LAVERN on His First Vegas Residency: “I Always Go Full Energy at Every Set”

Dutch DJ LAVERN stopped by to chat about landing his debut residency with Las Vegas’ Tao Group, smashing his goals, and expanding his vision.

Some artists wait for the stars to align, but rising star LAVERN aligned them himself. The young Dutch talent took a leap of faith just a few years ago, trading his law education for a full-time career path in music. His first real breakthrough came in 2021 with the viral success of “Hold Me,” which racked up over 60 million streams to date. Since then, his catalog has expanded in reach and emotional depth with several follow-up releases like “Sunshine” and “Move Me,” which quickly became fan favorites.

As LAVERN (real name Laurens Elshof) continues to grow his collaborations in the studio with artists like Kygo, Ava Max, Becky G, and — most recently — Tate McRae, his evolving creative vision is also coming alive through his live performances. Fresh off conquering the mainstage at EDC Las Vegas over the weekend, LAVERN will be gracing the decks at other major festivals this year, including Sziget Festival, FVDED in the Park, and Veld Music Festival.

Notably, the budding star has also crossed another career threshold this year, landing his first-ever residency with TAO Group in Las Vegas. The opportunity will see him perform regularly at iconic clubs like Marquee, Hakkasan, and TAO Beach throughout the summer months.

Beyond the glitz and glam, this major milestone signals LAVERN’s ascent as a commanding force in the studio and behind the decks. Ahead of his packed summer tour and ongoing Las Vegas residency, we caught up with him to chat about this significant achievement, his career journey, and his evolving artistry. Read on for the whole conversation and keep your eyes peeled for LAVERN as he is set to shake up the electronic music scene like never before.

Your journey into music is pretty unique; you were actually studying law before going going in on it full time. Leaving a stable path like law must have come with risks. What gave you the confidence to take that leap?

It has always been my dream to do music, so when I felt like the opportunity was there, I just went for it. The decision was actually pretty natural. My tracks “Hold Me,” “Sunshine,” and “Move Me” did so well that I felt this was the moment to stop going to university and focus on music. Since then, it kinda’ exploded and I’ve been touring ever since.

“Move Me” was a massive turning point for you in 2021! How did it feel watching the song go viral and hit over 60 million streams? Was there ever a specific moment when you realized, “Okay, this is really happening”?

Viral moments are kind of weird because you can’t influence them and also don’t know how long they will last, so I had that realization multiple times. The milestones just kept on coming, first at 1 million streams, onto 5, 10, 20, 50 — It just kept growing. I think it’s hard to get used to, as it’s addictive in a way. It does make me work harder and gives me extra drive to make amazing music that people enjoy.

Landing a Las Vegas residency is a major milestone for any artist! You’re now taking a huge career leap with your first-ever Las Vegas residency with Tao Group. How do you plan to approach these sets compared to festival stages like EDC and Sziget?

In Vegas, people want to party, so I always go full energy at every set. However, I’m bringing a fresh and new sound, so I try to switch it up a bit and blend it with my emotional style. My festival sets, like EDC or Sziget, are usually a bit deeper, but they still stay close to my recognizable sound. I love to play both kinds of shows, as it’s nice to show different sides to your music.

Do you see this residency as a long-term chapter in your career or more of a launchpad for even bigger global ambitions?

This certainly is a long-term chapter. Vegas will always be one of the places people visit from all over the world to party.

The Netherlands has famously produced some of the world’s biggest DJs: Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and Martin Garrix, to name a few. How do you think the Dutch music culture differs from scenes in places like the US or the UK?

We grew up with electronic music as you hear it everywhere: on the radio, in stores, at parties. It’s pretty much in our veins. In the past, this was maybe different from the US or the UK, but nowadays these places also have amazing electronic artists. I’m happy with this because our music is global and not focused on a specific territory.

You’ve come to be known for how your emotive sound is so heartfelt and expressive. From a creative standpoint, are there new directions or genres you’re curious to explore in your future music?

My music is always developing, I just did a remix for Tate McRae, which is a very different sound from my track “Hold Me,” for instance. I’m always experimenting with different sounds and trying them out live during my sets. But yes, the emotive factor will always be in there. I love to feel some emotions when listening to music.

Lastly, what do you hope people take away from seeing you live in Vegas? What’s the LAVERN experience you’re trying to deliver?

I hope they have the best time partying with their friends and people around them. This is what our music is about. I hope they make memories to remember for years to come. Everything is so fast paced nowadays with social media and stuff, so I really hope they will be in the moment and create forever memories.

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