A self-professed night person, Audrey Napoleon is a bit groggy when we give her a wake-up call at the bright hour of noon on a Monday morning. But it's through that scratchily-voiced conversation that we come to the realization that though we might have awoken the electronic dance music artist from her dreams, they were all about EDM anyway.
Having not yet taken up the IDentity Festival Tour, Napoleon's in Chicago during our chat and admits, quite unabashedly, that since the Wavefront Festival she was supposed to perform at was cancelled, she took the opportunity to enjoy the sites and sounds of the Chi-town nightlife well into the morning. And she's hoping to take advantage of that aspect of touring during her stop in Detroit.
"I really really can't wait to go," Napoleon says of our main metropolis. "The music scene there is just incredible. I love the electronic music that comes out of Detroit and the festivals that they have. I just can't wait to go; I've always heard amazing things about it. I've always wanted to go party there."
But for Napoleon, the party takes a backseat when it comes to actually performing and being able to not only travel with but also see one of her favorite EDM artists 15 nights in a row has her incredibly stoked.
"I am really just the biggest fan of Eric Prydz. I think he's just a genius and the album he just came out with is just impeccable. I am really looking forward to being on tour with him," she says.
About to drop a record herself, her debut EP Ornamental Egos, Napoleon says she doesn't often have to look far for inspiration.
"I'm always listening to music and sometimes I just hear something that's not there. All my inspiration just comes from living my daily life. Really, I go to the studio and just go through the files in my head," says Napoleon. "Sometimes people will come up to the studio or I will just be talking with friends and it will stem from there. Sometimes I just like the pattern of what they're saying and I will be like 'Wait! Stop! I love the pattern of that!' And I will have to turn my computer on and write it down."
Having musical memories as far back as she can remember, it make sense that everything the L.A. based artist does is somehow connected to her music, especially when it comes to how she creates it.
"Growing up my dad played the drums and the trumpet. There was always music around the house, he had albums like The Cure and Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk and of course the Beatles so I think it was engrained from when I was a little baby crawling around the house," she says.
Though she's a relative newcomer – she just released her first track back in 2010 – Napoleon's already making pretty big strides in EDM. Her track "#mysunrise" was picked up for a Heineken commercial and she starred in the ad as well. She's played in Great Britain, Canada, Europe and the States. She's secured residencies at two L.A. clubs and now she's taking on a national tour.
"Hard work," says Napoleon of what helped her hit it big. "Plus, everything I do is surrounded with music. All day and even when I go to sleep at night, I dream in electronic music." | RDW
IDentity Festival • 7/20, 2 p.m. • Elektricity Festival Grounds • All Ages • $40-$60 (VIP Also Available)
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