What is the X-Factor that makes an artist go from good to great? How can someone go from selling plasma just so they can afford groceries to performing at Red Rocks? While there are a few different ways to get from point A to point B, Seth David did it through creative exploration, fearless expression, and sheer determination all while maintaining an unwavering authenticity to himself.
In December 2024, right at the end of a breakout year for the Chicago bass maverick, River Beats Dance rendezvoused with Seth David at DC’s Echostage for his supporting slot alongside Subtronics. During the green room interview, David discussed his journey through sound, the highs and lows of his career, his sudden rise to fame, and how he plans to make American Skanka ring through venues nationwide.
Maximilian Vanegas: What was the first time you connected with music?
Seth David: There’s this group I listened to growing up called DC Talk. I was obsessed with them. The music was a mixture of rock, hip-hop, and dance all blended together. It got to the point where I would go to the library just so I could watch their tour videos. Also, my dad was a drummer so I always grew up with a drumset in the house. When I played one for the first time it was like this new form of expression and emotion that really stuck with me.
MV: How did that love progress?
SD: I was in bands but they were hard to keep together. It’s hard to keep five dudes locked in the creative experience and collaborating with one another. I always felt like I was the one that cared the most or was putting in the most work. So I just started learning how to do different things like piano, guitar, and eventually recording. I just love making music so I really pursued any avenue that interested me.
MV: How did that lead to electronic music?
SD: So I moved to Georgia when I graduated high school to pursue hip-hop music. At the time, that was the thing I was really focusing on. When I came home (Illinois) to visit everyone was talking about Avicii and the wave he was on. All anyone cared about was electronic. Skrillex was also blowing up at the time and my friends were just like, “You got to check out this music, bro. You would kill it if you started making dubstep” and all that shit. I finally got dragged to a Rusko show and ended up loving it. The very next day I started making music with my best friend Rende (who to this day is still my best friend). Seeing it live just put it in a totally different perspective and made me realize the energy behind that kind of music in that kind of environment.
MV: When did you seriously start to consider music as a profession?
SD: So after that Rusko show I dove pretty heavily into electronic music and production alongside my best friend Rende who I mentioned. We started a group called RCKT PWR and saw a lot of success with streams in the millions. We moved out to LA and that was actually when I started the Seth David thing. It was intended as a house side project with RCKT PWR still being my main thing. As I started leaning more into the Seth David project, I also stopped enjoying writing house music as much so I kind of just took a pause for a little.
SD: Then I went to Electric Forest and saw acts like Levity and Daily Bread and was blown away. I knew then and there that was the shit I wanted to make. After that, I went home, made “Kryptonite,” put it on TikTok, and went viral. That was really the beginning of the project.
MV: And now you have arrived at your debut bass EP. How long have you been working on “Glory Days,” what was your intention with the EP, and what can fans expect from it?
SD: Glory Days was something I started working on when I initially made my switch from house to bass music. I really wanted to hone in on the sound that I initially fell in love with. Been tinkering around and playing these tracks out on the Digital Night Drive tour to finalize them. Really happy with how it turned out.
MV: Whether its massive tours or big releases, it’s clear that you’ve enjoyed a lot of high points in your career. But it sounds like it wasn’t always that way. Can you talk about your grind coming up in the scene and some of the more challenging moments you faced while building your career?
SD: Totally. What’s funny is that while things are a little more glamorous now, you’re still fighting an uphill battle. It’s still a grind to continue elevating the project. But probably one of the hardest periods of my career was when I was living with basically a complete stranger, like a friend of a friend of a friend, and we were donating plasma each week to buy groceries. I didn’t even have a room. I literally slept in his loveseat at this insane angle because the armrests were super high. That was tough.
MV: What is the secret sauce or X-Factor that got you through that time and where you are today?
SD: I always come from the heart, man. I always try to stay true to myself and write music that imitates where I’m at in life too. My music really is a reflection of where I’m at and I feel like a lot of people can connect with the stuff that I’m making just due to the fact that it’s a pure expression of art.
MV: Do you have any tips for artists to stay authentic in a similar way that you have?
SD: Just be nice to yourself. I feel like that’s the best thing. You just got to understand you’re going to be awkward in the beginning. Anytime you do anything new, it’s going to be weird. It’s going to be awkward. That’s just part of it. You’re going to go through trials, obstacles, and experiences that might be difficult, but they’re shaping you. They’re getting you ready for what’s next and if you can approach life with that perspective, you’ll be fine.
MV: Have there been any fellow artists or big mentors that have helped you get “ready for what’s next” so to speak?
SD: Shout out Smoakland for sure. They were the first guys who really put me on and played my music out.
MV: You were playing with them recently too, right?
SD: Yeah and we got an EP together. Smoakland are definitely those guys. They always give me advice and show love. But I mean everybody I’ve worked with has been like that, that’s the craziest part. I feel like when you’re doing you and you’re just being yourself, everyone you meet is willing to help you or at least give you some advice.
MV: One thing that I think a lot of people need to get more schooled on, including myself, is the black roots of electronic music. I wanted to ask you if any part of this culture influenced you and if there are any particular characters who you looked up to for inspiration.
SD: Anybody, no matter what race you are, you’re going to look up to people within your niche and you’re going to want to emulate them. I remember when Carnage blew up and he was a shining star for me. He was the only one on that side of the bass music scene really getting after it. But I feel like he got even extra scrutiny you know what I mean? I also noticed that with female artists too. But that’s just part of being part of a marginalized group.
SD: As far as black artists are concerned, I listen to a lot of Kaytranada now – he is a really big inspiration for me. Carl Cox is another one, Carnage, and obviously Black Coffee is fire. SuperAve is one of my dudes as well. That’s why I love being on Mind Warp too – there’s a lot of representation which is great to be a part of.
MV: You mentioned a marginality that exists in the space. Have you ever experienced moments that showed you an example of this inequality?
SD: Sometimes I run into issues where people don’t think I’m the DJ. Because people just assume that it must be a white dude if it’s electronic music. So I run into shit like that all the time. But I mean, I don’t try to point fingers or really blame people. For me to crash out every single time something happens just wouldn’t be beneficial to myself. I feel like I would walk around angry all the time. So I just try to have love in my heart and show love to everybody I meet. I treat everyone with respect and hopefully, I get it back.
MV: Speaking of who you are, I want to ask you about two words and how they speak to your character – American Skanka.
SD: I’ve always wanted my music to have a cinematic element to it. I remember when I first started listening to dubstep, it was always like skanka this skanka that and American Gangster is one of my favorite movies. So I put ’em both together – American Skanka – meaning the American Gangster of bass music. I’m not from London, you know what I mean? I’m not from over there. So paying homage to that as the American Skanka is one of the main ideas behind the project. That’s why all my mixes start with a scene from that movie. It just gives the attitude and energy I’m trying to capture so it’s perfect.
MV: Let’s chat about the fans real quick. You’ve developed a really passionate fanbase in a really short amount of time. Can you recall any special moments or experiences with fans that really stuck with you?
SD: Honestly it happens every day. There is a girl on IG constantly posting on her story saying “I know you’re probably tired of hearing me talk about this, but y’all need to go listen to Seth David.” My fans are the reason I’m here, no one has pushed me more than them. Seeing videos and TikToks of people flowing to my tracks, having fans who have seen every one of my shows or who drive hours all over the country just to see me play just blows my mind.
MV: You can pay for ads, you can pay for merch, but you can’t pay for devotion like that.
SD: And I’ve never run an ad in my life. It’s been organic from the jump. It’s insane. So yeah, the fans are everything to me.
MV: It’s undeniable that this fandom grew exponentially in 2024. Would you mind sharing one or two special moments from this breakout year of yours?
SD: One of the biggest highlights of 2024 was probably Red Rocks at the beginning of the year. Having Mersiv bring me out was just so insane. To be at Red Rocks for the first time during the peak of a headliner set, that energy is unmatched. I’ll be chasing that high forever. Then I’d probably say New Orleans or Arizona – both of those sets were super special. Everyone was singing every song. I mean they were screaming before I even started playing music at like 9 o’clock. It just seemed like they wanted to get there early specifically to see me play which really meant a lot.
MV: Last year was clearly massive, but it looks like 2025 might be even bigger. What are you most excited for this year? What do you hope to accomplish?
SD: There’s stuff I can’t even talk about yet that I’m excited as fuck about. Red Rocks with Mersiv in April and Brooklyn Mirage with Tape B in June are probably the two biggest shows I’m looking forward to. There will be some new visuals as well that my dude Christian put together. It’s going to be cinematic for sure.
Less than 30 minutes after our backstage interview, the cool, calm, and collected character I had just spoken with evaporated into a frenzied mist of crushing bass frequencies and high-energy gyration.
While a good portion of that early crowd may have been there for the headliner, for 60 minutes they were Seth David’s and his alone. With his team standing side-stage, Seth David threw down a melee of trap, dubstep, trip-hop, and at one point even a little techno which set that fervent crowd at DC’s Echostage on fire.
While David may have modestly implied that his open-mindedness helped lead him to stardom, I was witnessing in real time one element that he failed to mention – his warlike stage presence. That night, and for what I assume has been for the past few years and many more to come, Seth David didn’t play us his songs – he performed them. The man is an entertainer through and through and the fact that he is also a chill-ass dude who leads with his heart and turns his head to hate just makes him all the more likable.
We wish Seth David the best as he heads into another massive year with plays alongside Tape B and Mersiv at venues like the Brooklyn Mirage and Red Rocks. To get a sample of his latest batch of special sauce, head over to your preferred listening platform and listen to his brand-new EP, Glory Days.
Follow Seth David:
Instagram | SoundCloud
What is the X-Factor that makes an artist go from good to great? How can someone go from selling plasma just so they can afford groceries to performing at Red Rocks? While there are a few different ways to get from point A to point B, Seth David did it through creative exploration, fearless expression, and sheer determination all while maintaining an unwavering authenticity to himself.
In December 2024, right at the end of a breakout year for the Chicago bass maverick, River Beats Dance rendezvoused with Seth David at DC’s Echostage for his supporting slot alongside Subtronics. During the green room interview, David discussed his journey through sound, the highs and lows of his career, his sudden rise to fame, and how he plans to make American Skanka ring through venues nationwide.
Maximilian Vanegas: What was the first time you connected with music?
Seth David: There’s this group I listened to growing up called DC Talk. I was obsessed with them. The music was a mixture of rock, hip-hop, and dance all blended together. It got to the point where I would go to the library just so I could watch their tour videos. Also, my dad was a drummer so I always grew up with a drumset in the house. When I played one for the first time it was like this new form of expression and emotion that really stuck with me.
MV: How did that love progress?
SD: I was in bands but they were hard to keep together. It’s hard to keep five dudes locked in the creative experience and collaborating with one another. I always felt like I was the one that cared the most or was putting in the most work. So I just started learning how to do different things like piano, guitar, and eventually recording. I just love making music so I really pursued any avenue that interested me.
MV: How did that lead to electronic music?
SD: So I moved to Georgia when I graduated high school to pursue hip-hop music. At the time, that was the thing I was really focusing on. When I came home (Illinois) to visit everyone was talking about Avicii and the wave he was on. All anyone cared about was electronic. Skrillex was also blowing up at the time and my friends were just like, “You got to check out this music, bro. You would kill it if you started making dubstep” and all that shit. I finally got dragged to a Rusko show and ended up loving it. The very next day I started making music with my best friend Rende (who to this day is still my best friend). Seeing it live just put it in a totally different perspective and made me realize the energy behind that kind of music in that kind of environment.
MV: When did you seriously start to consider music as a profession?
SD: So after that Rusko show I dove pretty heavily into electronic music and production alongside my best friend Rende who I mentioned. We started a group called RCKT PWR and saw a lot of success with streams in the millions. We moved out to LA and that was actually when I started the Seth David thing. It was intended as a house side project with RCKT PWR still being my main thing. As I started leaning more into the Seth David project, I also stopped enjoying writing house music as much so I kind of just took a pause for a little.
SD: Then I went to Electric Forest and saw acts like Levity and Daily Bread and was blown away. I knew then and there that was the shit I wanted to make. After that, I went home, made “Kryptonite,” put it on TikTok, and went viral. That was really the beginning of the project.
MV: And now you have arrived at your debut bass EP. How long have you been working on “Glory Days,” what was your intention with the EP, and what can fans expect from it?
SD: Glory Days was something I started working on when I initially made my switch from house to bass music. I really wanted to hone in on the sound that I initially fell in love with. Been tinkering around and playing these tracks out on the Digital Night Drive tour to finalize them. Really happy with how it turned out.
MV: Whether its massive tours or big releases, it’s clear that you’ve enjoyed a lot of high points in your career. But it sounds like it wasn’t always that way. Can you talk about your grind coming up in the scene and some of the more challenging moments you faced while building your career?
SD: Totally. What’s funny is that while things are a little more glamorous now, you’re still fighting an uphill battle. It’s still a grind to continue elevating the project. But probably one of the hardest periods of my career was when I was living with basically a complete stranger, like a friend of a friend of a friend, and we were donating plasma each week to buy groceries. I didn’t even have a room. I literally slept in his loveseat at this insane angle because the armrests were super high. That was tough.
MV: What is the secret sauce or X-Factor that got you through that time and where you are today?
SD: I always come from the heart, man. I always try to stay true to myself and write music that imitates where I’m at in life too. My music really is a reflection of where I’m at and I feel like a lot of people can connect with the stuff that I’m making just due to the fact that it’s a pure expression of art.
MV: Do you have any tips for artists to stay authentic in a similar way that you have?
SD: Just be nice to yourself. I feel like that’s the best thing. You just got to understand you’re going to be awkward in the beginning. Anytime you do anything new, it’s going to be weird. It’s going to be awkward. That’s just part of it. You’re going to go through trials, obstacles, and experiences that might be difficult, but they’re shaping you. They’re getting you ready for what’s next and if you can approach life with that perspective, you’ll be fine.
SD: Shout out Smoakland for sure. They were the first guys who really put me on and played my music out.
MV: You were playing with them recently too, right?
SD: Yeah and we got an EP together. Smoakland are definitely those guys. They always give me advice and show love. But I mean everybody I’ve worked with has been like that, that’s the craziest part. I feel like when you’re doing you and you’re just being yourself, everyone you meet is willing to help you or at least give you some advice.
MV: One thing that I think a lot of people need to get more schooled on, including myself, is the black roots of electronic music. I wanted to ask you if any part of this culture influenced you and if there are any particular characters who you looked up to for inspiration.
SD: Anybody, no matter what race you are, you’re going to look up to people within your niche and you’re going to want to emulate them. I remember when Carnage blew up and he was a shining star for me. He was the only one on that side of the bass music scene really getting after it. But I feel like he got even extra scrutiny you know what I mean? I also noticed that with female artists too. But that’s just part of being part of a marginalized group.
SD: As far as black artists are concerned, I listen to a lot of Kaytranada now – he is a really big inspiration for me. Carl Cox is another one, Carnage, and obviously Black Coffee is fire. SuperAve is one of my dudes as well. That’s why I love being on Mind Warp too – there’s a lot of representation which is great to be a part of.
MV: You mentioned a marginality that exists in the space. Have you ever experienced moments that showed you an example of this inequality?
SD: Sometimes I run into issues where people don’t think I’m the DJ. Because people just assume that it must be a white dude if it’s electronic music. So I run into shit like that all the time. But I mean, I don’t try to point fingers or really blame people. For me to crash out every single time something happens just wouldn’t be beneficial to myself. I feel like I would walk around angry all the time. So I just try to have love in my heart and show love to everybody I meet. I treat everyone with respect and hopefully, I get it back.
MV: Speaking of who you are, I want to ask you about two words and how they speak to your character – American Skanka.
SD: I’ve always wanted my music to have a cinematic element to it. I remember when I first started listening to dubstep, it was always like skanka this skanka that and American Gangster is one of my favorite movies. So I put ’em both together – American Skanka – meaning the American Gangster of bass music. I’m not from London, you know what I mean? I’m not from over there. So paying homage to that as the American Skanka is one of the main ideas behind the project. That’s why all my mixes start with a scene from that movie. It just gives the attitude and energy I’m trying to capture so it’s perfect.
MV: Let’s chat about the fans real quick. You’ve developed a really passionate fanbase in a really short amount of time. Can you recall any special moments or experiences with fans that really stuck with you?
SD: Honestly it happens every day. There is a girl on IG constantly posting on her story saying “I know you’re probably tired of hearing me talk about this, but y’all need to go listen to Seth David.” My fans are the reason I’m here, no one has pushed me more than them. Seeing videos and TikToks of people flowing to my tracks, having fans who have seen every one of my shows or who drive hours all over the country just to see me play just blows my mind.
MV: You can pay for ads, you can pay for merch, but you can’t pay for devotion like that.
SD: And I’ve never run an ad in my life. It’s been organic from the jump. It’s insane. So yeah, the fans are everything to me.
MV: It’s undeniable that this fandom grew exponentially in 2024. Would you mind sharing one or two special moments from this breakout year of yours?
SD: One of the biggest highlights of 2024 was probably Red Rocks at the beginning of the year. Having Mersiv bring me out was just so insane. To be at Red Rocks for the first time during the peak of a headliner set, that energy is unmatched. I’ll be chasing that high forever. Then I’d probably say New Orleans or Arizona – both of those sets were super special. Everyone was singing every song. I mean they were screaming before I even started playing music at like 9 o’clock. It just seemed like they wanted to get there early specifically to see me play which really meant a lot.
MV: Last year was clearly massive, but it looks like 2025 might be even bigger. What are you most excited for this year? What do you hope to accomplish?
SD: There’s stuff I can’t even talk about yet that I’m excited as fuck about. Red Rocks with Mersiv in April and Brooklyn Mirage with Tape B in June are probably the two biggest shows I’m looking forward to. There will be some new visuals as well that my dude Christian put together. It’s going to be cinematic for sure.
Less than 30 minutes after our backstage interview, the cool, calm, and collected character I had just spoken with evaporated into a frenzied mist of crushing bass frequencies and high-energy gyration.
While a good portion of that early crowd may have been there for the headliner, for 60 minutes they were Seth David’s and his alone. With his team standing side-stage, Seth David threw down a melee of trap, dubstep, trip-hop, and at one point even a little techno which set that fervent crowd at DC’s Echostage on fire.
While David may have modestly implied that his open-mindedness helped lead him to stardom, I was witnessing in real time one element that he failed to mention – his warlike stage presence. That night, and for what I assume has been for the past few years and many more to come, Seth David didn’t play us his songs – he performed them. The man is an entertainer through and through and the fact that he is also a chill-ass dude who leads with his heart and turns his head to hate just makes him all the more likable.
We wish Seth David the best as he heads into another massive year with plays alongside Tape B and Mersiv at venues like the Brooklyn Mirage and Red Rocks. To get a sample of his latest batch of special sauce, head over to your preferred listening platform and listen to his brand-new EP, Glory Days.
Follow Seth David:
Instagram | SoundCloud
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