Today we’d like to introduce you to Irving Herrera
Hi Irving, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since middle school, I always wanted to be the person who controlled the music whenever I could; In parents’ cars or school dances. This feeling followed me directly into high school as well as college. Whether it was a party my friends and I would throw or just hanging out at home, I couldn’t help but focus on the music that was playing. In 2018, I took this a step further by purchasing my first DJ controller. I would occasionally use it at parties but for the most part, it would just stay in my bedroom, where I would mess around with it until I either felt like I had a good little session or until I got frustrated with myself.
It wasn’t until my senior year of college, during COVID, where this dance team I was on, wanted to do a virtual cypher and have me DJ it through zoom. Seeing people’s reactions during this and being referred to as a DJ for the first time by other people gave me an indescribable feeling. That following summer, I dropped my first two mixes on my Soundcloud, a Hip-Hop mix and a Dance mix.
That Fall of 2021, my high school friend Annabelle, founder of That Good Sh*t, invited me to DJ her first two organized shows ever as Selfish Irv. It was at these first shows where I felt that I found myself fully immersed in the artist community of LA and not only DJing actual events for the first time but also DJing for the artists performing at these events like Tommy Richman and Selina. These shows served as a catalyst for more events and bookings throughout Los Angeles for me.
One year later, I reunited with another high school friend and we formed a DJ collective with his friends from USC called, The Bridge. We aimed to bridge all genres of music together throughout our DJ sets and although it was somewhat short-lived, we found ourselves performing at venues like Winston House, Revel, and Soho House together. This was also around this time that I found myself even opening up for K CAMP at The Roxy supporting an artist named ZEO.
The music I played for audiences was never contained to only one genre and while I enjoy playing Hip-Hop, Amapiano, Rap, and other similar genres; my favorite was always EDM. The scene and community have provided me with so many memories and so much inspiration that it I want to make some sort of name for myself within it. I’ve been able to play for events like Blind Tiger and LICKNDIP, which have been amazing milestones in my life and the best places to make that impact.
The culmination of all of these experiences have finally led me to begin releasing music as Selfish Irv and it is something I am really proud of. I frequently collaborate with ramosworld and Maroshi, who are friends I met in that college dance team I mentioned. I dropped CON TIGO featuring Maroshi and SEXY STURDY with ramosworld both this year and hope these songs are just the beginning in this path to make an impact in the EDM community that I’m very happy to be a part of.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, I don’t think anything is. For myself, my biggest challenges are consistency and self-doubt. For consistency, I mean that there were months where I was DJing every single weekend, sometimes multiple sets; and then the next month is quieter. This also goes into social media, which is your biggest tool when wanting to put yourself out there. This is where consistency and self-doubt intersect for me. We all have our versions of self-consciousness and within this context for me, it’s filming myself for social media. That doubt comes and goes and it’s something that I continue to work on but it can be a major roadblock at times.
The important thing though, is that these feelings and experiences continue to fuel whatever passion people pursue and while continuing to learn from these challenges we can keep growing as the creatives we all are.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think what I’m most proud of when it comes to music is the energy I bring when it comes to my sets as well as my sets themselves. The music is the biggest reason people are at whatever venue you’re playing at and if it’s the DJ’s job to provide that music, you have to engage with the crowd and show them that you have their interest as your number one priority. Looking up from the decks, smiling, and getting into a little groove are all key factors in this engagement in building that presence during your set and creating that experience for the crowd; Albeit, without crossing that line and ending up doing too much haha. Everything in moderation.
As for my sets, the two main things I like to focus on is the pacing and familiarity. Spacing out my build-ups and drops to have good tension/release moments while at the same time, making an effort to include songs that people are relatively familiar with because at the end of the day, people love to sing a long to music they know. Balancing these elements within my sets is very important to me and something I would say sets me apart.
What makes you happy?
My relationships make me the happiest. I have amazing people in my life; people who have stuck with me through the good and the not-so-good. I’m my happiest when spending time with these people whether it be hanging out, creating, or just catching up. My life is the way it is because of the people in my life and i’m very grateful to call them my friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://songwhip.com/selfishirv
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selfishirv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irving.r.herrera
- Twitter: https://x.com/selfishirv
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@selfishirv/videos
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/selfishirv
Image Credits
CON TIGO Cover, Chantal Herrera
Fountain LA DJ Pic 1 (Spotify Jersey), Andrew Leon-Bercovich
Fountain LA DJ Pic 2 (Arms Open), Christian Paris
At The Main Stage Cover, Charlie Brady
