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Australian Producer & DJ Sir Winston drops his striking new electroclash-meets-tech house single Fashion Is A Drug (Remix).
Winston Giles aka Sir Winston has had a prolific career – with many acclaimed releases under different monikers, and in September 2023 dropped a new Sir Winston EP ‘Démons à Combattre’. Written in Paris and Recorded in Brooklyn, New York, the EP presents a throwback to the Bloghaus era, with catchy indie dance/electroclash tracks such as ‘Perfectly Numb’ and ‘Sex in Paris’
To accompany the EP he’s also released four killer Tech House remixes, the latest being Fashion Is A Drug (Remix).
We’re very happy to be speaking today with acclaimed Australian singer and songwriter Winston Giles who is perhaps best known by one of his far-famed nom de plumes, Sir Winston; greetings and salutations, Winston! Before we meander down the Q&A musical pathway, how is the freshly-minted 2023 holiday season treating you?
I just got back to Australia where it is the start of summer. New York was getting very cold – it feels good to be home.
Major congratulations on the recent release of your latest Fashion is a Drug (Remix) Starting at the tip-top, what inspired this incredible and rousing single?
I wanted this one to be intense, wild and crazy. Fashion to me really is a drug. Sir Winston is also a brand and I design sustainable clothing and I’ve spent a massive amount of time on it and find it hard to stop designing. It’s very creative. It’s also a tongue in cheek line – “Fashion is a drug” – as sometimes I’ll see someone who appears to be very far down a path with their fashion and that can be alarming and amusing.
As a respected producer in your own right, did you do the producing honors on Fashion is a Drug (Remix)? And, if so, what are the pros to serving as your own producer?
Yes I produced it. I worked with a DJ and engineer in Melbourne Australia called Doshpot and then my longtime collaborator Abe Seiferth mixed it in New York. I’m lucky to work with people whose opinions I trust and who over time, we have reached an understanding and they get my vision. I know what I want with my tracks and I do a lot of preparation and hit the studio on a mission. Abe is heavily involved as engineer and mixer but really is a co-producer as well. At this stage I’m focused on releasing a lot and building something and I’m working hard on the concept and vision of Sir Winston.
Démons à Combattre was written in Paris and recorded in Brooklyn, New York. How did those seemingly disparate locales ultimately inform the overall sound and vibe of the new EP?
The lyrical content of the EP and the theme all comes from the writing that I did living in Paris, but the sound is very New York. Working with Abe who has a background rooted in the New York scene around DFA records and LCD Soundsystem meant that the bloghaus sound we were going for would come through.
We’re big admirers of the tune Perfectly Numb off of the Démons à Combattre EP! What’s the VH1-Behind the Music origin story on this beautiful track?
That is my favorite track off the EP for sure. It’s about that moment where you have pushed yourself into a state and there is no turning back, a point of no return and all you can do is ride it out. We made the synth riff for that track early and it grew from there. I feel like the mission was accomplished with that track on the EP, as it really does sound Bloghaus and reminds me of my favorite artists from that era.
With the release of the new single, can fans look forward to an LP release from you in 2024?
No. I’m focused on releasing a string of singles in 2024. Each with a strong theme and will work in my DJ set.
In the wake of the release of Fashion is a Drug (Remix), what does your touring/performing dance card look like in the coming weeks and months?
I’m back in Australia and will be here playing all summer – can’t wait!
Who inspires you musically?
Artists who take big risks and push boundaries. Artists who really put on a show and understand that it’s show business and who love to entertain. With my rock background I was always inspired by the legends – The Beatles, Bob Dylan etc. I also really loved the Velvet Underground and The Sex Pistols – artists who really pushed the norm. In electronic music I loved The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers.
You were born in Melbourne, Australia. Was that where you first discovered your love for making music?
Yes. My first band when I was a teenager was with my brother on drums. But I left Australia at age 19 and lived in the USA for over a decade playing and touring.
You’re also a celebrated music supervisor for fashion brands with your company Playup Music and, on top of that, you also own and run a publishing company for up-and-coming artists called Young Hero. Can you talk a little about both endeavors and what they mean to you?
Playup has been going strong for over a decade now. It started as a vehicle to license my own music and grew organically, to where we are now – an established global agency representing thousands of artists and dozens of labels and publishers. Fashion is our niche and we work with the biggest fashion brands in the world. I love music and fashion so placing the music to big fashion campaigns for brands like Dior and Victoria’s Secret is a dream job for me. I also love that we discover and pick up young and emerging artists that we can sometimes sync into these big profile spots. It’s very rewarding when an artist we discovered takes off and the sync we got them was a big part of them moving up.
Young Hero is a joint venture publishing company with myself and Ministry of Sound in Australia. Some of the artists we find through Playup are extra special and I like to get involved and help on the publishing side as well.
At the end of the day, what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving many-a-spin to Fashion is a Drug (Remix)
I want them to be super amped and going wild!
