Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Takis

Takis is a rising DJ and producer who has quickly emerged as one of music’s most exciting and versatile young talents. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, Takis has always been driven by his love for the craft. That authenticity has led him to produce chart-topping singles including “Wait for Me” and “All Time”.

This fall, he writes an exciting new chapter in his career with the release of Welcome Home

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Takis about his start in the industry, Welcome Home, and more!

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Takis: I started as a radio intern in high school. Back then, radio interns weren’t what they are today. There wasn’t a lot of room for growth or a lot of opportunities, but I loved the idea of music discovery. I would try my best and tell my boss, “We need to play this song.” For me, it was, “How do I find new music on the internet or what are my friends listening to in high school, and how do I present this so I can play it for a larger group of people?” For me, that was a small independent radio station. I’ve been doing music ever since.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Takis: Starting in high school and learning the music business through radio was huge. I got so much information about how songs grow, how to promote songs, how to build relationships in the music business. I’m from a small town in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we didn’t have a music industry or a real music business. Being allowed in a radio station at seventeen, it shaped my understanding of being an artist and that reality.

If I wasn’t thrown into this adult world of the music business, I may have had unrealistic expectations, or I may have thought this is going to be easier than it was, or it was going to be more fulfilling in certain ways, but because of that high school experience, my mind really got shaped with the reality of this business. It gave me a solid foundation to stand on at a young age. That’s the reason I’ve been doing it for ten years.

PC: You’ve also said in previous interviews that you grew up in this city where pursuing a career in music wasn’t in the realm of possibilities, but in a lot of ways that opened the door for you to discover your craft and artistry. Tell us about growing up as an artist in Winnipeg and how it shaped the artist that you are today.
Takis: Yeah, it’s really interesting. I bring it up in a lot of interviews, and I’m shocked at how many messages I get, because there are kids from Calgary, Saskatchewan, and the middle of America that are reaching out. They’re like, “I’m not from LA, so I didn’t think I could do this.” I wasn’t from Toronto or New York, and I didn’t have an example. It’s been cool.

We didn’t have a Drake. We didn’t have a Justin Bieber. I didn’t know anyone that was a professional artist, so to me, it helped because it took the financial aspect out of it since I was so convinced that I would never make a dollar off of music. I was like, “Okay, do I love this enough to never make a dollar off of this?” That was a very tough question, especially when you’re out of high school and your friends are going to college. They’re getting jobs, and I’m a radio intern, not getting paid. My music on SoundCloud wasn’t making a dollar. I was deejaying at local venues for fifty dollars a night, if I was lucky. You have to really look at yourself in the mirror and ask, “Did I make the right decision? Do I really love this for what it is if I remove the financial aspect?”

As I became an adult, I came to the realization that I’m willing to mop floors—I’ll do that as a side job. I’ll do that as a side hustle because I will make music until I’m literally fifty, even if I don’t make a dollar. Thankfully, a few years later, a couple of things went right. It’s easy to say that now with a record deal, fans, and streams, and with the things I’ve been able to do. But when I was eighteen, I asked myself that question. I fully expected I would never make a dollar off of music, and I still feel the same. I would make songs until I’m fifty, and I would work wherever I had to work because I love this that much. That’s a really honest but scary statement.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success since then. Does that bring any pressure for future releases?
Takis: One of the philosophies that I have with my team, and it’s a very tough philosophy to maintain, is that we make songs we’re proud of. We submit them to the label, and then it’s up to the public. I take that seriously. If I love the song in private, with my team, my closest friends…if I’m listening to a song on repeat when I’m on the treadmill, I submit it. It’s then up to the label. I don’t know who on the radio is going to like it. I don’t know what blogs are going to pick it up. I don’t know if it’s going to hit a million streams. The reality is I have to make songs that I’m proud of, and that removes a lot of pressure for me during the creative process.

But I would be lying if I didn’t say that the new record, “All Time”, is a top 30 record in Canada. It’s being played on just about every pop radio station. In the back of my head now, I say, “I’m a charting artist now. I have my name on the Billboard charts.” Maybe I do have a bit of expectation and pressure. I don’t know if it’s me putting pressure on myself, but I have a team around me. I have people that rely on me as much as ninety-nine percent of the time. Let’s make songs that we’re proud of in private, and the public will decide. There’s one percent of me that’s like, “We’ve had some success and maybe people are expecting that from me now.” It’s something to balance, but it’s a good thing to balance.

PC: Speaking of “All Time”, tell us about the single and how that collaboration came about.
Takis: I’ve been a fan of Jamie Fine forever. Sometimes I hope she doesn’t watch these interviews because I sound like a stalker when I talk about her. [laughs] When we met and shot the video and worked on this song, I wondered if I should tell her how much of a fan I am of hers, coming from radio and living in Canada. There was a time where you couldn’t get into an Uber without hearing one of her songs on the radio. “Ain’t Easy” was literally one of the biggest records in Canada for six months, and from that moment on, I wanted to work with her. I was determined to work with her, but you have to be patient. You have to wait for the right time. Thankfully, I had a bit of success with a few records.

I heard through the grapevine she was aware of who I was, maybe a fan of one of my records. I reached out, and thankfully she was down. She did an amazing job, and I’m super proud of that song. You never know what’s going to happen. Like I said, you put it out and it’s up to the public. But the reaction to “All Time” is bizarre—it’s confusing. A lot of people are reacting to it in a beautiful and incredible way. But yeah, it started because I was a fan of Jamie’s, and I was a fan of Brandyn Burnette as well. That’s the theme of how I work and my entire album; I have to be a fan of yours first, then we start working. We become friends, and hopefully we make something great. I consider both Jamie and Brandyn real friends of mine.

