Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“My first overseas performance as a musician was in Japan,” says singer-songwriter SHAUN. “It was a club performance during the time I was playing in a band. We performed at a small venue called Eggman. I have fond memories of the enjoyable time we had. Prior to that, I visited several European cities in England, France and the Netherlands.”
Better known by his stage name of San Holo, Dutch DJ, guitarist and producer Sander van Dijck, 28, says that he often finds inspiration for his music in his travels. “Traveling has affected my music a lot,” he says. “Seeing new places and meeting new people — it always gives me fresh insights and new perspectives on life, which tend to have an effect subconsciously when I write music.”
One of music’s most prominent DJs, Tiesto has earned his nickname as the Godfather of EDM. The Dutch DJ, born Tijs Michiel Verwest, was performing in European stadiums long before it became cool to stan hipsters such as Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix. Of his many concerts, Tiesto, says performing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens was a highlight. “It was such an unreal experience playing in front of the entire world. It was especially big for me when you consider that dance music wasn’t as big as it is nowadays.”
Voted by fans as DJ Mag’s No. 1 DJ in the world, Martin Garrix was also handpicked last summer to be the face of Armani Exchange. Some of his collaborations include “Scared to Be Lonely” with Dua Lipa and “So Far Away” with David Guetta. Asked what he enjoys most about working with other artists, Garrix, 21, said, “I love to see how everyone works with music in a different way. I think for every artist, it’s interesting to see how someone else is working. Lana Del Rey is still on my wish list for collaborations and I would love to go into the studio with Shawn Mendes.”
Born in Lake Forest, Ill., to Dutch parents, 6-foot-8 inch Matt Grevers swam for Northwestern University and went on to win gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012).