In conversation with LVA: Battle of the DJs winner headed to Shabang
On April 11, six student DJs competed for a coveted spot at the upcoming Shabang Music Festival. After a night showcasing a range of styles and high-energy sets, one DJ came out on top: DJ LVA.
Also known as Lauren Mann, DJ LVA will now return to the spotlight Saturday, May 2 at Shabang, bringing her sound to the festival crowd in San Luis Obispo. In this interview, she reflects on the competition, the crowd and what’s next.
Q: What was going through your head when they announced you as the winner?
A: “I was very surprised and excited, and it was so rewarding because I knew that part of that was due to the amazing people that showed up for me and came and supported my set. The first thing that came to mind was just gratitude and a lot of excitement and surprise.”
Q: What was your favorite part of the experience?
A: “The crowd. The crowd’s energy was great. It was the perfect size. I’ve played in front of 3,000 people and I’ve played in front of three people, and having 300 in that room was the perfect amount of people to fill a dance floor. Everyone was really open to hearing any style of music.”
Q: How did competing against other student DJs push or challenge you?
A: “It was definitely a little more stressful having it be a live competition. It felt more high pressure and high stakes because your style is being put up and contrasted with other people’s styles. But it was also really, really fun because you didn’t know what the person before or after you was going to play. The energy shifts just made the whole event very fun.”
READ MORE: Battle of the DJs: Meet the six students competing for a spot at Shabang
Q: How does preparing for a competition set differ from preparing for a festival like Shabang?
A: “For my competition set, we were given who we were up against so I looked into their music styles a little bit and I was like, well, how does mine differentiate from theirs? I didn’t prepare in that sense, but I had that thought in the back of my mind. How can the songs that I pick stand out? How can I bring in these really unique vocals and things that people will remember? At Shabang, I’m really focused on the atmosphere. I feel like, having attended my first Shabang last year…I understand what people want to hear and also what experience people are looking to have at Shabang. I’m definitely going to do some experimentation and also bring in things that have worked well in other sets. It’s a combination of curating the Shabang experience with having a lot of fun and being able to make people dance.”
Q: Do you plan to change or evolve your sound at all for Shabang, or stick to what won you the competition?
A: “It will definitely be a different set. I wouldn’t want to play the same thing again, but I would say I’m definitely going to bring the same fast-paced energy, bring in things that will be culturally and experientially relevant to Shabang and more fun surprises.”
Q: What do you want people at Shabang to feel when they hear your set?
A: “I want them to feel inclined to dance, to move their bodies and to just feel really present. I don’t want any song to feel like it’s just being played because I want to play it, you know, I want it to feel really, really engaging. I want it to compliment everybody’s Shabang experience…and everyone that likes EDM in some way.”
Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about you?
A: “I’m hyped. And I would love to see people come and dance at the Greenhouse Stage on Saturday.”
Catch DJ LVA at Shabang May 2 and May 3 — and come ready to dance.
