Interview with LAVERN

At just 23, Lavern is the new face of emotive dance music, blending storytelling, nostalgia and dancefloor energy into a sound that’s amassed hundreds of millions of streams and earned him spots on iconic stages worldwide. The Netherlands has famously produced some of the world’s biggest DJs, and Lavern is well on track to be the next. A naturally gifted musician and producer, his work captures the attention of both fans and fellow artists, with everyone wanting to hear what he’s doing next.

His journey into music was unexpected—originally pursuing law, he made a bold leap into production when his 2021 viral hit Move Me exploded with 60 million streams. Follow-up track Hold Me solidified his status in the emotional house movement, earning over 170 million streams. Major artists like Kygo, Ava Max, and Becky G have since enlisted him for remixes, proving his influence across the industry.

2025 is set to be LAVERN’s biggest year yet. He will conquer the MainStage at EDC Vegas, strike down at Sziget, take over Veld in Toronto, is confirmed to play unforgettable sets at prestigious venues like Brooklyn Mirage and has secured his very first Las Vegas residency with Tao Group in Las Vegas, including shows at their iconic clubs — Marquee, Hakkasan, and Wet Republic. As LAVERN continues to push the boundaries of emotive dance music, one thing is certain — he’s a global force in the making.

We had the opportunity to interview him about his journey, his upcoming releases and future plans. Here's how it went:

The last couple of years have been a really exciting and busy time for you on your musical journey, from releasing your first record, to gaining 4.4 monthly listeners, to your track, 'Sunshine' and ‘Hold Me’ going viral and playing sold-out shows. What has been the highlight of it all?

"Yes, many things happened and it all went so fast! It’s crazy to think back about the time when I was living in a student house studying law and making music in my home studio. Just a flash later, I’m travelling the world and need to find time to be at home and work in the studio. The highlight of this all is actually not one thing but everything that is happening at the moment. I love to see people sing along my songs during my shows, I never imagined that could happen when traveling to the other side of the world."

Let's take it back to the beginning. What or who inspired you to start producing music and become a DJ?

"I listened a lot to electronic music when I was young. We have lots of big DJs in the Netherlands, so I kind of grew up with their music and was inspired to make music as well. That’s why I started to make music in my bedroom."

Can you talk us through your typical process when creating a new track? What are your main influences?

"This can be very different per track. Usually, I’m inspired by a vocal sample or melody and start working from there. I kind of know the sound I’m going to work in but don’t know how it’s going to sound yet, it’s mainly a creative process which is growing along when the tracks come together. "

2025 is already shaping up to be quite a year for you, and it started off with joining Martin Garrix at the huge Holi Celebration at D.Y. Patil Stadium in Mumbai. How was that experience? 

"Super crazy! To play for 45 thousand people is a feeling I can’t describe. Also the people in India are so kind and welcoming, I immediately felt very welcome. We organized a meet and great with fans which was amazing to get to know them and hear their stories."

Another huge career leap you're taking this year will be your first-ever Las Vegas residency with Tao Group. What can we expect from each of these shows?

"Yes, another thing I didn’t expect to say last year but it’s happening. I’m playing multiple shows at their venues like Tao Beach, Marquee night and dayclub and Hakkasan. What you can expect is a lot of Lavern music mixed with tracks I love. All with a lot of energy!"

Your recent track 'Where Did You Go' features vocals from Lilly Ahlberg, and you've previously done some huge remixes for Tate McRae, Kygo, Maggie Rose and Martin Garrix. Are there any artists on your list that you'd love to collab with, and are there any that you've recently been in the studio with that we can expect releases with soon?

"Where Did You Go is a good example of mixing styles. I heard Lilly’s vocal and immediately thought I wanted to work on a song with her. She has an amazing sound which I tried to blend in with my emotional house sound, I think it worked out very nicely. Also, I’d love to work with more artists in different genres. This can vary from electronic artists but also others."

As we've already mentioned, 2025 is already set to be an amazing year. You'll be playing some iconic shows, including a set at the mainstage at EDC Vegas and Sziget festival. What are you most looking forward to this year? 

"Both EDC and Sziget are amazing, it’s 2 of the most famous festivals in the world so can’t wait to play both. We’re also planning to do a big headline tour end of this year which is exciting too. It’s super different to the big festivals and more intimate, so sound wise I can go a bit deeper."

We're already excited about what you'll be releasing next. What can fans expect from you this year? And will there be an album or an EP on the way?

"There are so many different things I’m working on at the moment, I actually just finished my official remix for Tate McRae’s ‘Revolving Door’ and have been doing writing sessions in LA during touring, so I have a lot of music lined up. The plan is now to release singles towards the end of the year and we’re maybe looking to something bigger for the end of the year which I unfortunately can’t tell you about yet."