PC: This single marks a departure for you and what we’ve heard from you in the past. Was that ever a scary endeavor? How did this past year shape the music that’s coming out now?
Takis: Absolutely. A lot of the early Takis fans know that I write very honestly. I’m very vulnerable, even in interviews. I probably share way too much in every interview I ever do. [laughs] In my songs, I talk about very real situations. I’m very open and honest about how I’m feeling. Typically, I write darker music. “Wait For Me” was a darker record. “From the Start” was sonically a lot brighter, but it was about a relationship that was doomed from the start…it doesn’t get much darker than that.

But we got to the point, it was probably December around the holidays, where things were winding down. My team was with their families. My record label and management were shut down for the holidays. I wasn’t feeling very great. It was super easy to keep writing sad songs about how I was feeling, but all you have to do is open Twitter and look at the news; you don’t need me to write another song about what’s going on. So, I decided to challenge myself: “Can we write something hopeful? Can we write something bright that isn’t cheesy? That isn’t forced? That’s honest? Are we hopeful about what’s coming?” “All Time” was that.

As dark as December was for me, I’m starting to believe—I know it’s hard to believe—that this summer, and by what we’re seeing in the U.S., brighter days are incredibly close. I know that sounds weird to say because I’m in Ontario right now. I truly believe that this summer, things are going to change and that brighter days are on the way. This is the first time I’ve felt that and that’s how “All Time” came about.

PC: You just dropped Welcome Home. What can fans expect when they listen to it? What do you hope to say as an artist?
Takis: Welcome Home is my debut project. It’s the story of growing up where I came from. It’s very honest about a love-hate relationship. I talk about a lot of the brightest love that I experienced from that city, how proud I am of the city I was born in, but there’s also the dark element of having to leave, about feelings like I’ve abandoned people and that people have forgotten about me. There’s a journey in this album. It starts incredibly bright—it starts very hopeful, like me in high school, my first job thinking about all the opportunities, then it gets a little conflicted. It ends on a relatively dark note about my thoughts, but this is an honest album. It’s my life story. You hear every artist say this in every interview—that they needed their entire life to make their debut project.

I’m probably too romantic about the idea of a debut album, but I take it very seriously. I’ve put out little EPs. I put out little mix tapes before. But a debut album? I’m twenty-six, and that debut album is from zero to twenty-six. It’s recapping how I got to this point, and you know, there’s an honesty in there. There are a lot of beautiful records. There are some really exciting features, and I can’t wait to share it. It’s chapter one of the Takis project.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Takis: I listen to so many different artists. I listen to country artists. I listen to a lot of hip-hop and dance music. I feel like because I listen to music differently now, I listen to music almost as an A&R, like, “Who is this country artist? Do I think I could work with them? Who is this piano player? Maybe they’ll do a session with me.” If someone saw my Spotify, they would be like, “What is going on?” The algorithm is probably like, “Who is this person?” We can’t pick a genre”. So, I can’t give you a specific, but I listen to literally every genre because you can learn something and take a bit of inspiration from everything.

PC: First album you bought?
Takis: It was either a Kid Cudi album or Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak. I stole one of my dad’s Eminem CDs, and my mom almost killed me. That was the first time I stole a CD from my dad. But purchased, it was probably Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak.

PC: First concert you attended?
Takis: I went to a Drake concert in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was early Drake, but Drake’s one of my favorite artists. He’s an absolute legend—one of the best songwriters in history, so that’s a very special memory for me: watching early Drake, when it was a thousand-person show instead of a stadium.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Takis: I wouldn’t say an album, but I’ll say a show that changed my life. I was a hip-hop DJ. I was literally obsessed with internet hip-hop, internet blogs, DatPiff, whatever I could find, and I was invited to an electronic music festival when I was in high school. I didn’t know much about dance music, and I didn’t know what an EDM festival was, but the moment I walked in the energy was different. I was so used to deejaying hip-hop records. They’re downtempo, and there’s a bit of a tension in the clubs. I go to this electronic event, everyone’s just smiling, hugging. The production is different. I was like, “Wow, this is what I want to be a part of.”

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Takis: My favorite Canadian venue, which I got to perform at, is called New Gas City in Montreal. It’s one of the most incredible venues. It’s super historic. It’s like a barn, and that’s one of my most memorable moments ever. I don’t know if I have a bucket list specifically, maybe like a hometown venue, when I get to the point where I can sell out a show back home, but going to Montreal, I’ll never forget it. There was a blizzard coming in. Coming from Winnipeg, I’m used to the cold weather, but it was a blizzard, so it was freezing cold. Our flights were delayed, and I showed up and was like, “No one’s going to come to the show because it’s minus forty degrees. No one could even drive.” I remember I was backstage and asked my manager, “Is there anyone out there?” He’s like, “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He was trolling me.

I ended up going out there and it was a sold-out show. I was like, “Wow. I love Montreal. I love this venue. I can’t wait to go back.” So, no bucket list, but there’s a memorable venue in Montreal.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Takis: I try to eat healthy on the road. When I first started touring, I would eat McDonald’s in every airport. I would drink beer anytime I could. That was really fun for month one and month two of my first few shows when I was just this excited person. Now, I really take my health seriously. I want to be able to work out in a hotel. I want to be able to eat clean, eat healthy, no alcohol or limited alcohol, and just respect my body. Respecting my health, my sleep, and how I am when I’m on the road is priority number one, two, and three. I’ll only maybe have a beer if I’m lucky.

To keep up with Takis, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “All Time” today. Listen to Welcome Home today.