Interview: DJ Havana Brown

It's taken you five years of hard work behind the decks to be dubbed "Australia's Top Female R&B DJ". What does that feel like?
Every day, I am like, I cannot believe I get paid to do this. I just love it so much. I love working and getting better each and every time I play. I have this ambition to have my own compilations and travel the world, DJing. There have been other things that come along, such as touring with big acts like Britney Spears, and to me that's incredible. I am having a blast and I am extremely lucky and I feel very blessed.

What's the usual time for a DJ to break through to a mainstream audience and become a household name?
I think it does take a little bit longer, normally. I am not quite sure exactly, but I have heard stories of people having DJ'd for 15 years and only having a couple of residencies and sets per week. It just really depends on what sort of DJ you are, and I guess how hard you work at it and what you desire to do. For me, I guess it has happened quickly. But while some people think it has been instant, I'm like, "No, let's keep moving." I want it to come quicker. I guess it all depends on how much you're willing to put into the art.

Do you play every day?
Yes, every single day. My job is seven days a week. I don't stop thinking about it. Luckily, it doesn't feel like work to me. I have a radio show that I do both in Australia and internationally. I'm always mixing or putting songs together, creating a show and also looking for new songs for my set. I'm always trying to create something new and experimenting with new sounds. I don't really stop (laughs).

So you've shared stages with the Pussycat Dolls, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and, of course, Britney Spears. What was that like?
The Britney Spears set was insane because she is the pop icon of my generation - I grew up with her. So to play with her is just massive! When I was first told that there was even a slight possibility that I could play with her, I just dismissed it and was just like, "Yeah, OK sure, whatever." Suddenly I was being told that I can join her on her European tour and two days later they're like, "Yes, they love you, they want you to come on tour." I was like, "What, you are kidding me?" I was in shock and I tell you it was probably the most nerve-racking things I've ever done in my life. The first show was in Paris. I remember being so nervous, because it was like I was just walking into this family.

No pressure then?
(Laughs). Exactly. They'd been touring together for a very long time, all the dancers and the crew. Britney's father came up and introduced himself to me and said, "There are 40,000 people out there and it sounds like a library. I need you to pump up this crowd." I was like, "Oh my God, don't tell me this on the first show!" It just freaked me out even more. I thought he was exaggerating just a little bit, but he was so right. The crowd was so quiet. I was just trying concentrate on doing the mix right and not falling off the stage (laughs).

But I got up there and did my thing and the crowd went nuts. It was such an amazing experience. I had so much fun and you know after that show after the second show they said, "Do you want to do the Australian show as well, do you want to continue on with us?" I was like, "Hell yeah!"

Did you hang out with any of the artists that you worked with?
Well probably the closest person I got to work with was Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls. She is really cool. I am really good friends with her and now her manager manages me internationally. So yeah, she is really cool and down to earth. She's just a normal girl that deals with normal girly things. She is so talented and I don't think she gets the credit that she deserves for how talented she actually is. She sings so well and dances well and nothing is half-hearted. She is up there and she's not miming and that's incredible.

What is it about you, do you think that Britney and all these other A-list acts have seen in you?
I don't know. I doubted my ability to score the sets I've been given because I knew just how many international acts from Europe would have been vying for the job. I do believe that a couple of the record companies in Europe were a little bit annoyed that this Australian DJ got the spot (laughs). I guess I can really understand what it takes to entertain a crowd. I just concentrate on the mix, I put myself out there and just try to entertain myself. I love being up there, I think people feel that, ultimately, I am enjoying myself so much when I am on stage and I feel like the crowd does feel that.

How do you know when you're doing an amazing set?
When you hear the crowd go nuts and put their hands up when you tell them to. Seriously, it's the best feeling that you ever get as an entertainer. Just to think that you get to control how happy a crowd is for that hour or that night is the greatest feeling. They could've had a hard week or a hard time at home, but then they come out and enjoy your music - it's the best feeling.

You've said Janet Jackson is your idol. What do you love about her?
I grew up with her. I wanted to be Janet Jackson big time. The dancing, the singing - I love everything she does. She is so in control and she is sexual, and she is not afraid of being a sexual being. I used to sing her songs as a kid at my singing school. To this day, I still listen to her music and just think how did she do that. It's insane.

