DJ Havana Brown Big Banana Interview

Interview with DJ Havana Brown

Question: What inspired Big Banana?

DJ Havana Brown: I was in the studio with massive producer and DJ R3hab and producer RedOne who is a great lyricist. R3hab played me this beat which was quirky and different, something that I'd never heard before and I loved it, it was so well produced and I knew I wanted to use the beat and the song had to be different with funny lyrics and quirky in itself because the beat lends itself to it.

On top of that it was very much inspired by the fact I had been listening to some old 90's tracks and when I was very young I listened to Short D#^k Man which was a massive hit and Big Banana is like a modern day version of it. The song is more fun than anything, it's not a serious take and to be honest there are a lot of guys rapping and singing about women's bodies and what they want in their women which can be incredibly shallow which is why I thought -why don't we just be shallow for a second' and have a bit of fun with it (laughing). It's just a little bit of fun!


Question: Not only are your songs good for the dance floor, they are amazing for a work out too! All of your singles have been huge hits – what is your main aim when creating a song?

DJ Havana Brown: My main aim is to have fun; sometimes when you're in the industry and you're working on music you can think about things way too much. I want to create music that people can have fun to, that's the music I've always listened to and the type of music I've always wanted to make so for me it's very important to be having fun at the same time. Sometimes I may not even be in a typical studio environment, listening to music and being out with friends talking about music and where it is going can lead to something. My main objective is to make something that makes me want to dance, smile, laugh and takes me away from the seriousness that we have to deal with in reality.


Question: How did it feel to crack the American Billboard charts?

DJ Havana Brown: Unbelievable. I've now had two number one Billboard dance charts with Big Banana and We Run The Night; We Run The Night was also a massive success in the Hot 100 as it went to Platinum which is a million units in the States, alone. It's a dream for every artist, wherever you are from, in the world, every single artist wants to crack the Billboard Hot 100 because it means a lot: you're getting radio airplay, it means you're selling a lot of records and a lot of people are interested in your record and that's an amazing feeling and such a conquest.


Question: Do you still DJ, every day?

DJ Havana Brown: I wouldn't say every day because I'm not in a club, every night. I am definitely DJing every single weekend; I'm always out in a different city.


Question: What's next for you?

DJ Havana Brown: There will be a new single very soon which is very different from Big Banana (laughs) but still very positive.


Question: Can you tell us anything about the next single? Is this another collaboration?

DJ Havana Brown: The single will be in conjunction with a charity and it's a song that is very positive and light-hearted which will still make people smile and feel positive about life.


Question: What should we expect from Crave Club Edition Two?

DJ Havana Brown: Crave Club Edition Two is two-discs of massive current dance floor hits, it's a great CD to put on if you're having a party or if you're working out because it's high energy and lots of fun. Crave Club Edition Two continues the Crave tradition.


Question: What do you wish you'd been told before you started your music career?

DJ Havana Brown: That's difficult as I feel like I take on lessons from other people; when people make mistakes I feel as if I'm able to learn from their mistakes. I knew there would be things that could go wrong when you have success and for me the most important thing I was told which I've stuck by is to keep the people who care about you, around you and not those who care about the career. Those that care about you will tell you no or tell you the truth if they actually think it's a bad idea. I've stuck to that advice and I'm happy I've stuck to it.


Question: Your about to head back to the States; what have you got planned there?

DJ Havana Brown: When I get back to the States I'm going straight back into the studio and I'll be making more music.

Question: What do you miss about Australia when you are travelling or recording in the States?

DJ Havana Brown: I miss Australian people, I love the Australian culture and I love how down to earth and chilled out we are. We're easy going and we know how to take things lightly, including not taking ourselves too seriously and I really miss that when I'm away. As soon as I walk into the QANTAS lounge at LAX, when I'm coming back to Australia, I hear the Australian accents and what we say - it feels like home. It's quite funny because I become so used to not hearing the accent and when I do hear it, it makes me chuckle a little bit; in the past I never really liked our accent but now I am really proud of the way we sound!


Question: If you do have a second of spare time, how do you spend it?

DJ Havana Brown: If I'm in Australia I like to spend my time catching up with friends and family that is my main priority. I'm always on the go and travelling so my favourite thing is to chill out at home and watch a television series, I love watching series.


Question: If you could collaborate with any other artist, who would it be and why?

DJ Havana Brown: There are quite a few; I'd love to work with Janet Jackson as I've always idolised her and Kylie Minogue purely for the fact that she is an absolute legend and she's done amazingly for an Australian pop act, worldwide and I aspire to be like her.


Question: What's something about you; that you think would surprise us?

DJ Havana Brown: Havana Brown is a breed of cat but I'm actually a dog person, I love dogs. My favourite feature about myself is the scar on my face; on one side of my face I have a dimple which is classified as sweet and innocent and on the other side is a scar, which I've had since birth and I love the contradiction.


Question: Are you glad you never gave up on perusing your dreams, now?
DJ Havana Brown: Absolutely! There were many times where I thought -maybe this isn't meant to be' or I thought I should go back to school but I am really glad I didn't because I couldn't imagine doing anything else and I love what I'm doing and that I've been able to prove that hard work pays off which is a great lesson to learn because then you can apply that to anything in life and you know that if you dedicate yourself you can definitely achieve it.


Question: What inspires your fashion; you always look hot and on-trend?

DJ Havana Brown: Fashion wise I love anything with structure and I like strong items that are feminine at the same time because I do love a little bit of masculinity in my clothes. Balmain is one of my favourite designers because I love how they are able to mix masculinity with the sexiness of a woman, as well, I love that mixture. Anything that is bold, structured and sexy is what I'm in to.


Interview by Brooke Hunter