Interview: Jaymo and Andy George

BBC Radio 1 hosts and Moda label owners Jaymo and Andy George have gained meteoric success in a very, very short period of time.

Since winning the title of Favourite New DJs as a part of 2008’s BBC Introducing Tour, these two 20-something-year-olds have had two years of utter airwave anarchy. The East Midland boys catapulted from small-time club promoters in their hometown of Lincoln to the youngest people to ever record a Radio 1 Essential Mix.

Jaymo and Andy George, the two lads from Lincoln, enlighten Skiddle on what it’s really like to be a DJ/producer/A&R/presenter - I could go on. We talk Japanese toys, quiffs and what it’s like to perform for a crowd 1500-strong.

You’ve remixed other’s tracks and produced your own. Which do you prefer?
Jaymo: It’s really hard to say. Remixing can be quite anecdotal in comparison to making original stuff. You are given your pieces to work with and the boundaries are kinda set, as far as you know what key you need to work in or you have a general vibe from the outset.
Andy: Making original stuff is definitely more satisfying but it takes so much longer. We have so many half finished songs that may never get finished. We’ll happily spend days messing about with ideas just to get it out of our system – sometimes you end up with something that hits the spot, sometimes you just have to let it go. But it’s the nature of the beast, I guess. We love it though!

So do you see yourselves as DJs or producers?
Both: Or radio presenters? Or promoters? Or A&R’s? Or God knows what else! It’s hard, we have to flip things round all the time. We were DJ’s before we were producers, that’s for sure. But 2010 you will definitely see us pick up the pace even more with original productions – the aim is to drop an EP every other month!

If things had been different I ....[finish sentence]
Jaymo: ...Would be pending a lengthy police investigation
Andy: ...I’d probably still be floor managing the news at 10 for ITV – yes that did actually happen!
 

Most expensive thing you ever bid for on ebay?
Jaymo: Hmmm, either a synth or Japanese toys, I love Kid Robot and Medicom stuff
Andy: I actually bought my first 1210’s on ebay, when I was like 17, at that time £400 was a lot of money and in fact one arrived completely broken (to my dismay) and my parents felt sorry for me and got a new one!

Craziest thing a fan has ever done?
Jaymo: When we were in Tokyo a girl came up to us when we were outside the after party and gave us a bag each with a little note. Inside the bag was all these cool little toys and sweet – there was even a Street Fighter II keyring which played sound effects!
Andy: She’d gone to a lot of trouble to do that and was even a fan of the radio show, as well as our music. So it was really humbling. It’s amazing when stuff like that happens.

How did your 2008 Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 come about?
Jaymo: Annie, Kissy, Pete and Jules were all asked to nominate their favourite up and coming DJs as part of a special tour and we were lucky enough to be picked.
Andy: Not only did we do an Essential Mix years before we really should have been doing one, but we got to do it in front of 1500 people at a Moda party. When we listen back to it, with all the crowd noises, it just gives us goosebumps – properly nuts, a real pinch-yourself moment.

What’s something that you didn’t used to have?
Jaymo: A quiff
Andy: The opportunity to choose & broadcast the music we love to millions of people!
 

Favourite thing to collect?
Jaymo: I love Japanese toys, I’ve got all the Daft Punk Medicom toys – they look so cool just sat around my house!

One thing the music industry is missing that it had 10 years ago?
Andy: Boundaries – you can make a track and get it out there in no time. You don’t need a label if you don’t want one. For up and coming producers this is amazing. Obviously there’s a flipside to this and people don’t really make much money from record sales, which is a shame, but there’s a positive side too. Things have just changed so much – albums and EP’s aren’t money spinners now, they’re marketing tools.

One thing it has that it didn’t used to have?
Both: Us!
 

Favourite thing in your house?
Jaymo: My Macbook! I love how I can just pick up my entire office and work from anywhere in the world, whether it’s working on the show, ideas for songs, Moda events or label stuff. All I ever really need is my laptop and some clothes and I’m good to go!
Andy: Home’s all about home comforts, my Nespresso coffee machine is probably one of my favourite things ever right now, currently working my way through all there different types of coffee, so if you email me at around 10am I’m usually buzzing around the house – I might not make much sense! Be warned!

Who’s your biggest fan?
Jaymo: My Dad, probably.
Andy: My Grandma literally listens to every radio show I do, which is so sweet, she’s even started texting me (yes she TEXTS me) certain tracks that she likes! Probably my biggest fan yes…

What type of car do you have?
Jaymo: Rather embarrassingly we both have the same type of car. It’s German and its manual, we’ll leave it at that.

Your current favourite song?
Jaymo: Maybe something from the forthcoming Strange Talk EP
Andy: I don’t really have one particular favourite song right now, two albums that are permanently on my iPod is Arcade Fire – The Suburbs and Tame Impala, Inner Speaker – so good!

Your love after music?
Jaymo: Family, friends, food, films, fashion... And Alan Partridge.
Andy: Ditto really, there’s nothing better now than having a Friday or Saturday off and just being with your mates. That and DJ Hero 2…

Interview by: Jasmine Phull

Jaymo and Andy George news, events and info

Jaymo and Andy George will be appearing at Gatecrasher Birmingham on NYE with Mark Ronson and Sidney Samson. Get your tickets through Skiddle below:

Tickets are no longer available for this event