A driving force in electronic music, FETISH has built a community centered on connection and freedom. Sonically rooted in bass house, FETISH's mission is to create moments that make you feel seen—that make you feel free.
From international festivals like EDC Las Vegas, Sunburn Festival, Drome Theatre in India, and Iceland Airwaves, to the explosion of his viral hit “Come Check This” (8+ billion views on TikTok, with attention from Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, ESPN, and SportsCenter), FETISH has become a globally streamed artist. His Billboard Dance and Electronic chart-topping single “Trench” only cemented his place in the scene.
At his core, FETISH is about belonging. And you belong here, dancing with us.
.png?width=968&height=333&name=FETISH%20(1).png)
YOU NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTICITY AND PERSONAL PASSIONS LIKE ART, SURF, AND YOGA FOR CREATIVE FLOW. HOW DO THESE NON-MUSICAL HOBBIES FEED BACK INTO YOUR MUSIC AND HELP YOU STAY TRUE TO THE QUESTION OF, "WHO AM I AS A PERSON?"
All of those hobbies and interests are part of who I am, and music is one element of that. Being a producer, while very much an important facet, is just one element of that.
I believe that inspiration and authenticity are key to creating great art, and to just being a person in the world. The truth is that inspiration comes from all of these other places in and out of the studio. It’s possible to be inspired in the studio, and it happens often when I’m writing—you discover a new sound or a new artist you haven’t heard before, and there’s a piece of what they’ve done that inspires you or generates an idea. I try to treat my writing as a pure experiment. It’s like a little adventure where I never know what’s going to happen. I just sit down to make something and follow my instinct on what feels right. That all said, when there are moments when I lack creativity, I have to draw on my other hobbies and interest for inspiration. Art is fluid, and I've found that what works for me is to consistently be present in my life, and that can always lead to inspiration in the studio.
It’s helpful for me to try and be a full, healthy, complete person. I like to work out and surf and do yoga. I spend time with my family and friends and people that I love. I practice meditation. I'm constantly learning about cosmology, science, space, and other interests that I have. I think all of these things leak into my art because my creative meter is always getting replenished.
I think artists and human nature are cyclical. The days that I make music and it flows naturally—that’s a great thing, and that happens to me frequently, but there are also times when it’s challenging to make something I like. I’ve learned that the hours I need to be creative are fewer than when I first started, and now I spend more time being a well rounded person and letting that flow. I alchemize both the fun and hardship of my outside life into my music.
WHEN WE SPOKE, YOU MENTIONED “THE REWARD IS IN THE PROCESS,” AND ALSO TOUCHED UPON THE POINT OF "LETTING GO" OF A TRACK TO ALLOW COMMUNITIES TO ENJOY IT. WHAT'S YOUR PERSONAL SIGN THAT A TRACK IS COMPLETE, AND HOW HAVE YOU LEARNED TO NAVIGATE THE URGE TO PERPETUALLY REFINE YOUR WORK?
Yeah, I really believe that you have to be enjoying it along the way. It’s just as much about the journey as it is about a destination. You have to let go of the metrics. A lot of life is just being in this moment right here, right now, and enjoying the process of it all. It’s the same with making a song, it’s the same with developing relationships, and it’s the same with noticing the sun on your face when you go outside for a hike. It’s not about getting to the end of the hike—it’s about every step you’re taking along the way and enjoying it.
I think you have to find things in life that you love doing. Music has always been that for me, and I’ve tried to take that mindset into other parts of my life. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the destination, and my mind definitely tends to do that, so I’ve built practices like meditation into my life to remind me that it’s about being present right here, right now.
When it comes to letting go of a song, I think it’s absolutely critical for artists. It depends on your goals, but being able to release something into the world is so valuable because you will always have time to improve. If you hold onto perfection—needing the song, the artwork, the marketing plan, or the whole system to be perfect—you’re just creating obstacles where you get in your own way of sharing something real.
For me, the sign that a song is complete is actually kind of simple. I have this little “stand and dance” test at my desk. I stand up, close my eyes, and play the song. If it has me dancing, if I can picture myself at one of my favorite shows and feel that energy, if it gives me bass face and makes me move. That’s when the song is done.
I’ve never really had the urge to endlessly refine something into “perfection”. If anything, I probably have songs out that could have used another couple of days. But when I look back at my catalog, I know that every song I released—perfect or not—gave me that feeling at my desk. It made me move. It made me dance. My intuition told me it was ready to help other people feel alive on the dance floor.
WITH THE IMMENSE, SUSTAINED VIRAL SUCCESS OF "COME CHECK THIS," YOU'VE ACHIEVED A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE. YOU ALSO NOTED THAT A CURRENT GOAL IS A "CONSISTENT CREATIVE CONVEYER BELT" AND NOT BEING SO FOCUSED ON VIRALITY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE COMMERCIAL EXPECTATION OF A VIRAL HIT WITH THE GOAL OF CONSISTENT, HIGH-QUALITY OUTPUT?
I feel so grateful for what’s happened with Come Check This. It’s definitely been the pillar of my career so far, and watching it become one of the most-used songs on Instagram in the world is just truly mind-blowing. I’m just incredibly grateful to everyone who’s made videos with it and shared it—I’ve seen people all over the world using the song, and that still amazes me, it’s hard to process.
