Interview with DJ Paula Frost

Love Music: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your background, education, music passion etc?

I’m from South London originally and spent my teenage years in the country. Now I live back in London, in Chelsea. Education-wise I pushed myself quite hard. I went to Henley College, a music academy called ACM and then did a music degree at Canterbury Christchurch University. I’ve always been into music from as far back as I could remember and I always knew what I wanted to do. 


Love Music: Can you please tell us more about your first single 'OXYGEN TANK'? 

‘OXYGEN TANK’ is my debut single. I came up with the idea when I was in the gym listening to Prodigy. I wanted to write a song as fast, bassy and badass as I could. I wrote it on my laptop with a synthesiser on Logic and when it had taken shape, I brought it to my best friend Joel and he co-wrote and produced the song in his bedroom studio. The feel of the track is quite hectic and the song is a statement, it’s me making my presence felt on the scene.

PREORDER OXYGEN TANK NOW:
music.apple.com/gb/album/oxygen-tank-single/1498468207

Love Music: Okay, what motivates you to do your best work as a DJ? 

The crowd decide whether it’s going to be a great show or not. I’ve got to a level now where I can really work a crowd but it’s up to them to give that extra 10% on the dancefloor. I feed off the vibe. I’m also motivated by a lot of things like my family and friends. I want to be a rock to them so I work as hard as I can to make sure I can provide for myself and anyone who needs help. 


Love Music: Great, What has been one of the most exciting achievements of your career so far? 

Definitely my world tour. I flew to 14 countries broadcasting a punk and reggae radio show back to the UK and I DJed live shows as I went along. In Croatia I played Split, in Russia I was the resident DJ at a club called Nightschool in Moscow and went on tour with the punk bands there to St Petersburg and Smolensk. I played in New Zealand and Japan and did a road trip across America. Go to djpaulafrost.com/worldtour to read about it.


Love Music: Did you choose this industry, as a career, or as a hobby? 

It chose me! It sucked me in! I began as a producer for Tippa Irie’s Pure Riddim Show on Kane FM. Then I got my own show. I was mostly into interviewing and having guests live on the show to perform and then I started to pick up the DJing side of things. Soon I got a phonecall from an agent asking if I wanted to be signed with them. I thought “Sure! Why not?” And the rest is history. Gigs started coming and I was really enjoying it. I’ve got better and better since that happened 3 years ago and I started writing music.


Love Music: Your favourite music Artist? 

I love Crass. They’re an anarcho punk band from the ‘80s who gave punk music more of a meaning by fighting the system. I wrote my university dissertation on how their music was provoked by the political and social climate of the early ‘80s and how their legacy has lasted. I would encourage everyone to watch the documentary ‘The Day The Country Died’ to get the full impact of the band and what they meant. They basically invented DIY punk and started their own record label at a time when you just didn’t do that. They also gave fans advice on fanzines like how to make bread on one side and how to make a bomb on the other. They would hire out halls, decorate them with banners and put on their own gigs with a free buffet included in the ticket price. There is just no one like Crass and I am privileged to say I get to hang out with them sometimes. 


Love Music: What’s your goal in life you want to achieve next? 

I want to continue writing music and performing bigger and better shows. In the future I’d like to use my own voice more in my songs and also play the drums. I’m actually a decent drummer and have played since I was 8 so it seems stupid not to set up a kit on stage at some point and do that whilst DJing! Apart from that I just want to be a decent, loyal person who’s there for my family and friends and anyone in need. I hope at some point I get time to do some humanitarian work because I sponsor a little boy in Africa and I would like to go to his village and help out. 


Love Music: Awesome, Everybody needs time out. What do you do in your free time? 

I don’t really stop at the moment. I read this book called ‘Can’t Hurt Me’ by David Goggins and it inspired me to push for more in life and make the most out of my time. So I’ve developed a schedule where I wake up at 6am, spend 3 hours writing a book about my world tour, then I go to work as part of an editorial team for music magazines full time and after work I go to the gym and then keep writing my book. I DJ evenings and weekends. A year from now I will have finished the book and I will be writing more songs, developing my DJ skills and building a better home studio. 


Love Music: How can people find you and follow you online? 

Go to djpaulafrost.com it’s a wicked website and everything is there. Also follow me on Instagram.com/djpaulafrost or facebook.com/djpfrost