60 Seconds With... Arielle Free

Welcome back to another 60 seconds with... The series where we chat to your (and our) favourite artists to talk all things music. This time we spoke to house DJ Arielle Free about her best and worst gigs, musical influences, what she has in store for 2022, and her funky debut single that forces a smile on your face and your head to bop along.

Hi! Could you give us a quick introduction? 

Hello! I’m Arielle Free, a Scottish DJ and Broadcaster who can usually be heard Monday to Thursday on BBC Radio 1 from 4-7 am. I’m a self-confessed music nerd, and I like to make it my daily mission to introduce music I've fallen in love with to people around the world, whether it be through my radio show or my DJ sets. I’m also partial to a rave and disco, so if not on the radio or behind the decks, you will mostly find me on the dance floor.

How would you describe your sound?

Joyous and uplifting vocal-led house music. I always aim to make my tracks feel like pure joy. So wherever or however you listen to it, it’ll put a smile on your face and have your foot tapping instantly. Hopefully.

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Best gig you ever played? 

This is a tough one as the Hogmanay street party in 2019 stands out as one of the best. Ten thousand people were all raving in the street with Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop, and the temperature was barely 1 degree. I’ve never had a more up for it crowd and one that didn’t stop dancing for the whole two-hour set. I’m still impressed at the stamina! 

I've had so many amazing moments though. Creamfields Arc Stage last summer was pretty mind-blowing as it started off so empty and ended with a huge crowd. It was also one of the biggest stages I’ve ever played, and I'm only the height of shite (tiny), so I felt like one of the borrowers! Elrow Island on Obojan, too. I did an impromptu b2b with Eats Everything and we ended up playing for 4.5hrs. It was one of those gigs that everyone says you had to be there. People were crying - we were crying! I don’t know what it was, but it was pure magic.

Worst gig you've ever played?

A corporate gig for a student night. The students rightly wanted party tunes, but the brand wanted cool chin strokey underground music, which I don’t play, so it was never going to work. I just went with what the crowd wanted. The people on the dance floor are the most important, and if it means that brand won’t work with me again, then so be it. At least I know the dance floor was happy!

What artist have you been listening to the most recently? 

I’m a huge fan of Tsha. She was one of my standout producers from 2021, and I know she’s been working away in the studio, so I'm excited over what she has for 2022. Elliot Adamson, in my opinion, is one of the scene's most exciting DJs and producers out there as he is doing everything on his terms. Releasing whole EPs under his Another Chemical Love Story alias, then taking all the music down which just gets people wanting the music more. He releases when he wants, as often as he wants and doesn’t conform to what big labels or the done format is. It's a punk attitude and I love it. As for bands, I think Gabriels are going to be the biggest band of the decade, and I love what The Snuts are doing too. They’ve got me excited about guitar music again.  

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Do you have any music coming out this year? 

Yes, there’s loads, and I’m buzzing to get it out to the world! The first one, “Soul Full", is out now. It’s an unashamed high energy track with the huge soulful house vocals of Joe Killington, who I pursued to have on the track. 

The next one will be coming around March, and I'll finally be releasing a secret weapon that I've had in my sets for a while. It’s summer personified and I'm gagging to officially release it. I’ve been lucky to hit the studio with a lot of pals, too. So a few collabs are coming with pals, DJ’s and producers who I've idolised for years. I’m excited for people to hear them all!

What are you most looking forward to in 2022? 

Playing places I've not played before. I love the challenge of playing in a new town, city, country, club and seeing what the crowd want. Gigs kick off again in Feb with my first headline show of 2022 at Brixton Jamm. And then in March I'll be hitting the alps for Snowboxx, Bournemouth for the Lady Of The House tour, which has just got on sale on Skiddle, I believe! Then Miami and Mayrhofen. Not a bad start to the year!

Arielle has been smashing events up and down the country and beyond for some time now. From Ministry of Sound’s 30th birthday bash to the Culture Club in Dubrovnic, she’s been treating music-loving audiences to her unreal sets and has decided it’s time to drop her own music. We love "Soul Full" and can’t wait to hear the other tunes she’s created!

Check out Arielle’s smashing debut single, Soul Full, below. And secure your Arielle Free tickets here. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.