[INTERVIEW] Rossy Talks Trap Music And Taking Risks Ahead Of Deadbeats Arizona

Deadbeats Arizona returns to the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona on April 22 with an intense lineup featuring Zeds Dead with special guests NGHTMRE, Dimension, Dion Timmer, 2SOON, and Rossy. Hosted by Relentless Beats, Deadbeats Arizona will shine a spotlight on Rossy, the rising female producer and DJ from Liberal, Kansas.

Making a name for herself with her unique fusion of future bass, trap, and classical components, Rossy quickly garnered the attention of labels like Sable Valley and Deadbeats. Focused on growth, inspiration for her future, and the glory of breathing life into her ideas, iEDM peered into Rossy's reflection on the flourishing of her creative efforts multiplying at this stage in her career. Nowhere near finished with her mission to create and savor the catharsis during her musical journey, Rossy discusses her latest release "Hysteria", her love of trap music, and the challenges during her creative process that cause her to take artistic risks.

Read iEDM's exclusive interview with Rossy below.

iEDM: You have Deadbeats Arizona coming up. How do you prepare for a performance?

Rossy: I am so excited for the show. I played at a little frat party once in Arizona, but other than that I’ve never played there, so I’m really excited for the show. But as far as preparing for shows, especially right now, because I have been writing so much music, there’s a lot of stuff coming this year. So, I’ve just been adapting my sets to including all of the IDs I have and taking inspiration from other people and my peers that are releasing music I am super inspired by. I honestly put a lot of time into my sets. Not to say that you don’t care if you don’t put time into them, but I try to make sure every time I play that I’m giving the people that are so sweet to take their time to come to the shows the best I absolutely can, so I work on it really hard on the time and effort for in preparation of making the sets and making sure everything flows well or like things are the same key and all of that kind of stuff.

iEDM: What can fans expect from your performance at Deadbeats Arizona?

Rossy: So many unreleased songs. A really fun, high-energy trap set. I, obviously, die on the trap hills, so lots of trap music also lots of melodic trap too. I try to play like a couple of melodic trap songs in my set as well that I have coming up.

iEDM: You’ve caught the attention of labels like Deadbeats and Sable Valley. How has the experience of touring with Zeds Dead and RL Grime influenced your DJ style and stage performance?

Rossy: It has been absolutely incredible. Especially as a young artist and someone who attended festivals, they were two such big inspirations for me, so being able to say that I’m playing shows with them is honestly one of the most incredible things in the entire world. It absolutely blows my mind. It’s so cool to see people that you look up to DJ because people like Zeds Dead and RL Grime have been in the industry for so long; the way they approached DJing, how they approached their sets, and the way they curate their sets is always impressive. I always leave their sets inspired, whether it’s from a transition or putting acapellas that people know and love over unreleased songs. You may be playing an ID, but you have people so excited about this moment because they know an iconic thing that people can associate together. It’s just so cool to watch like G.O.A.T.S do it and be like that’s so sick, I want to do something like that and interpret it in your own way. I feel like I’m constantly inspired when I watch them play because it’s so good. It’s always so good.

I’ve always gravitated toward trap music, even when I got into electronic music. I was like a trap girl, ride or die. Even now, just to be able to be that close to take that inspiration and to learn so much, I can get feedback on songs I'm making or whatever that is. It’s like the coolest thing in the world to me.

iEDM: You’ve carved a unique path for yourself as one of few women to appear on such labels and lineups. How has your relationship with these labels empowered you as a female DJ?

Rossy: Honestly, I’m just so lucky that they believe in me and saw me as a person, an artist that has the production and value to be on their labels. That is such an incredible honor, but I think it's important that it hopefully sets a standard and paves the way for other females. So, I think it is so cool to be able to be working with these labels and if I am the first female, or one of the first females on these labels, I know I am going to be the first of many. I think that it's special that people are actively trying to be diverse and add things. We have so much still that we need to do; we’re just a sliver of the way as far as diversity comes in this industry. I think if I can help in any way, attribute to that, or be a pioneer in that, and have these labels take chances on me and other people, I think that’s so cool and special. I feel very thankful to be a part of the history of some of these people when including women in the things they do. I think it’s the start to something so much bigger and incredible.

iEDM: Can you tell me about your love of trap music?

