We interviewed DJ/Model/Entrepreneur Charly Jordan after her sunset set at Lollapalooza about DJing in Las Vegas and her goals as an artist.
Charly Jordan has had a meteoric rise in the entertainment world over the past few years. With a combined 13 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, Charly Jordan is an influencer with a passion for music and entrepreneurship.
She often DJs in Las Vegas as a resident of Zouk Group and plays at major festivals like Lollapalooza. Charly has toured with Cheat Codes and opened for artists like Tiesto, Zedd, and Calvin Harris. Her original music combines multiple genres and includes tracks like “Innerbloom”, “Soak Her”, and “No Sleep”.
After playing a sunset set on one of the biggest stages at Lollapalooza, we interviewed Charly Jordan about her music career, working as a CEO for two million dollar companies, mental health, and more.
Premier EDM x Charly Jordan interview
Let’s start by talking about your set at Lollapalooza last night. You were the last performer on the Tito’s Stage during the sunset.
That was the most beautiful set time in the entire world. The first time I went to Lollapalooza, I was watching Illenium during sunset at the Perry’s stage. I was so blown away – I was thinking it would be such a dream come true to do anything close to that. I wasn’t DJing yet at the time, but I attended Lolla and saw Zedd and Illenium.
Every festival I went to was always so amazing. I’m from Las Vegas, so I started going to EDC when I was 18. Attending festivals, then getting to know the DJs, and now getting to play here is so surreal.
Considering that many people were hearing your music for the first time, what kind of set did you play at Lollapalooza?
I love house music and trap. I played both. For me, it’s not really about the genre. I’m really particular about the tonality of the music. I try to play music that makes people feel something and makes them want to move.
I started my set with trap music and moved into house, and got to play a lot of my original songs too. It’s amazing to play the things that I worked months and years on and to watch so many respond beautifully to it. I had a 45-minute set, and I tried to get everyone as hyped up as I could. My team and my friends and family were all there to support.
Also, one of my best friends passed away a few months ago, and it was his birthday yesterday. We were originally gonna celebrate it here, so it was a very meaningful moment for me. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous…I’ve been playing a lot of sets over the last year.
What do you love most about performing and connecting with the crowd?
It’s that crowd control. It’s really cool how regardless of gender, ethnicity, or where you come from, music is something that unites everyone. I just love seeing people from all walks of life come together. When you can connect through that vibe and energy, I think it’s really special.
You’re a resident at Zouk Group Las Vegas and you’ve opened for artists like Tiesto, Zedd, and Calvin Harris. You also grew up in Vegas. What does your success in Las Vegas mean to you?
Vegas is a special place. It’s crazy and I love it. It was really special for me to get that residency since I grew up there. It was funny to be in the newspapers and see myself in local Vegas ads that I grew up looking at. It’s cool to merge my two worlds together. My family lives there, and they don’t always get to go to a lot of my other shows. I’m the oldest of five kids, and I have four younger brothers. The oldest just turned 21. I always just try to bring all my people out to my shows. My grandma even comes to my sets in Vegas!
Let’s talk about your background. You were homeless at a young age after leaving the Mormon Church, and you had a track scholarship to college but decided to pursue work as a model and DJ instead.
It feels like a different life. Me and my family parted ways when I was in my senior year of high school, and I was homeless for a while. It was a big shift going from what everyone else wanted me to do to what I wanted to do. Especially when I was only 18. I don’t know what inside of me said to do that, but I just had so much drive and so much energy. I try to carry that mindset with me still – that you can do anything you set your mind to. If you have a dream, go do it.
I know there were a lot of people that would never imagine me here. Especially considering the way I grew up as a Mormon. If people swore in front of me, I would correct them and ask them not to cuss in front of me. That’s how close-minded my upbringing was. I lost a lot of the people I grew up with – I didn’t see them for years.
Everything is pretty much the opposite now, but it’s cool to experience both lifestyles. A lot of the morals and values I have came from my childhood. The Mormon religion is great, but it doesn’t fit with my lifestyle. I have a lot of different perspectives from what I’ve been through. I don’t judge anyone as long as you’re doing what makes you happy and you treat others with respect.
