Even from your earliest memories, one of the most prevalent questions in an individual’s life is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We may have responded to that question with answers like doctor, lawyer, musician, actor, pro athlete, etc. However, most of us do not have an exact answer. Swedish DJ/Producer, Jeremy Olander is no exception. Perhaps best known for starting his career at Eric Prydz‘s label, Pryda Friends, and for their joint, outstanding BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix from earlier this year, Olander is a leader in the true progressive house scene. However, as Olander puts it, he had no idea that would be his path while growing up in Stockholm.
Jeremy’s story is a familiar one, he comes from a loving family, but his parents wanted Jeremy to focus on his academic endeavors. As Jeremy puts it, that just wasn’t for him. Like many youths, he struggled to focus on studying. Although Jeremy discovered dance music at this time, he never thought a career in the industry would be something he could actually do.
Jeremy says that producing came gradually to him. It was weeks and months of practice before he finally decided to pursue music as a career, and even then, it almost didn’t happen. Maybe it was good karma, but when Jeremy’s parents told him he needed to improve in school and get into university, that’s actually when Jeremy’s career took off. After working to improve his studies, only two months into university, Jeremy got signed by Prydz, and hasn’t looked back since.
Despite his success, he remains down to earth and focuses on the simple things in life. One of the ways he finds a work-life balance is by trying to produce during normal working hours. When first breaking into the scene, Jeremy says he would just stay in bed and produce until the wee hours of the morning. Now, Jeremy wakes up with his girlfriend and tries to maintain as much of a 9-to-5 routine as possible. In fact, the hardest part for Jeremy as an artist, he says, is being on the road away from his friends and family.
Jeremy looks to other forms of art as inspiration. He loves reading books and watching films, as well as playing video games and listening to other music, as he is fascinated by the art of production. Jeremy is an animal lover as well and has gone so far as becoming a vegetarian to do his small part to help the world at large.
“…if I’m making a track and I feel like it sounds very similar to something I’ve already done, I usually just scrap it and move on to something else and try to make something fresh and new… just different arrangements and different kinds of vibes, just trying to refresh yourself all the time. I think it’s important as an artist to push yourself and not get stuck in one pattern all the time.”
Jeremy will be touring the US starting July 10 in Philadelphia. Tour stops include New York, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Be sure to check out his epic lo-fi set and his free download ‘Mustela’, available on his Soundcloud:
