DJ Exclusive: Interview with Becka Blackrain

DJ Becka "Becks" Blackrain Chillin

I caught Becka "Becks" Blackrain several times at  AAI this year and have always enjoyed the fresh mix of Indie and tasteful songs that she spins. I love the clubs she DJs in and it is always a great time to be at one of Becks sets. Go find out and you tell me!!

Are you DJing currently and where? Yes, I DJ Tuesday's @ AAI from 1-3 pm slt, and also @ The Bannister & Shamrock on occasion.  I have also DJ'd @ Alt7, and The Monastery of Sound, among other places.   

When did you start DJing? Ive been DJing for about a year now.  I have every set I ever did written in notebooks. (total nerd) 

First Club? The 1st place I DJ'd Indie tunes was The Bannister & Shamrock.  But before that, I did a few sets @ Blackheart's Place. 

Most unusual thing you saw while DJing?  Well, one time I had a fire-breathing dragon come to my set!  He was so big, that hardly anyone else could fit in the club!  Haha! 

Becka Blackrain

Favorite music? That's a tough one for me...My musical tastes range drastically.  I truly love fun, care-free bands like Best Coast and Passion Pit, but I also love to delve into a ballad by the likes of The Irrespressibles or Okkervil River.  One style of music that I listen to, but dont often have a chance to DJ, is the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grapelli.  It's, by far, the most fascinating music to me, and I can literally listen to them play swing jazz for hours upon hours!!   

Influences? My influences come from far and wide.  My father played bluegrass music on his mandolin when I was a little girl so there's that.  Then I really got into Folk and Classic Rock in my teens, like Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Led Zepellin and Pink Floyd.  I went to college and studied music in Texas and it was there that I heard Django Reinhardt and the style he created named Gypsy Jazz.  I then moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where I was submersed in Indie music.  I truly find MOST styles of music very interesting and very worth the listen.   And, ok.....I just wanna whisper this really fast because I feel that I should mention him...  EMINEM RULES!!!!  xo 

What do you listen to at home? Depends on my mood.  Mornings are definitely Django Reinhardt.  Here is generally what u may here at MY house in a few hours time.....   tUnE-yArDs, Best Coast, Elliott Smith, The Naked and Famous, Pixies, Royksopp, The Cure, Ani Difranco, Belle and Sebastian, Arcade Fire, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Mates of State, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Wilco, M83, Lykke Li, Starfucker, The Postal Service, and Chromatics.  

Do you have a regular set you play, a “go to” set? Nuuuuu, never!  Every set I play is original, and carefully thought out.  I spend days making a set-list and getting the songs in the perfect order and writing it all down in my notebooks, complete with fade-in and fade-out details for each song. (Told ya I was a nerd :p) 

When can we hear you DJ usually? Any Tuesday @ AAI from 1-3 pm slt, or come by The Bannister & Shamrock anytime and I'd be happy to spin some tunes.  I'm almost always there hanging out:) 

Becks at the Bannister & Shamrock

Cream and sugar or black? Hot Cocoa!!   ......coffee sucks. 

Cat or Dog? Doggy!!   Black and Tan Coon-hound.....with long beautiful ears and an even more beautiful bark.  (love you Ruby) 

If you could take one thing from your inventory for real-life use, what would it be, and why pick it?   This is a very hard question!!  At 1st I thought "Oh!  The teddy bear-surfboard!  No!, No!... The chicken Launcher!  No! Wait!.... Definitely my Porsche car!"  .....But, the truth is, if I could truly take ONE thing from Second life and have it in real-life, it would be my Shiki heels from Maitreya!  I love those shoes sooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!  If a shoe designer is reading this, please! please! PLEASE! make me some real-life Shiki heels!!!!    



Thanks for the interview Becks, and come hear her at AAi and The Bannister&Shamrock !


Photography by Piedmont Cartauld.