You often talk about how mental health is important. What was the main thing that kept you going when you were working behind the scenes to get where you are now?
It was the friends that I made along the way. My team and my friends that I’ve made through this have been huge. I loved running track, but I wasn’t super passionate about it. It was very hard for a year when I was in a completely different world I had never been in. I went through a lot, but that’s just part of growing up.
It was the people that did believe in me who encouraged me to DJ and model that helped me a lot. I still try to keep in contact with everyone. Even just having someone just who believes in you is huge.
Earlier this year, you released your song “Innerbloom”, which is the first time you’ve featured your own lyrics on a track. What was it like making that song and singing on your track for the first time?
I was really nervous! That took a year for me to put out. I was overly critical of it. Over the last few months, I’ve been making a lot more songs with my original vocals that I’ve written myself. I haven’t really released any of them yet. I want to work more on a body of music instead of just releasing singles.
I’ve been doing vocal coaching and writing a lot more. I have my home studio and I’ve been practicing a lot. I love making house tracks…I love the club bangers and sitting down with my other friends who produce and messing around with beats. I really want to get a message across through my music and lyrics, and I’m working on that more now. That’s definitely something people can expect from me over the next few years.
What do you mean by a body of music? Do you have an album or EP planned?
An album would be the dream. I’ve only put out a bunch of singles. Right now, I’m kinda genreless. “Innerbloom” was pop/indie, and “No Sleep” and “Soak Her” were deep house. It’s been all over the place, but I like it like that. The beauty of EDM is that you can collab with anyone. Diplo and The Chainmokers work with so many types of artists, and that’s my goal. To sit down with artists and other people that inspire me, and to write music that makes people feel.
You mentioned your track “Soak Her” with A1 LaFlare. What do you think makes that song special and how is it different than your other songs?
It was really cool the way that it happened. There were three of us that worked on the song: me, A1, and my friend Richard. We had worked together separately but never been in the same room together. Richard asked me if I knew A1, and I was like yeah, do you?! We all sat down and wrote the song, and it was a lot of fun to make. “Innerbloom” was more thought out and methodical, and “Soak Her” is a fun summertime single.
You’re also an entrepreneur with companies Smoke Roses and Beauty in Pain. How do you find time to work with your businesses in addition to being a DJ and model?
It’s been pretty challenging. It’s really about time management, which I have a hard time with sometimes. Especially with music. It’s very consuming, and I take that artistic mindset very seriously.
I just bought a house in LA, and I work on my businesses there during the week and DJ on the weekends. Smoke Roses is organic rose petal rolling papers, and our company is the first one to make smokable rose petals. I have asthma, so I wanted to make a healthy alternative to smoking. We also make goji berry cones and we’re releasing others like lavender cones and chocolate cones. It’s a passion project for me. I smoke a lot and I link it back to mental health and anxiety, especially for my sleep and appetite considering how much I travel.
Beauty in Pain is my mental-health focused brand since not everyone smokes. I wanted to make a different product that could symbolize that message. I designed these earrings after this dagger tattoo on my wrist. I used to struggle with self-harm when I was younger, and I wanted a reminder to not do that. The rose on the dagger symbolizes the beauty of the growth from the pain and remembering to focus on the positives during negative times. It represents growing from situations – not becoming consumed or repeating toxic cycles. The jewelry is all supposed to provoke and normalize the conversation around mental health.
What would you tell someone who’s struggling with mental health and following their dreams?
Comfortability is something that everyone struggles with. People are very scared of the unknown. It’s better to try and fail and try a thousand more times and put your all into something than regret not taking that leap. It’s that leap that starts everything.
For anyone who’s struggling with anxiety or changing what they’re doing…I know it feels like the end of the world. You kinda go through this whole thought process and things start to spiral. Just be present in that moment, and have a plan for the future too. I never want to tell someone to abandon what they’re doing and just jump into something new. Have a plan and do what you need to do. Everything typically always works out if you’re a good person, put your best foot forward, and respect people in the industries you want to get into. Be consistent and go after your dreams because you really can do whatever you want!
Premier EDM 