success in this exclusive interview.

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It’s hard to believe that at the young age of twenty one, Martin Garrix has accomplished more than we can even imagine. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Martin admits that he grew up in a musical family. “My mom plays the piano and my dad guitar. When I was eight I got my first guitar lesson.” Martin first found his love for electronic music in 2004 when he saw Tiësto perform at The Olympics. Ever since then, he was hooked. “I started to play in local clubs and I think only ten people attended the party. But when Animals came out it all went very fast.”

 

Since Tiësto was Martin’s first introduce to electronic music, naturally he became one of his biggest inspirations. “He is a huge inspiration and a good friend of mine now. We worked together and that was great. He inspired me to do what I’m doing now.” When Martin met Tiësto for the first time, he admits that he was such a relaxed guy and one of the nicest people in the industry. “He was always there to give me feedback on my work when we’re in the studio and that really helped me in my musical career.” 

 

Martin loves being in the studio, but he reveals that it’s more of a relaxed process. “I don’t have a formula or anything. I’m just having fun and I don’t want to think too much. It always starts with an idea in my head an I just do whatever feels good. I don’t want to affect the creative process by overthinking everything.” Garrix shares that he likes to challenge himself and work with new artists as well. Martin has recently had great success with “Scared to be Lonely” with Dua Lipa and his latest hit “There for You” with Troye Sivan. “I loved working with both Dua and Troye, there was a connection with them and that’s what I’m looking for in a collaboration. With ’Scared To Be Lonely' I had a rough idea and I reached out to Dua's label because I wanted her to do the vocals. Actually the first time we met was at the video shoot. As for Troye, we started with a rough idea, went into the studio and two days later we premiered 'There For You' at Coachella.” Martin admits that the vibe is definitely different when working with other artists compared to doing a solo track. “I love working by myself in the studio, but I also love to have someone there to throw around ideas with.” As for future collaborations, Martin shares that Lana Del Rey is at the top of his list! 

 

There comes a time in everyone’s career when all of that hard work and dedication pays off when you stay focused and driven towards your craft. Martin had one of those moments while attending Ultra when they played his breakout hit “Animals”. Garrix admits that the feeling of hearing his song for the first time was really weird but also very cool! Garrix is definitely a crowd favorite and when it comes to putting together his sets, he admits that it’s all thanks to his amazing team surround him. “I think together we really manage to make the shows incredible. For me on stage I always want to let the crowd decide what I play. I know which song will be my opening track and my team knows that too. Then I also know how I will end the show, but everything in between is a surprise.” Martin had the opportunity to show off all of that hard work and perform at Coachella again this year for the second time. “Coachella is just a really special show, still one of my favourites. The energy is great and there are so many amazing artists performing. This year I was looking forward the most to bringing out Dua and Troye as a surprise.” Garrix hopes to return as a performer again in 2018. 

 

A lot of time and energy goes in to putting together a show on Martin’s level. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is definitely key when traveling from show to show. “I try to eat healthy, work out, and sleep as much as I can. Next to that I have a great team helping me out.  And it works that I can basically sleep anywhere!” Because Martin’s schedule is so busy he admits that having a solid team around him keep him grounded. “I have a small group of friends who I take with me on tour. That gives us the time to hang out after my shows, especially now during the holidays because they have time off. I want to share my crazy experiences with them and my family as well.” This is one of the main reasons why people fall in love with Garrix. He has still remained the same person while his successful career continues to take off and reach new levels. 

 

Garrix reveals that performing in front of thousands of people every single night gives him so much energy. “I want everybody to see a great show and when they are happy, I’m happy too.” Martin has been playing a few shows in Vegas this year and he admits that the energy is crazy. “Now that I’m 21 I don’t have to worry about going to a club anymore. So when I finish my set I can stick around for a while!” Garrix reveals that his drink of choice is just a nice cold beer. 

 

Martin has accomplished so much at such a young age and there is so much on his horizon. Traveling the world, creating music and collaborating with the top musicians in the world is extremely fulfilling. As Garrix continues to grow he admits that he has gotten more professional in terms of his career. “I had to experience some things to get to know what I do and do not want.” As we approach the Fall, Martin reveals that he has so many amazing things ahead. “I always try to improve my shows, my music, but foremost stay the same person that I was a couple of years ago.”

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