Rising artist wes pierce digs into his early experiences in the scene, where he’s heading next, and the story behind the tracks on his latest EP.
Southern California is home to many artists who are making some serious moves in the dance music scene, one of whom is wes pierce. While his roots are in rock and metal, and he spent six years in Special Operations in the military, his passion for dance music carried him forward after hearing music from the likes of Kaskade and deadmau5. In recent years, he has explored genres like breakbeat, bassline, and UK Garage, and he’s also found a production groove at an unorthodox location, the Charley Box in Bristol.
Releases from wes pierce have found a home on labels like Space Yacht, and each one has shown off his signature sound for the masses to bask in on the dancefloor. His latest EP, Lost Time, found a home on the imprint and opened the doors to his deeper emotions of love, heartbreak, and more. On the performance front, he’s gearing up to take the stage at EDC Las Vegas this weekend, marking his Insomniac debut. Make sure you catch him to take the stage at House of Dunkin; it’s sure to be a set you won’t want to miss.
Looking to gain more insight into the mind of wes pierce, we sat down with him for a quality chat. Read on for our full conversation with as he dives into his latest release, the unique location where he’s produced some of his best tunes, what’s in store for the future, and more!
Stream wes pierce – Lost Time EP on Spotify:
Hi Wes! Thanks for chatting with us today, and congrats on the release of the Lost Time EP. Before we chat about your new release, let’s talk about your past. Looking back, who were some of the most impactful people, or what were some of the most impactful moments that helped develop your passion for dance music?
I started really getting into dance music in 2011 when one of my best friends showed me “I Remember” and “Move for Me” by Kaskade and deadmau5. I was obsessed from the jump, which led to deeper dives into other electronic music. The journey into dance music definitely evolved over the years. Before discovering it, I was super into punk and death metal. That’s quite the contrast there [laughs].
The transition had to do with what I was going through at the time. I needed to get away from dark and heavy metal music, and I found so much solace and happiness listening to an album like Strobelite Seduction by Kaskade. He is still an all-time favorite artist.
Your style takes elements from garage and bass, and you’ve found a way to create dreamy yet danceable soundscapes for many of your tracks. What was the main driving force that helped develop this unique sound?
I really appreciate the kind words there. It’s a tricky question to answer. I often feel like my music doesn’t translate to the dancefloor. and it’s because I hardly make music with the intention of it being a club banger or something that’s gonna pop off like that. I just wanna make music that I love. A lot of my songs are inspired by experiences.
“WAIT TO LEAVE” is a good example. I dressed up as Spike for Halloween, and the following days, I decided to rewatch some Cowboy Bebop. I heard some snippets in the dogfight scene, the sax stuff. Incredible. I sampled that and some dialogue and decided to play a little piano and guitar. I found a vocal in a sample pack that was perfect for the tune. I just wanted to tell Spike and Julia’s story through this tune because I relate heavily to them.
Anyway, when it comes down to it, I just pour my emotion into my music; whether it’s hope, happiness, anger, or sadness, it’s all in there. When I was in the military, I was always making music on deployment or training expeditions, any chance I got. It was cathartic, especially with all the craziness happening around me at that time. The process never really changed. I’m really grateful for music. It’s gotten me through so much.
You’ve found a love for producing music at the Charley Box, a former overnight jail in Bristol. What’s the story behind how you found this venue and decided to make it your studio?
Okay, so I wanna be clear that the Charley Box is not my studio [laughs]. I set up a studio there every time I stay there. One of my best friends is out in Bris and will bring over the setup along with the synths and mics I bring out there. We have a release coming out this August that we are really excited about. Anyway, Frank, the Charley Box owner, is an absolute sweetheart. When I stay, he lets me borrow his guitars, so I’ll have everything set up there. It’s a whole vibe, and I’ve made loads of music there over the past year.
As for the Charley Box, it is an Airbnb. I was on a trip to England last year. I had met Hans and Zoe out there, as well as our friend Amy. She came all the way from Indonesia, and we met up in Sheffield. Hans and Drinks On Me let me play at their last tour show, so we all were in Sheffield for that. Everyone was headed back to the States after this, and I was sitting in a hotel lobby with Amy. I decided I would go to Bristol because I had no return flight.
I’ve been obsessed with Bristol from a distance for a long time. There are so many incredible things when it comes to art that culminated in Bris, like the birth of drum and bass, glitch-hop — I mean the scene there is incredible. one of my favorite labels is there as well, Shall Not Fade. But anyway, I booked a bus to Bris after booking the only reasonable Airbnb I could find on such short notice. I get over there, and I’m walking up to this place like, “the fuck is this” because it looks pretty sketchy from the outside, and I just didn’t really catch it when I was looking at the listing.
This guy answers the door wearing a sailor’s shirt, and he’s super enthusiastic and cool. We get to talking, and the rest is history. I could feel the magic in that place as soon as I stepped in. I started setting up a little studio. Went into town and bought some monitors and had an interface. Had my synth. It was perfect. I was getting no sleep there, though. The bed is in a jail cell [laughs]. And I was getting woken up all the time. So I started sleeping during the day and then exploring a bit of the city before coming back and making music all night.
But yeah, I’ve definitely felt things there. Some spooky stuff to some, but for me, I felt very welcome. I talked to Frank about it, and he gave me a little run down on the place’s history. Super interesting. It was a jail built in 1830 by a local gang faction. This was before there were lawmen in Bristol. It was a different time back then. You can imagine what might have gone on there. Eventually, the police force was established, and they took over the Charley and turned it into a drunk tank until it was decommissioned and auctioned off to the current owner, Frank.
