Mikey V is our guest this week. LA-based producer, vocalist and DJ who's been a quiet force in house music for over two decades. Releases on Classic Records, collaborations with Steve Bug, tracks finding their way into sets by Derrick Carter. A proper career built the hard way.

We talk about the moment Mikey hit a wall - creatively, physically, and personally - and what it took to completely rebuild. We get into his creative process as a vocalist and producer, how he approaches collaboration, and why learning to write your own basslines changed everything for him.

We also have a really honest conversation about mindset and the best way to approach music as a hobby versus a profession, why comparison is killing your creativity, and how gratitude and intentional living have shaped the artist he is today.

This one is super honest and wide ranging!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Just put it out: Waiting until you're ready is how you never release anything. You learn more from putting music out - even imperfect music - than from sitting on it forever.
• Collaborate early and often: Working with different producers, engineers and artists is how you find your sound, learn new techniques and start getting music out into the world.
• Approach it like a professional: The War of Art says it best - if the muse shows up and you're not at your desk, you'll miss it. Treat your music like a job even before it pays like one.
• Write your own basslines: Moving from sample-based production to writing his own basslines was the turning point that made Mikey's music feel truly his. The movement and modulation that comes from a proper synth is what hits on a dance floor.
• Comparison is the thief of joy: Social media is designed to make you feel behind. The only way out is to get intentional about what you let into your head — and stay focused on your own path.
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BEST MOMENTS

I did everything but the thing I actually wanted to do. I started going to parties, then throwing parties, then working with other people — and finally I just grabbed the bull by the horns and learned to produce.

The War of Art talks about the muse — if it's gonna come through you and you're not working that day, you better find yourself working. Because you might miss the one.

I'm not where I ultimately want to be. But every day I get one step closer to being the person I know I'm capable of becoming.

Follow your heart. Your heart is never wrong. Even if you fail — it's not a failure. It's a bump in the road

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The War of Art — Steven Pressfield

Turning Pro - Steven Pressfield

The Gap and The Gain — Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

James Hurr: Making Hits, Staying Prolific & The Business Lessons Nobody Teaches You

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and label owner known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude VonStroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he delivers a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting Camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. As the host of OpenDAW Talks, he shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW Instagram

Lex Luca Instagram

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm joined by James Haskell. You might know the name from rugby, but for the last twelve years he's been building something completely different. DJing, producing, releasing on Toolroom, and getting tracks played by Carl Cox, Skepta and Marco Carola. Underground tech house. Just doing the work.

We get into what elite sport actually teaches you about making music - the mindset, the resilience, the obsession with feedback - and where the two worlds are completely different. We talk about his process for working with engineers, why he's done five production courses and still collaborates with people better than him, and the honest reality of trying to build a new audience from scratch.

There's also a brilliant bit on professionalism, and why it might be the most underrated skill in music.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Control the controllables: You can't make a label sign you or a DJ play your track. But you can make better music, send more emails, seek better feedback and show up every day. Focus there and the frustration has nowhere to land.
• Seek direct feedback: Vague advice like "find your sound" is useless. Find people who will give you specific, actionable notes and do something with them. That's how you actually improve.
• Professionalism is rare and therefore powerful: Responding to emails, delivering on time, turning up prepared - most people in music don't do it. The ones who do stand out immediately.
• Build a routine that makes the work inevitable: Haskell structures his days like a professional athlete. Eating, training, emails, music - in that order, every day. Motivation is unreliable. Structure isn't.
• Enjoy the moments: Getting a track played by someone you respect is the whole point. Stop and notice it when it happens. The destination keeps moving - the moments are what you actually have.

BEST MOMENTS

You can lie to everyone else. But you can't lie to yourself.

I didn't want abstract and ethereal advice. I wanted actual steps. Go do this. Come back. Done it. What's next?

There's a reason Mark Knight and Toolroom are successful — they are professional, and they do what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it.

Just because you think you've sent it to enough people — you haven't. There are 8 billion people in the world. There's always more.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Toolroom Academy production courses recommended by Jame

Turning Pro - Steven Pressfield

EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT

James Hurr: Making Hits, Staying Prolific & The Business Lessons Nobody Teaches You

ABOUT THE HOST

Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and label owner known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude VonStroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he delivers a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting Camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. As the host of OpenDAW Talks, he shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.

CONNECT & CONTACT

OpenDAW Instagram

Lex Luca Instagram

Email: hello@opendawtalks.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.