Rossy: Yes, I love it so much. When I first got into electronic music, it was in the era of trap, like OG Flosstradamus and HUCCI, everyone along that realm. I remember going to Hard Summer 2015 with RL Grime and Jack Ü. They weren’t trap, but they had some definite trap elements in their songs. It was such an amazing, incredible movement of trap and I was 100% on board for it. I was a hoodie girl until I die. I was such a fan; I clicked with it so hard. I loved everything about it. I loved the community around it, I loved how it made me feel, and I was also a big fan of other genres as well–still am, but there was just something about it that resonated with me so much. I remember watching Skrillex and obviously, I know he could make trap if he wanted to, but the first time I ever saw him he was doing his Mothership tour and I was so crazy inspired of all aspects of electronic music, but when I took it home to like work on music myself, it’s always trap. It’s like your my first love and my last love when it comes to what I produce. It’s what I feel like now, but who knows? It might change, but as of now, I just want to be in the trap realm living life. I also understand about being picky about trap. I am too, which is kind of funny to say, but I’m also picky.

iEDM: Your fashion style exhibits duality from leather jackets to pink hair, where do you derive your fashion inspiration?

Rossy: I love this question; thank you so much for this. It’s so funny, both sides of my family are relatively country. My dad was really into rodeo and my mom’s side was into farming. I feel like I always say it’s kind of like–I don’t know what it was, I think it was on TikTok like yee-haw alternative or something, but I like wearing leather jackets, cowboy boots, bell-bottoms, and old vintage t-shirts. I feel like if country and Harley, punk, and EDM had a baby, maybe it would be me. It’s like a juxtaposition of things, but I am inspired by cool vintage stuff. I love Harleys, I love leather jackets, I also grew up really into rock and roll, so that’s probably a big part of it as well. If I could dress in the time era of the 60s and 70s during that, I feel like my style fits in that too.

iEDM: Tell me about your creative process.

Rossy: It’s so different all the time. I’m heavily emotion-based, like what is going on in my life. A lot of my songs come from a story or a thing that happened to me. Pretty much every song, I can tell you why it was created, it was created for a reason, and not just sitting and making music. I feel like most of the time, my songs come from a place of pain which is really sad, but it’s kind of true. I feel like a lot of music, some of the greatest music has come from heartbreak or hard times in your life because it’s so relatable and people can feel that realness. Beyond that, if I want to start a song–am I starting with a melody? Am I starting with the drums? Whatever that may be, those things I feel like are the more technical side of making music. But as far as me sitting down to actually make music, it comes from a spot of emotion where I’m at, what sort of creativity am I being inspired by at that time, whether it’s an artist and they released something cool and it’s inspired me to put something out. I adapt it to my own life and how I’m feeling, something in my life happened and I feel like I need to release it. It’s a creative spectrum, whatever it is that day, it’s always different.

Being a creative person, we have so many emotions and I think having the platform and the way to release how we feel, is such a beautiful, powerful thing. Beyond that, being able to reach, connect, and make other people feel like they can release those emotions and those emotions are connected. It’s such a special, powerful thing. I love DJing more than anything in the world. I love producing more than anything in the world. When I get up to DJ, I’m just having fun and I hope everyone else is having fun. There are times where I’m like this is the best moment in my life, I’m having so much fun and there are other times where maybe I do need to sit down and produce something because I’m holding onto it. It is such a good way to get it out and get it done with, and other people connect and see that. I feel like having authenticity with what you’re doing as far as making music or DJing or whatever that is, people are going to connect with you emotionally whether it’s deep, surface-level, whatever that is, I think people can sense that. I always try to be transparent; sometimes I’m just DJing and having a great time, it really is a profound moment.

iEDM: What creative challenges do you face and how do you overcome them?

