Destructo Speaks On All My Friends In DTLA & Starting New Label In iEDM Interview

Move over HARD, there’s a new festival in town! This time, Destructo is back and better than ever before. When news came of the split between the DJ/producer and HARD, festival-goers were left in the dust. Now, real name Gary Richards announces All My Friends, which is slated to take over The Row in downtown Los Angeles.

Thank you for being a friend @WaxMotif @chrislake @Lorenzosbeats @annalunoe @armandvanhelden @mrJUSTINMARTIN @BarclayCrenshaw @phlegmaticdog @golfclapdet @yogottikom @MIAuniverse @Claptone_ @jamie___xx @petetong @soulclap @JheneAiko @RLGRIME @sheckwes @LALeakers @jason_bentley pic.twitter.com/on2WnprZ1I
— Destructo (@DJDestructo) May 22, 2018

This is two day-festival, August 18 & 19, will feature 3 stages with some of music’s hottest artists, including RL Grime, Jamie XX, M.l.A., Gucci Mane, and many more. From R&B to EDM to hip-hop, Destructo definitely knows exactly how to throw a festival.

This isn’t no HARD Summer, this is AMF.

iEDM: The All My Friends lineup is insane! Can you talk about when you first got this idea?

Destructo: I don’t know. It’s been a work in progress, just trying to put a little more R&B, a little more rap, a little more dance. Just trying to be something different by bringing different elements together.

This week : : : #AMFAMFAMF ___411 stay tuned. 💥 #Music

A post shared by Gary Richards (@destructohard) on Apr 8, 2018 at 6:03pm PDT

iEDM: How’d you come up with the name behind it?

Destructo: I was thinking and just trying to figure out names for a new festival for a long time. I just felt like All My Friends had real meaning to me, because I've met so many good friends through music over the years. And it just felt like the perfect thing that actually had meaning because not only the people I've met through music, but all the people that have met through all the previous festivals I’ve produced in the past. It felt like the right title for what the next chapter is.

iEDM: Can you talk about your decision taking over The Row in DTLA?

Destructo: I wanted to be in downtown. It's a great spot just being there on Alameda and 7th. That’s kind of the birthplace of all things cool music for me in LA over the years. Off of Alameda, maybe a little more South. Maybe Alameda and 12th. I love being there. It feels like home.

iEDM: How difficult or easy was it to execute?

Destructo: As my CFO says, “Nothing difficult is ever easy.” It’s par for the course at this point. Putting together a festival, booking all the acts, and starting something new is all very difficult, but I’ve been through it multiple times. I kind of know what to do, and I’ve got good people on my team. It’s kind of normal.

iEDM: What was the motivation behind the way you curated this years AMF lineup? Destructo: Just trying to make it different than everything else that’s out there, and trying to give people a little bit of everything. I feel like it's a festival, so you don't want to have all the same genre. I was thinking about that driving here. M.I.A., RL Grime, Gucci, and Jamie XX — you hit four different ones right there.

all my friends ❤️ #destructo

A post shared by Shirley Ju (@shirju) on May 23, 2018 at 9:31pm PDT

iEDM: I love Jamie XX!

Destructo: Yeah, I was really stoked for Jamie.

FriendShip is the best collab.
— Destructo (@DJDestructo) January 23, 2018

iEDM: Can we expect as much hip-hop on FRIENDSHIP?

Destructo: Hip-hop on FRIENDSHIP maybe not as much, because it lends more towards the DJ world. But I always try to get more rappers to come, but a lot of times they don’t really understand the vision. They kind of understand more, “It’s five days, so I need to be paid for five days of my time.” And I’m trying to say it’s a vacation, come have fun. So I’m trying to convince them of that, but I’m always pushing for more rappers. It always makes it more fun.

iEDM: What’s been your favorite part of working with LiveStyle?

Destructo: Just having the support of everyone on the team around me. We all have the same goals, and we’re all united. So all the festivals we work on and all the new festivals we’re creating, we’re all in it together on the same path. I have my team around me now, so it feels good.

iEDM: FRIENDSHIP is rumored to be a small ship with only around 2,000 people and it sold out before even going on public sale. Will there be two ships next year or a bigger boat?

Destructo: Maybe. Well, the boat’s bigger. It holds 3,000. But I don’t know if there will be… bigger isn't always better. I think the key is to see how the boat feels, and how it works with all the different rooms. The top deck has grass, and there’s two clubs in there that are amazing. The theatre is incredible. The plan is to definitely do more than one ship. For me, it's not so much what’s the boat going to be, but also kind of where are we going? So there’s more in the works.

iEDM: Can we expect a surprise sermon from you on the new ship?

Destructo: Yeah, there’s definitely going to be a sermon! It won't be a surprise, but yeah. I’m always down for the sermon on the boat.

iEDM: What other festivals are you looking forward to this summer?

Destructo: I’m playing this weekend at Sunset in Tampa, and then I’m playing Spring Awakening in a couple weeks. I’m playing Shambhala, there will be a sermon there. I’m playing. Global Dance, Electric Zoo, All My Friends. There’s a lot of fun stuff this summer I’m looking forward to.

iEDM: Can we expect any other AMF takeovers at any venues or festivals in the future?

Destructo: Yeah! We have an AMF stage in Tampa, and we have one at Electric Zoo. There will definitely be more fun stuff like that going on.

iEDM: Is there anything else you want to let iEDM know?

Destructo: We’re also working on a record label. An All My Friends label is in the works!

Thank you Destructo for chatting with us!