If there was an award for breakthrough artists of the year in the trance scene, my money would be on Billy Gillies 

The Northern Irish powerhouse has been throwing bombs all year long and paving a niche and a name for himself. In a scene where you need to stand out but still maintain the core, Billy Gillies is threading that needle nicely. Making big steps in his career, his time spent in the studio is now paying off as he starts his journey becoming an international trance DJ. 

Be on the lookout because Billy is on his way and taking no prisoners in the process.

Thank you for taking the time to sit with me first of all. You are having a huge year. How are you taking it all in? 

Hey guys thanks for having me on. Yeah, I have been blown away with all the support I have got the past year. A big thank you to everyone that purchased my tracks and that have come to my shows! I have always loved spending long hours in my studio making music and now having the opportunity to play my music to different crowds across the world is something I never thought would happen, I have to pinch myself sometimes, that’s for sure!

Your luminosity performance was ace. Arguably one of the best of the weekend for myself. How would you rate that performance compared to others? Was that your first performance on such a large global scale? How nervous were you? And how did you calm yourself to play?

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

Yes, I have played at some great events the past year but Luminosity has definitely been the highlight. I was pretty excited just to get up on the stage and show what I am all about. Seeing all my friends and fans there supporting me made the event very special and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Big thanks to them giving me the chance to play there.

You are a hometown boy from Northern Ireland and you have a ton of support from home. How does representing the North Irish Trance Family (NITF) brand helped you? North Ireland has produced some really big names in trance. Do you ever feel pressure to measure up to those who have come before you why or why not? Why is trance so special in North Ireland?

Northern Ireland is definitely a hot spot for trance at the minute and there is a lot of talent like Sneijder, Shugz, and Ciaran McAuley, etc. Big shout out to all promoters in Northern Ireland that’s booking the best DJs around the world and keepking the scene thriving over here. I never feel the pressure to measure up to anyone as I love doing things my own way and never compare myself to anyone else, I only take inspiration from them. 

Your latest single Evolve, out on Afterdark, is betting some major air time and plays. What makes this track stand out amongst others in the same genre? How do you ensure your consistency when producing? Are you ever satisfied with a track? Why or why not?

With ‘Evolve’, I wanted to go back to my roots of producing trance that was all about the melody. I have made a lot of the harder edged music the past while and wanted to show that I can also change things up a bit. Being a versatile producer is something that’s important to me and keeps things fresh and exciting in the studio.

You have a simple yet loud logo of emojis that you have on your merchandise and your social media posts. What do the symbols of the bomb and the blast represent for you?  And how does this represent your brand?

Most of the music I bring out is banging, and these 2 emojis express it perfectly 🙂

As you become more of a household name as your travel schedule becomes more frequent, what do you do to remain rooted? For many when they first get to this point they have troubles juggling personal relationships with the demands of the industry. How are you managing the two? What advice have you received on this?

Well basically I left my job a month ago so I could treat music as my full time career which gives me time to focus on spending time with my family, friends and girlfriend. Whenever I am not gigging, I spend 6 hours a day in the studio then after that I go out and live regular life. I find that I have a nice balance at the minute although I know it could maybe get more hectic as my career progresses. This is something that I will just have to learn how to manage when the time comes.

You recently announced a big tour in Australia. Tell us more about it, what cities, how many shows? And of course are you nervous

Really excited for this one! I will be playing in Sydney and Melbourne in December. I have a lot of fans out there that follow me so absolutely buzzing to get the chance to go out there and play live to them. No nerves here, I am ready 🙂

Will you be coming to the US anytime soon, if so, where?

My new agency, Synergy Artists, have gathered some interest from both coasts and places in-between, but it’s too early to mention those, but yes, I’ll be there in 2020 for sure!

Finally, if you could only live by one motto, what would it be?

Be yourself!