Out on Dim Mak on March 15
Support on all platforms HERE
Dim Mak’s exciting signee, Cheyenne Giles, drops his bodacious Bass House banger “Beg For It,” featuring stunning vocals from Peruvian singer/songwriter Britt Lari. The sultry vocal house track features a bouncy drumline and uplifting chords.
Cheyenne reflects on the track; “I made this instrumental a year ago, and I knew it was special based on the crowd reactions at my shows. I held onto it and had so many other vocalists try, but I knew as soon as I heard Britt Lari’s take on it that this was the one. Britt is so talented and really took this instrumental to a place I envisioned. I can’t wait to work with Britt again on another future hit.
Britt Lari adds, “As soon as I heard Cheyenne’s instrumental, I was hooked. Inspired by its seductive melodies and energetic beats, I wrote ‘Beg For It’ from a standpoint of playful desire. It was an honor getting to work with Cheyenne on it, and I have a lot of admiration for his work. He is a brilliant producer, and I hope to combine forces with him again soon!”
ABOUT CHEYENNE GILES
Born & bred in San Diego, Cheyenne Giles exploded on the dance music scene in 2018 with friend and collaborator knock2. Creating a unique sound heard in originals and remixes alike, he always delivers a dose of his Big Room Bounce energy. In 2019, Cheyenne signed with Tiësto’s Musical Freedom label. The legendary DJ and label boss commented saying: “Cheyenne is a unique producer who invented a unique festival groovy banging style!” He’s piqued the interest of some of the world’s best DJs, including Martin Garrix, The Chainsmokers, and Loud Luxury, to name a few, who consistently support his tracks in their sets.
With an array of high-profile U.S. performances, including Hakkasan & Wet Republic in Las Vegas, Brooklyn Mirage, Echostage, Beyond Wonderland, and EDC Orlando, Cheyenne Giles has added major market Canadian plays in Toronto at Veld Music Festival & REBEL and Montreal at New City Gas. His most recent collaboration with The Chainsmokers in 2023 proved to be Cheyenne’s biggest release, already passing 10 million Spotify streams.
For more information about Cheyenne Giles, go to:
SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify
When Cheyenne Giles dropped “Beg For It” I was blown away. I didn’t know much about him or Britt. After listening to it 3 or 4 times, I did some digging, and was impressed with Cheyenne’s career. He has worked with some BIG names including The Chainsmokers and Martin Garrix and has played on some of the biggest stages in dance music. Speaking of The Chainsmokers, his collaboration on “Make Me Feel” has over 11 million streams on Spotify.
Eager to learn more, I reached out. He was nice enough to sit down, discuss “Beg For It” and preview a busy summer ahead. This was a fun conversation, and I enjoyed spending time with him. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Cheyenne Giles.
Your new single “Beg For It” featuring Britt Lari is out now on Dim Mak. Tell me more about that release and your experience collaborating with Britt.
“Beg For It” was a long time coming. I made the instrumental awhile back as a remix, and I was getting such a good crowd reaction at every show every single time I played it. I just knew that I had something special, and I needed to take the time and find the right lyrics and vocalist to take it to the next level, and that’s exactly what I found in Britt. She nailed it first try; it was a pleasure working with her. She’s godly talented.
How did you first meet Britt? And how did you know she was the right fit for “Beg For It”?
The Dim Mak team actually got us together. They are amazing at going out and connecting me to other talented songwriters and vocalists! That’s been a standout at Dim Mak’s A&R; you can tell they are always hustling, trying to create another opportunity for their artists.
Who designed the album art? It’s giving off such a fun party vibe!
My visual theme for 2024 is sort of comic book art meets hip hop swag. It was popular in the 90s with hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg, and even early Dim Mak stuff used it, so I thought why not bring it back. It’s fun and playful, and the visualizers I’ve been getting make great visuals for shows.
Your single “Make Me Feel” has amassed more than 11 million Spotify streams. How does that make you feel, and why do you think that song was such a hit?
Something about a sexy saxophone sample, am I right? That song was something that just came together so naturally that I’m not surprised it was a hit. This wasn’t forced at all, and we just vibed in the studio every time we worked on it. We had fun making it, so I feel like it translates to when you hear that live.
