When the Coronavirus shut us down, clubs and festivals ceased, and everyone was essentially forced inside with no definitive end in sight, DJ Times wondered: How is our tribe coping? How are DJs getting by? So, we sent out our “Coronavirus Questionnaire” to DJ/producers from all musical genres to find out.
During the crisis, DJ Times will be presenting the questionnaire responses from talented music-makers from all over the world. Here’s our latest entry, this time from the South West of England, the bass-happy, Bristol-based DJ, Eats Everything (aka Daniel Pearce).
What’s it like where you are living? I live in Bristol, and we have been locked down now since March, so it’s been over two months… which feels like it’s gone quicker, now that I look back. The rules have eased a little since it was first bought in, so things are a bit better and it’s not so crazy getting a pint of milk. Thankfully, the weather in England for weeks on end has been amazing, so I haven’t found being at home all that bad. I love where I live, and we have some outside space, so things are good. It’s been kind of a reset in many ways.
How are you spending most of your time? At first, it was a bit weird and none of us knew how long this would be going on for, but I am dividing my time between music, music-based career work and my family in bits and pieces. I am really enjoying being home and having a chance to spend time with my family – it’s something we all take for granted. Getting back to a “normal” life with no clubs and late nights and flights all over the place has been good for me. The amount I have been sleeping, I feel like I may have added about 10 years to my life.
Have you lost income-producing work? Yes, but that was inevitable when we are unable to tour. I think about 90-percent or something like that would have been gone since the start of this pandemic and will continue until venues open again.
Are you doing anything now that can or will produce music-related income? Nothing really that will replace income, of course. I do have records which make money through royalties and all that, as well as the radio shows which I do, but it’s a very small part of how I earn my income.
What are you doing now that’s ultimately constructive to your music life/career? Loads of stuff! All the projects, which I am giving myself during lockdown, are things which are constructive, be it time in the studio to make a release, collab or remix. Or focusing on the “Quaranteam Mixes” I have been doing every week, which is a really full-on task! I want to ensure I keep my profile out there, but be careful not to overdo it with live-streams, as I think doing them should be around a special project, or something very cool and interesting for your fans. I don’t really wanna watch a DJ stand in his bedroom and play, so I don’t do that myself.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve realized during this period of social distancing? It’s not like I have realized anything specific to be honest, as I kind of already knew myself, where I wanted to be, and what I wanted to achieve from life. I found out that maybe I am not as lazy as I thought I was at first, and I do more around the house to help out. Maybe that’s just because I am not on the road and are all helping each other more than normal. But that’s something I’d like to continue after lockdown. It goes without saying that I miss seeing my mates and going to the pub, but maybe it’s something you didn’t realize how important it was to you until it’s gone. But to be honest, I haven’t had any major epiphany!
Have you considered doing anything online? Yes, I did one stream so far, which was for Beatport and their ReConnect project which was really cool, as it was a huge amount of DJs from all over the world getting together for a charitable cause. So that was always something I wanted to do. Apart from that, I can tell you that I have a live-stream coming in a few weeks from a club called Lakota in my hometown of Bristol, which is being bought by a developer and turned into a load of new housing – so this might be the last time we can do anything in there. The club means a lot for me and anyone from the local area, so I am really excited to have this to look forward to.
Have you seen any DJ video streams that impressed you? I did think that Maceo Plex’s stream was cool, which was done with all those visuals, as it was just different and new. Dillon Francis and Diplo have also been keeping me and everyone else very entertained. Whilst the music isn’t always to my taste, they are hilarious and have been genuinely very creative, which is impressive for two months! Defected and Glitterbox also go down as honorable mentions here – their live streams were ace. Nothing wrong with all these live streams, but for me, personally, I just do not want to do them unless they are really different, or based around something I have going on, or something that means something to me. I do my “Quaranteam Mixes” every week, and I don’t really think anyone wants to see that!
Any theme tunes recommended for the moment? Ultra Naté’s “Free.” This would be very appropriate in a few weeks, we all hope!
Any advice on staying sane & relatively positive through this situation? If you have a roof over your head, a bit of outside space, no matter how small, and some company – then, really, it’s not as bad as you think it is. Remember, there is always someone out there who has it worse than you, and this will end. It’s really a time to learn and appreciate what you have, rather than what you don’t have. Take in and enjoy the fact that you get to spend time with your family and enjoy seeing them – I know they can be annoying at times – but it’s not always going to be like this. I have really enjoyed the simple things in life – going for a walk and looking at what’s around you! It was always there before, but we opted for the pub, and not a country walk. Maybe that’s something we’ll all change or at least take into consideration. To be mentally and visually stimulated with those kinds of things in the world, like we were many years ago, is only a good thing.
To check out more Life in Lockdown interviews, click here.
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