DJ Susan’s (@susieshouse) new single “Transformation” arrives through Dirtybird with the kind of direct club functionality that fits naturally inside the label’s long-running house and tech house identity. The track is built around rolling low-end movement, crisp percussion, quick vocal work, and warped textures, giving it a late-night feel that lines up with the label’s off-center personality without losing its utility for working DJs.
The release also lands at a useful point in DJ Susan’s larger calendar. After appearing at Northern Nights in 2024, he now returns for Dirtybird Campout x Northern Nights this July, placing “Transformation” inside a larger conversation about labels, festivals, community, and the networks that help move artists through the scene. His own Hood Politics Records has also been built around that same community-first idea, which makes this interview less about theory and closer to lived experience.
DJ Susan talks plainly about how bookings happen, why promoters often book people they know and like, how social capital affects opportunity, and why being part of a community can sometimes do as much for an artist as a formal team. It is a practical, candid look at the parts of DJ culture that rarely show up in the public-facing promo cycle, even though they shape the rooms artists end up playing.
Interview With DJ Susan
What’s something you wish more people understood about how bookings actually happen from a DJ or artist’s perspective?
Plain and simple, people book who they know and who they like.
If you’re an artist trying to play certain events or venues, your best bet is to show up, support, and make yourself known. Being a supporter will open more doors for you than you can imagine. Trust your energy and make cool things happen!
Have you gotten booked for a reason that had nothing to do with the music, and how did that feel?
Following my last response, I believe being a good person and spreading positivity will also attract awesome opportunities for you. I have had so many incredible opportunities come my way from people who genuinely vibed with me as a person above all else, and it felt amazing.
Never that there’s any ulterior motive, I think it’s cool to be reminded that like-minded people stick together, and doors can open from being cool and easy to work with.
Do you think people in the scene are honest about how much social capital plays into opportunities?
Oh yeah, it’s a whole new scene out here where attention is the product now. Unfortunately for a lot of artists, the music comes third, but they get that bag by any means necessary, I guess.
How do you personally decide when to say yes to a booking, and when to pass?
For the most part, a lot of my offers are easy yeses. I’ve been blessed to work with so many cool promoters and venues, and it’s always a yes to work with them again. Alongside that, sometimes the travel just isn’t worth it.
Have you had to reframe your idea of success after seeing who gets booked and why?
Yes and no. It’s imperative to adapt to the ways of success that work in this industry, but my authenticity always comes first, so I honestly just do what feels good all the time, and it seems to be working!
What role do managers, agents, or collectives play in shaping a DJ’s visibility today?
There’s a huge advantage to having a team, but I don’t think it’s 100% necessary for a lot of people.
I think the most important team member you can have as an artist is your community. If you spend time building a foundation, especially one that people want to be a part of, nothing else matters. But for a lot of people as well, having a team can be extremely beneficial, especially being with a team that believes in your project more than you do.
Does who’s on a lineup still feel like a reflection of community, or has it become something else?
I think it’s a reflection of the agents and who the best emailer of them all is.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