Was it really hard to break into the boys' club of DJing?
When I first started, I didn't even really look to see how many women were DJs. I didn't concentrate on that. I just wanted to DJ. I just worked hard. I guess there are some guys out there who said I only made it because I was in a mini-skirt. That's really infuriating, you have no idea.

Do you feel added pressure to prove yourself because of the way you look?
Yes, absolutely. I think now that I've got to a stage where I don't feel like I need to prove myself, but yeah, I think in the beginning and when you have a little bit of success there is that pressure. I had no idea guys themselves can be so bitchy (laughs). But you have to look past that. You just have to be happy that they're talking about you, it means you're doing something right.

What would you say to the women who are trying to break into the industry?
Just to have absolute dedication and persistence. It's about getting out there, trying to do as much as you can. If you're passionate about what you do, then it's not even work, that's how I see it.

You also sing and dance, is it hard to be restrained by the decks when you're playing music that makes you want to hit the dancefloor?
Yes, absolutely. I have done performances where I have dancers and I come out and dance as well. There was actually the show I did for the Pussycat Dolls when they first came to Australia where I danced and I loved that. But yes, I do want to step out from behind the decks and sing as well, so that's really my next step. I did a performance with Enrique Iglesias recently and that's just fired something up inside me.

So singing in your own right is your next step?
Definitely. I've been working on my own music now for two years. I've been travelling to the US a lot and just working with the best artists and producers, and trying to create a sound for myself. I want to be able to play my own music in a club. That would be insane.

What music is guaranteed to get you onto the dancefloor?
Normally, it's when I fall in love with a new track. When I first heard "Like A G6" by Far East Movement that for me was complete sex. It's hot, sexy and makes all girls feel sexy and want to dance to it. I think the best song that works in the dancefloor is the one that makes girl feel sexy. Like "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls, "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera, "Like A G6" has a similar type vibe and I think that probably one song out there right now that I still have the hots for (laughs).

What music do you chill out to?
I think a lot of people might find this surprising but I love jazz music. I love Diana Krall, Robin Thicke, The-Dream and Jamie Foxx.

BEST OF...

Best item in my wardrobe:
The new boots that I just got from Nordstrom in the US. I call them my Lara Croft boots. They have this leather belt at the top over the knee and a thick leather patch around the top of it with a buckle. They're extremely high and I find them its extremely sexy (laughs).

Best splurge:
My Fendi bag.

Best bargain:
My leather jacket. It wasn't cheap, but I've worn it for the past five years. Every winter I've been wearing the same jacket. It's a bikie jacket, it's not a brand name, but it has been the best buy. No matter how expensive it was I've been wearing every year for the past five years.

Best romantic moment:
I don't know anything about romance. Can I say that (laughs)? That's a hard one. You know what I find really romantic are just the simple things, like your boyfriend making you a cup of tea in the morning, every morning just as a ritual, or opening the door for you. I love gentlemanly gestures like a man giving you his jacket when it's cold. That for me is romantic. It doesn't have to be extremely extravagant, it's all about the gestures.

Best lesson I've learnt the hard way:
Don't date bad boys. When I was 16, I dated one of those bad boys who was part of a crew and was really cool. These days, I'm just not into them at all. I don't find them attractive whatsoever.

Best friend:
My mum.

Best childhood memory:
Every morning, my mum would call me from work and before I went to school and ask me what lolly I felt like that day. She brought me home the lolly I selected each night and I find that really sweet. That's probably one of my most favourite memories.

Best way to spend the weekend:
Chill out at the movies and eating a lot of food that you really shouldn't be eating (laughs).

Best piece of advice I’ve been given:
Don't do drugs.

Best time of the day:
The morning. I am a morning freak. I love waking up around 5.30am and having breakfast, like toast, to get me started for the day.

Best thing that someone has said about me:
People saying that I inspire them, that's very flattering.

DJ Havana Brown's Crave Volume 5 (Universal) is out now. Visit www.djhavanabrown.com.au.