Jay Hardway Carries 2018 With Single “Solid” [Interview]

Carrying on 2018 like a beast, Dutch DJ/Producer Jay Hardway has been on a roll of tour stops and new music this year, as he remains one of the most energetic and youthful faces of electronic dance music.

Since he began DJing at 14, Jay has spent his years turning creative melodies of imagination into pure dancefloor gold. The result is not only a rapidly growing discography, but a global takeover of performance and absolutely unforgettable experiences for crowds at shows and festivals around the world. Jay’s heart soaring and uplifting tracks have led him to become the internationally recognized and beloved artist he is today. Expanding his fan base and evolving his sound from his first mega collaborations with Martin Garrix, Firebeatz, Bassjackers, and MOTi, to more recent smash team ups with Mesto and The Him, Jay has this vivacious and soulful style of music that makes him a real stand out in the scene.

Following up with his newest single “Solid,” fans experience the classic Jay rhythms we all know and love yet this time around on an even more amplified scale. With striking beats that fuse flawlessly together with the overlaying melody, “Solid” from start to finish is a piece of pure bliss and excitement, just begging to be dished out more and more across major festival stages as well as shake the walls of any nightclub.

Jay has graced the electronic scene with a slew of hype remixes from fellow artists Armin van Buuren, Borgeous, Sam Feldt and more, however his solo endeavors captivate fans like none other. His innate ability to produce playful, energetic, and charismatic songs like his classics “Bootcamp,” “Freedom,” and “Wizard,” to his recent anthems “Save Me,” “Coffee Please,” “Jigsaw,” and “Solid,” Jay is always on the lookout for something new and clever ways to produce tracks. Taking the stage at Tomorrowland, EDC New York, Hakkasan Las Vegas, Sziget, Creamfields Brasil, AMF, Electric Love, Mysteryland and many more, Jay is ready to turn on his high power and charm for any crowd across the globe.

Check out our interview below to hear what Jay has to say about summer highlights, favorite music, future plans and more!

The Nocturnal Times: We last sat down with you during Miami Music Week and Ultra. Since then you have been on a roll of releasing music! How does it feel to finally share all the new tracks with fans/ seeing & hearing their reactions?

Jay Hardway: It’s always amazing to play tracks that i’ve been working on for a long time. It’s even better when the response of the crowd is very good! So sometimes I’m bored of my own tracks, because I’ve spent hours working on them, but the reaction of the crowd and the fans online makes me happy to play those tracks again!

The Nocturnal Times: Now that summer 2018 is well underway, what have a couple stand out crowds been so far?

Jay Hardway: EDMania in Slovakia, Parookaville and Openbeatz definitely stood out! Festivals are getting bigger every year it seems haha, and the fans are getting younger! Amazing to see the shift going to the next direction and also a challenge to get them excited for my music as well.

The Nocturnal Times: Your new song “Solid” just dropped today (July 20), and it may be one of your most melodic and whimsical tracks yet! What can you share with us about the inspiration behind it?

Jay Hardway: I actually made it during a tutorial I did for 789ten.com. In the tutorial I was asked to start a track from scratch, so I did, and the end result is Solid. I was inspired by Sky and Sand by Paul Kalkbrenner for the break and the melody has a bit of trance influences in there. I think this is a typical Jay Hardway melody and I’m very happy with the end result.

The Nocturnal Times: You have your set lined up for the second weekend at the motherland of all festivals, Tomorrowland. How does it feel to be back and playing on Sunday, closing day?

Jay Hardway: Tomorrowland is always a very special place. People from literally all over the world celebrating life together never gets old. Closing weekend means i get to see the closing ceremony at the end as well, so I can’t wait to see that.

The Nocturnal Times: Beyond Tomorrowland, what are some highlights in the next few months you are looking forward to most?

Jay Hardway: Sziget is another big show I’m really looking forward to. This is a really cool festival because it’s not only EDM that’s on the line-up but a very diverse selection of artists. Because of this the crowd is very different, but very enthusiastic as well!

The Nocturnal Times: Are there any collaborations in the works you can tell us about?

Jay Hardway: Well there are some cool collaborations in the works, but I can’t really tell much about it yet. I do have a track coming up with an artist that people don’t expect me to work together with, so I’m really excited to share more about that soon.

The Nocturnal Times: Are there any other artists that you look up to, or friends of yours that you’d love to see yourself touring with in the future?

Jay Hardway: I would love to do a big bus tour with all of my dj friends haha. I don’t necessarily look up to anyone that much, but I get inspired by all of the artist around me. Beginning artists or legends that  have been dj’ing for 20+ years, it doesn’t matter, I get inspired by good energy!

The Nocturnal Times: Just like yourself, your friends and fellow artists are releasing new music as well. What are a few recent releases you’ve been jamming to??

Jay Hardway: Toby green – Ready is my favourite track right now! I do have a lot of other tracks that inspire me, but this changes every week. I would suggest to subscribe/sign up to my spotify playlist ‘Inspire Radio’ as I’m adding tracks that inspire me, so this means it’s not all EDM, but it can be of different genres as well!