As sad as this is to say, it could be the end of an era for the Charley Box. It’s currently undergoing renovations to be sold this year. I am very grateful for my time there, but it will be great to find a new place to call home in Bris on my upcoming trips over the next year. I’ll be back there in a couple of weeks, and I’m super excited.
Moving to the present, let’s explore the emotional landscape of your latest release. What personal experiences or feelings inspired its creation?
OK, well, that’s an easy one to answer. “CHEMICAL” is 100% a breakup tune. We broke up at one point, and I started the initial idea. It was just the chords under the vocals and, eventually, some drums and a bassline by the end of the night. I left it there. We ended up getting back together and, for whatever reason, didn’t feel like working on the tune. we broke up for good six months later, and I finished the tune. That feeling came back and tapped into the headspace.
“Wait to Leave” came about the month I got the final master for “CHEMICAL,” and I had played it for the first time. I dressed up as Spike for Halloween and decided to rewatch some Cowboy Bebop episodes the following days. I was rewatching “Tears of Scarlett.” Those saxophones come in, and the rest is history. I sampled the intro pad and the sax, played piano, and tracked guitars. I went back and watched all the Julia scenes, and the story came together. I was digging through sample packs and found the vocal used in the drop section and chorus. It matched perfectly and told the story of Spike and Julia wanting to escape together, waiting to leave their lives together and find happiness in a new beginning.
“GET ME” came together a few months after finishing “Wait to Leave.” I was going through a healing process, basically, and “GET ME” was this hopeful, beautiful, lush top line that Nevve had sent me. The tune came together in a day, but I spent the next evening tightening some stuff up. It’s crazy… when inspiration hits, we get lost. 8-14 hours go by, and all of a sudden, this tune comes together. I’m so grateful for music. Being able to express yourself through music is the greatest gift in this world to me and so many others. Nothing will ever change that.
Two tracks on your new EP, “CHEMICAL” and “GET ME,” feature a collaboration with Nevve. Could you share the story behind these tunes and what it was like working together?
Absolutely. I first got in touch with Nevve in 2019 when I was producing under an old alias. I had done some bootleg remixes featuring their vocals and sent them to the team. They got around to listening to the remixes and were down to do some original stuff. That’s when I got the demo for “CHEMICAL.”
I had produced three versions before making the version that’s out now [laughs]. The other versions were entirely different genres on my hard drive forever. But yeah, we got in touch again in 2021 when the new version came together, and we were all stoked. They sent me more top lines, and I started exchanging a little work for them. Everyone reciprocating. All love. It’s been great from the beginning with them, and more to come that we are excited about.
On release day, you mentioned that these tunes were all produced from 2021 to 2022. Do you find yourself sitting on tracks often? Were you itching for them to finally get released?
Oh yeah, sitting on tons of music always. I’m making stuff constantly. I still have a few more from the 2021-2022 era, like “CHEMICAL,” that will be released. Super stoked to get those out and sort of close that chapter.
You have a set on the horizon at House Of Dunkin at EDC Las Vegas. What does it feel like to get the chance to play at one of the biggest festivals on the planet? How have you prepared for the set?
I am so incredibly stoked. I mean, we’ve been chatting with Insomniac for a while about releases and upcoming gigs since the fall of 2023. Not too long, but I was also submitted to play last year; it just wasn’t the time yet. With the releases in the works, we started chatting about gigs and stuff, and it was decided that EDC was the one. Insane. The Insomniac debut at EDC Las Vegas? It’s this young man’s dream come true if I’m being honest.
Low-key, I have always said I’ll wait to go to EDC when I play. I chatted about this with many friends, including some close ones who went to Icon with me. So here we are, heading to EDC for the first time, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to experience the whole thing. I’ll be getting in early Friday and will be there all three days, just really soaking it in.
When it comes to sets, I make crates and go with the flow. The tunes are definitely organized so I can vibe check, and if it’s nice, I have like five tunes I know will work grouped around that tune. I like to read the room and just go with the flow within the crate. I truly love everything I play, so I’m always vibrating. It will be fun to throw down in Dunkin54 [laughs].
While you’ve taken the stage at nightclubs and events, you’ve also played sets in the underground scene. Can you share what your favorite aspects of underground shows are compared to others?
Oh yes, I could go for hours talking about the underground. The renegade, real rave shit. I have a big love for the renegades specifically. I grew up on punk and death metal, and I was that 16-year-old kid at the sewer shows with the most eclectic lineups of street, crust, hardcore punk, and death metal. We were climbing down manholes and walking about a mile through the tunnels to the spot. the bands would pull up on the side of the freeway to unload the generators down into the tunnels. I mean, c’mon. There’s so much passion and magic in that, all for the love of the music and the community.
Other memorable times were house shows in the Logan Heights/Shell Town area in San Diego. 300 people in the backyard. I was playing with Cephalotripy and Condemned at the time. It was just insane to see a wall of headbangers all locked arms right there, pits in the back. And no cops. When you’re in the cut, it’s a little more lenient. I’ll never forget those days, and it’s why I love renegade raves like Omens in San Diego. It’s like coming full circle in a new capacity. Omens’ energy is insane. Plenty of clips on my IG from those. But yeah, people are there fancy free and just itching to dance. It’s amazing, always. Clubs are great, though, too. Our beloved Sound Nightclub in Hollywood will always be my favorite. Intimate vibe. Always love it there.
Finally, as you prepare for the rest of 2024, what goals do you hope to achieve?
Nothing too crazy. I’m just going with the flow. I truly like to have no expectations. I will say you can expect to see more releases, more shows, more out-of-state shows, and a couple of things in England. I will just leave it at that, and I appreciate you for taking the time to ask me all this stuff. Big love!