Rossy: I think every artist in the world definitely has writer’s block. I used to get really frustrated with writer's block because I felt like if I wasn’t being productive, I wasn’t being the best artist I could be or succeeding. I think it comes hand in hand with mental health, being okay to take breaks, or being okay to step away from producing for a little bit if you need to because I know myself, I can’t speak for everyone, I feel pressured to constantly be creating or creating the best thing I ever made. I think learning to have a healthy relationship with taking care of yourself and knowing that forcing things isn't going to do good. It’s not going to make you feel good, so just taking time away from that or if it’s like other situations where you’re struggling with something, you might be trying to learn something and it’s not working well, I feel like if you have producer friends, you can always ask them for help, like “Hey, I really want to do this. I see you do this well. Do you have any tips for me?”. I think it depends on what challenge you’re trying to overcome and taking care of it the best way you feel fit for that situation.

iEDM: Do you prefer to sing or produce and why?

Rossy: I definitely, definitely would choose to produce any day. I am not that great of a singer. I try, I definitely try, but I owe my singing confidence to my best friend Pauline Herr. She is an incredible vocalist and vocal engineer. She’s the one who is helping me me get more confident in my singing. So, as far as like a comfortability realm, I'm way more comfortable with producing than I am with singing, but I mean that’s the cool thing about art–taking chances and pushing yourself, so we’re working on it. We’re growing with the singing thing.

iEDM: Can you tell me the story behind your latest release, “Hysteria”?

Rossy: “Hysteria” started when I wanted to make a good song to open my sets with, like I want a Rossy trap banger that feels like a building song because the intro is cinematic and eerie. I felt like it was the perfect way to start a set and then it goes into obviously, a very typical trap banger type of thing. When I started making it, that was the intention and then it evolved to something so much bigger because like I was saying, a lot of my songs always come from a place of intention. When I started thinking about where I was currently in my life, because as artists, we obviously all feel pressure, anxiety, and those things that come with releasing music while trying to maintain a platform and doing the best you can. The song became an ode to the anxiety of all of those things and that was when I was making the roll out for the song when it became time to do the video and the artwork. It became the idea of 'we had this anxiety, you can feel alone, you can feel scared in this industry, but we’re so resilient with what we need for ourselves, how we handle ourselves in that you can really do it and put your mind to it, even though it is hard sometimes'. So, that was in the video when I lit the mattress on fire--it was symbolic for me: fuck you, anxiety, I’m here to chase my dreams. It was really cool I started the song as the intention of wanting to make a cool banger and then, it evolved to mean so much more than that. I think that’s so cool and special; my creation is so cool because sometimes, you just want to sit and make a banger, but next thing I knew, the banger represented so much to me.

iEDM: What was your favorite part of creating the music video for “Hysteria”?

Rossy: Probably, lighting the mattress on fire. It was cool being a little pyro girl, but it was cool because I’ve never really done something that’s kind of dark and eerie. I was really scared to release the video because it was something different for me, but again, that’s the cool thing about art is taking chances, pushing yourself, and doing things people might not expect you to do. So, the whole concept, I was really excited about, but I think as far as lighting the mattress on fire, I thought I was so cool. I was like 'Tom Cruise got nothing on my stunts lighting a mattress on fire'.

iEDM: If you weren’t DJing or producing, what do you think you would be doing instead?

Rossy: I’ve always wanted to work in music. If I wasn’t DJing or producing I’d maybe be working more on the business side of music, working for a label doing PR, A&R, manager, who knows?

iEDM: What are some of your goals for 2022? What is next in store for 2022?

Rossy: I am not at liberty to share a lot of things, but I will say this is hands-down going to be—I always say this year’s going to be the coolest year of my life because I’m so lucky that every year has grown to be the coolest year of my life. But this year, there’s a lot of firsts for me. A lot of big festival-firsts, a lot of music firsts that are yet to come out. It’s incredible because I have dreamed, manifested, wished, and worked hard for all of this. It’s so cool to see it and feel it come alive. I’m just so thankful, but there are things that are announced like Beyond Wonderland and Electric Zoo, which is so sick. I play my first international show in Mexico and then I go to Canada for Îlesoniq En Ville which is so cool to me, international–that’s crazy. I would say this year, there are a lot of big firsts for me that are announced. The second half of this year, I am very excited to share with everyone what I have planned. I have never worked so hard in my life.

Catch ROSSY live at Deadbeats Arizona on April 22. Grab tickets HERE!