You are born and bred in San Diego, California. What are some good nightclubs in America’s Finest City?
We have a bunch; some of my favorites are NOVA SD, Parq Nightclub, Bloom Nightclub, Spin Nightclub, and Bang Bang San Diego. They also throw shows 5 minutes from my house at Petco Park that are really fun.
In 2019 you signed with Musical Freedom. Did you go looking for them, or did they find you? How hands-on is Tijs with the daily management of the label?
No, they found me. I had a bit of a viral moment in 2019 where it seemed like every single DJ was playing my music. They signed me and gave me a great opportunity; it was a great learning experience for sure.
Which do you enjoy more: performing at large festivals like Beyond Wonderland or playing smaller, more intimate club gigs?
I love playing the bigger stuff; I’ve played so many intimate shows in my life that when I get to play these mega stages it really feels special to me. Intimate shows can be great too. I just get more opportunities to play those, so getting to play Veld Music Festival or Beyond Wonderland or something like EDC, Coachella feels really special when it happens. It’s a dream really.
You’re on fire, dude! Keep that spark alive and keep living life to the fullest. Not really a question… Make everyday count!
(Laughs.) I love that. I needed that today, thank you. As good as it can be, this stuff is still really, really hard sometimes.
It seems like every DJ has a podcast. Have you thought about starting your own weekly show? You know I’d subscribe!
Yeah, I actually had my own 1-hour radio show for 5 years on Pitbull’s Globalization on SiriusXM where I did the EDM MIX at 2:00 AM every Saturday night. It was fun and great exposure, but when you tour, produce, do visuals, content, and literally do everything else yourself, I was okay taking a break from the weekly mixes for a while when I left Globalization.
Are you hitting the road this spring in support of your new single or are you in the studio working on your next release?
This month is grind in the studio month. It’s time to flood the market with my sound. I’m ready to go!
How did you connect with The Chainsmokers, and what was your experience collaborating with them?
We connected through Tiësto. He was really pushing me at that time right as the pandemic hit, and he sent them the idea of “Make Me Feel”. I feel like it reminded them of their song “Split” and saw it as a great follow-up record.
How many tattoos do you currently have, and can you share the story behind your first one? Are you considering getting more tattoos down the line?
I have 7, and of course, I’ll be getting more. I’ve been collecting one in every country I visit as well as just when I get the random itch for one. They are great little memories.
What’s the typical timeframe for creating a track such as “Beg For It”? And could you walk me through your creative process for starting a song like that? Do you usually begin by experimenting with beats until you find something that clicks, or do you draw inspiration from specific sounds or melodies in your mind?
“Beg For It” specifically came from another idea I had made before, and every song is different. Sometimes an idea will just randomly pop into my head while I’m on my phone or working out. I often will get inspiration listening to my favorite music. It will just take a random sound, vocal that might excite me or give me an idea. I almost always have an idea of what I want to get done before I even sit down. Having the song written in your head before you go to a DAW is a very good tool to have.
You’ve released a lot of singles. Any plans for an EP or a full-length studio album?
Oh yes, most definitely. Working on that now. I just want it to feel really special when I do.
Which headphones do you have around your neck? Also, do you use different headphones on stage compared to those in the studio?
I use the Beats by Dre Mixr headphones. I love them because they are very loud. You can’t buy them anymore either, so they are getting harder and harder to find.
How do you prepare for a show? And do you get nervous on stage? Especially in front of so many people.
No, I used to get nervous, it’s funny the only times you get nervous as a DJ isn’t when the room is packed with a lot of people but it’s the other way around when it’s not full and the energy isn’t great.
We’ve talked about a lot today, man. What did we miss? What else can you tell me about this new single and your plans for the rest of 2024?
My plans for 2024 are just stay consistent with the releases. My fans deserve the music. They have been patiently waiting for me as I’ve teased some of these records for over 2 years now. It’s time to let the people have them.
Thanks for doing this, man. That was fun. In all the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
I just want to say thank you to my friends & fans that support and stream my music. Steve Aoki and the Dim Mak team for believing in Britt and me. All the marketing staff for the amazing content and you for this interview.
