Still riding high from the viral success of his 2023 single, “Money on the Dash” (with Elley Duhé), DJ/producer Whethan is working on an even bigger 2024.
In fact, the 25-year-old Chicago native ushered in the new year with a pair of strong, upbeat, housey singles – “Room Is on Fire” with Snakehips (feat. AG Club) and “Do You Remember?” – both of which will appear on his upcoming album, Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 2. Indeed, ever since 2018, when Whethan released Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 1, fans have been eagerly anticipating the follow-up volume – and by summer’s end they’ll have it.
It’s been a steady ride so far for Whethan (aka Ethan Snoreck), who broke onto the music scene in 2016. In less than a decade, Whethan has managed to build an impressive discography, complete with original tracks, notable remixes (for Lorde, Post Malone, and Travis Scott), and top-tier collaborations with the likes of Dua Lipa, Oliver Tree, and The Knocks.
And when he isn’t working on his own artist project, Whethan’s production-and-songwriting prowess extends even further, with credits for the likes of Kygo, Joji, The Chainsmokers, Megan Thee Stallion, and BoyWithUke, among others. Accordingly, it might come as no surprise to some that he’s already amassed over 1 billion streams.
DJ LIFE recently had a chance to speak with the Los Angeles-based Whethan as he prepared for the official release of Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 2 – and it went a little something like this…
DJ LIFE: How and when did you begin to explore dance music?
Whethan: Watching skateboard and snowboard videos, I found videos with dance music and samples from popular music I heard on the radio and wanted to know how they came about.
DJ LIFE: Which DJs were your initial favorites? Who do you find inspiration from now?
Whethan: Daft Punk and Skrillex were my first favorites and are still my favorites.
DJ LIFE: Do you have any classical training or did your upbringing impact your decision to pursue this full?
Whethan: I dabbled with drums, violin, and guitar, but never stuck to any one thing and was pretty bad at all of them. Once I found dance music and got a computer, I loved composing and arranging all the music together and felt like I could program every instrument.
DJ LIFE: Did DJing or producing come first for you? What was your initial DJ setup like? Your first-ever production studio?
Whethan: Both came hand-in-hand, but seeing DJs play their music in front of crowds made me want to do both. First setup was the app [Algoriddim’s] djay Pro on an iPad with a little Bluetooth speaker, and my first [music-making] program was GarageBand on iPad.
DJ LIFE: How about your current DJ setup? What’s your current DAW for studio work?
Whethan: Current DJ set-up is usually Pioneer CDJ-2000NX2 players because I’m so used to them, but any CDJs will do. My current DAW is Ableton Live and have been using it since 2012 – I love it.
DJ LIFE: Life of a Wallflower, Vol.2, your anticipated new album, drops this summer. What was the album-making process like for you this time around?
Whethan: I got the chance to go to Brazil and London and was really inspired by a lot of new sights and sounds. I brought that back to L.A., and was able to see a lot of the music I had made and was making differently. Life of a Wallflower was always about collaborations and bringing all types of artists together. For all these collaborations, we never really went in with a specific idea of what we wanted to make; we just built off each other’s vibe, the energy of the room, the city we were in, and whatever aspect of life was on our minds.
DJ LIFE: In what ways was the creative process different from your previous LPs or EPs?
Whethan: Sonically, Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are different from one another, but how each volume took its form is where they really share their similarities. The spirit of Life of a Wallflower has always been about traveling, having new experiences, and encapsulating that moment in time.
DJ LIFE: Your new single – and third from your LP – “Do You Remember?” is out now. How did this track come together and how do you go about choosing your album singles?
Whethan: While making “Do You Remember?,” I really wanted to capture the best bits of the past, but with the addition of all the influences that have grown on me over the years. It’s like I get flashbacks to the future when listening to it, it’s hard to describe, but give it a listen and, hopefully, you’ll see what I mean. Most of my singles have a big feature attached to it, but this one felt like a nice personal message from me.
DJ LIFE: How many songs did you create for Life of Wallflower, Vol. 2? How many ended up making the final cut?
Whethan: I’m constantly making songs every week, a lot for other artists and a lot for myself. It’s hard to say how many were made for it, but some of the songs were made years ago. Sometimes it’s just the right time for certain songs.
DJ LIFE: From start-to-finish, how long did it take for you to create this body of work?
Whethan: Most of it was made in 2023 and 2024, but one of the songs, “Energy,” I had was before 2020.
DJ LIFE: The new album is full of top-tier collaborations. How did these sessions come together and what can you share with us about them?
Whethan: A lot of them were made/finished at my house/studio in L.A., but “Stealth Bomber” with Flowdan was made in London and finished back and forth online, sending new versions and parts back and forth.
DJ LIFE: Do you prefer collaborating with other artists in-person or virtually?
Whethan: I love collaborating in-person. I haven’t done many live virtual sessions, but I understand the process of sitting with a song or production alone and finishing it. I enjoy getting to know an artist, spending the day vibing, listening to music, and coming up with new creative ideas.
DJ LIFE: Who are your top-three dream collaborators, meaning producers, vocalists, or artists? Also, who would be your top-three dream back-to-back DJ sets?
Whethan: For collaborators, they would be Tame Impala, Travis Scott, and PinkPantheress. For a B2B set, it would be Skrillex, Calvin Harris, and IsoKnock2.
DJ LIFE: What are some of your most memorable career moments or highlights thus far? What else remains on your bucket list?
Whethan: Playing my hometown festival, Lollapalooza, and getting to bring out so many special guest artists and the Chicago Bulls drumline was incredible. Also, playing the Sahara Stage at Coachella was a bucket-list experience.
DJ LIFE: How is the rest of 2024 looking for you? What about early next year?
Whethan: I’ll be back playing insane shows that’s inspiring even more new music and getting ready to drop Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 2. I’ll continue making new songs for the next project and hit the U.S. for a summer tour.