The truth is, my goal was never to have the biggest song in any domain. That was never the point. I just wanted to make as much great music as I could. The consistent “conveyor belt” I talk about is really about building systems in my life so I can stay creative all the time. It’s not about hitting some metric—it’s about building a huge catalog. I’d love to have 500 songs someday. I’m around 85 right now, pushing toward 100 on Spotify, and I’ve always admired artists who’ve been creating for 20 or 30 years and have deep catalogs you can really dive into as a fan. That’s the kind of artist I’ve always wanted to be.
So for me, it’s about being creative every day, not chasing a specific result. Those results sometimes come along for the ride when you stay consistent. I never expected a viral hit, and now that I’ve had one, I don’t feel pressure to recreate it. I think Come Check This happened because I showed up every day with dedication, effort, creativity, and freedom in my music. If you do that, you’ll eventually make things that resonate with people.
I’ve had a couple songs go viral, and I hope there will be more—but if there aren’t, that’s okay too. My focus is on making music that keeps getting better. I’m always trying to improve my quality compared to yesterday, last week, or last year. That growth comes naturally when you show up consistently with care. I try to treat music as a way of being in the world every day, and hopefully I’m getting a little better at that with time.
AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR CAREER DID YOU STOP DEFINING SUCCESS BY A SINGLE METRIC (LIKE VIRALITY OR CHARTING) AND START EMBRACING THE IDEA THAT "SUCCESS LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT"?
I never really defined success by a single metric. I’ve hit some wild milestones—viral songs, Billboard charting—but those were never the goal of the project. The goal was always to make music that gave me the same feeling that my favorite artists gave me on the dance floor. I’ve always followed my intuition and chased that question: does this song make me dance? Does it give me bass face? Does it make people feel something and move? That’s been the real measure for me. So any success in other areas just feels like a bonus.
Every project is different, and in a lot of ways mine has been backwards from others. The industry is always changing, the way people discover music is always evolving, and I never wanted to copy someone else’s path. I just wanted to be the most “me” I could be. Even choosing a name like FETISH—something bold that excites some people and turns others off—was about authenticity. From the name, to the sounds I pick, to the way the music feels, I’ve always tried to follow what feels true to me.
In a way, I’ve been making art almost selfishly—just because I love it. And the fact that other people have connected with it and become fans is something I’m incredibly grateful for. I think that points to an important truth about making art: you have to put the audience last. Make it because you love it. We’re all human, and if something genuinely moves you, there’s a good chance it will move someone else too. So I’ve tried to stay rooted in authenticity, and that’s what’s brought success to the project.
A CORE PART OF SUSTAINED SUCCESS IS HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM AROUND YOU. THE SYNERGY YOU HAVE WITH YOUR MANAGER, LOPER, IS APPARENT. WHAT ARE THE KEY QUALITIES YOU LOOK FOR IN A MANAGER, LAWYER, OR OTHER TEAM MEMBERS, AND WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’D SHARE ABOUT WHEN AND HOW TO BUILD A RELIABLE TEAM AROUND YOUR VISION?
No one can get anything done alone, and having a good team, good friends, good family, and good people in your life is one of the greatest joys there is. If you want real success, you need true human connection with people you trust. I try to live that way with my family, my friends, myself, and everyone in my life, and my business team is no different.
My manager Loper is a great example. We hit it off right away because we saw the world in a similar way—we wanted to build something new and exciting and weren’t afraid to take risks. When I look for other team members—an attorney, an agent, collaborators—I’m really looking for the same qualities I want in friends and family. Are they trustworthy? Do they want good things for other people? Do they see beyond themselves and feel part of something bigger?
If I had to give advice to newer artists about building a team, I’d say trust your intuition. Look for people who aren’t just there for their own benefit, but who genuinely want to contribute. Of course everyone has to look out for themselves and their families—that’s human—but can you surround yourself with people who care about building something meaningful together?
I’ve always seen the dance music community, and even the business side of music, as an extension of how I treat my personal relationships. I want to be surrounded by creative, honest, fun people who care about each other and want to build something cool together. That’s the kind of team—and the kind of life—I try to create.
YOUR MUSIC HAS REACHED A MASSIVE GLOBAL AUDIENCE ACROSS PLATFORMS LIKE TIKTOK AND INSTAGRAM REELS. IN THAT CONTEXT, WHAT ROLE HAS PUBLISHING AND RIGHTS MANAGEMENT PLAYED IN ENSURING YOU CAPITAlIZE ON THAT GLOBAL REACH AND THE USE OF YOUR MUSIC?
I highly recommend that artists get familiar with all the different roles their music can play in the world. It’s easy to get locked into the idea that you’re only going to be the person on stage doing one specific thing, but the truth is there are so many places where music, audio, taste, and sound selection can live. You can work in publishing, social media, sync for film, TV, or commercials, vocals or voice acting, writing for others ect. Podcasts have exploded, and audio is such a core part of how humans experience the world. There are so many ways an artist can be useful, create value, and make something meaningful.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a performer or a DJ or producer—that’s a beautiful goal. But especially with platforms like Instagram and TikTok, you need to educate yourself on all the different ways you can contribute. If you have a narrow view of what an artist is, you’re closing doors that could otherwise be open to you.
For me personally, I’ve seen my music take on a lot of different lives. It’s been used in a Ford commercial with Sydney Sweeney, it became the most-used song on Instagram with Come Check This, and it’s also been played at festivals and clubs around the world. I’m always trying to place my music anywhere it can create a cool, meaningful experience for people. The goal is not to limit yourself to one lane, but to let your art live wherever it can and connect with others bringing them joy! We often don’t get a say in who our listeners and fans are, but the more places your music can be discovered the better chance it has of connecting with someone.
Follow FETISH on:
