Two wolves, one artist

DateNite's path to electronic music wasn't a straight line. Classically trained in flute at Boston Conservatory, she spent high school torn between competition circuits and dreams of playing in a rock band. "I always had this like literally the two wolves in me," she laughs. After graduating, she moved to California and joined a band called Traps before eventually going solo. "I was like, when I graduate, I'm going to be in a band," she recalls, a restless energy that still defines her today.

Gear that fits in a backpack

Her first synth was a Minilogue, bought on a Guitar Center credit card, "as you do." From there she picked up a Novation Circuit for drums and started performing with a four-on-the-floor setup. Today her live rig centers on the Digitakt, Syntakt, and Circuit Tracks. "I like keeping it small for travel purposes," she explains. The shift to hardware came through Trovarsi, who pushed her to ditch the laptop: "She's like, yeah, hardware set. And I was like, okay, I don't think, she's like, no, you know, figure it out."

Finding your people in a cliquey city

Los Angeles can feel fragmented, "everyone's a DJ, everyone's a musician, it can get really cliquey", but DateNite has carved out community through collectives like Beats Freaks Geeks and compilations on Six Street Records. She emphasizes how crucial those bonds are: "We all have to have each other's backs really, especially at this level and stage of producing and artistry." A recent gig at DIY venue Non Plus Ultra reminded her why it matters. "It was just such a wholesome good night... music brings people together."

Writing fast with friends, slow on her own

When her friend Keenan sent over a vocal about sleepless nights, DateNite built the track "Up All Night" in a single session. "If you give me something to work off of, a remix or a bootleg, it's so easy," she admits. But her solo work moves at a different pace. Coming from band settings and classical ensembles, she's still adjusting to doing it all herself. "It's very different going from that to like, I'm going to do it all myself and be a solo artist, literally."

Releasing when it's ready

DateNite has a backlog of music she's been sitting on for years, enough for an album or a pile of singles. She's given herself a deadline: before her birthday in November, or at least before 2026. "I'll know when it's ready," she says, "but also it's kind of ready." She's moved away from Spotify, "I'm a big Tidal girl now because Spotify is horrible", but plans to release widely across Bandcamp, Apple Music, YouTube, and streaming platforms when the time comes.

Nature, residencies, and what's next

Looking ahead, DateNite is dreaming big. She recently applied for a residency with the National Parks Foundation that would send her to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to compose for an entire month. "Literally my dream," she says. "I want to write music in nature." She's also feeling the pull toward collaboration again, maybe a duo project, maybe a full band. "I love playing guitar and singing... eventually in the next two years, I want to start my own band again."