Podcast Summary

Podcast: Life Wide Open with CboysTV
Episode: TWINSICK Is The Next Big DJ Duo
Date: February 28, 2023
Guests: Alex & Casey (Twin Sick)
Hosts: CJ, Micah, and CboysTV crew

Overview

This episode of Life Wide Open features Alex and Casey, the Minnesota-based DJ duo known as TWINSICK. The conversation winds through their unconventional career paths, their rapid ascent in the music industry, behind-the-scenes stories, the realities of touring, and the unique culture around DJing today. The discussion is casual, lively, and peppered with stories from both the Cboys and their guests, making for an engaging look at the intersection of YouTube, live events, music, and youth culture.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Origins & Early Inspiration

• Both Alex and Casey grew up in Minnesota, bonding over a love for music and parties.
• Started out DJing high school parties, making mashups for SoundCloud and edits for Vine.
• Landed first club gigs by age 17, sometimes being paid in drink tickets—water, due to their age.
• The collaborative duo aspect was inspired in part by acts like The Chainsmokers.

Quote:
“[As a DJ] just started by the fun of it and like, the love of music. Bringing people together and having fun…” – Alex (01:23)

2. Minnesota Roots & Why Not LA?

• Despite industry pressure, both are committed to staying in Minnesota for its central location, family and friends, and to avoid LA’s distractions.
• The duo fly out Thursday–Sunday for shows and return home to reset.

Quote:
“It’s nice to, like, not distract. If you’re in LA…your roots are here.” – CJ (03:22)

3. Tour Life & Managing Burnout

• Described a packed schedule: Boston, Penn State, then Europe (Barcelona, Florence, Rome), New York, and back for local shows.
• Homecoming shows at local bars/ski towns remain a highlight.
• Approach to burnout: stay grateful and aware of the privilege of traveling for work.

Quote:
“You just got to think how lucky we are to do what we’re doing.” – Casey (05:10)

4. Party Culture & DJ “Pre-Game”

• Drinking and partying are inevitable parts of the DJ lifestyle.
• Matching crowd energy often requires a few drinks; learning to pace themselves comes with experience.

Memorable Moment:
Hosts joke about one of their own (Micah) not being able to handle the party scene as a DJ (“He’s just blacked out”; 06:14).

5. From Remixes to Original Music

• DJing began with mashups and SoundCloud remixes, a strategy that paid off with the rise of TikTok.
• Making the transition to producing original music: only possible after building a base, as remixes drive discoverability.
• Making music for live audiences: remixes of classics are crowd-pleasers and help appeal to diverse age groups.

Quote:
“You gotta have like original music that people come to your shows for…” – Casey (34:56)

6. Crowd Dynamics & Performance Techniques

• Playing to all audiences: from college frats to Vegas-style older crowds.
• Song selection, reading the room, and saving bangers for strategic moments is key.
• Light shows, CO2, and lasers are central to the DJ experience; good production makes a big difference.

Quote:
“Lighting guys and visual guys, that’s their job…Half the time they know what [we’re playing], half the time they’re just going with the beat…” – Alex (17:23)

7. Backstage and On-the-Road Stories

• Interactions with famous DJs like Tiesto and The Chainsmokers; festivals bring everyone together.
• Fans sometimes jump the booth or send creative phone signs from the crowd (notably with “twin” puns).
• Afterparties often end with the guys aimlessly wandering new cities, sometimes “blacked out,” searching for food.

Memorable Moment:
“Our signature is, like, end the night just roaming the streets…we were in Florence, dead silent, blacked out, running through Florence trying to find a pizza shop.” – Casey (27:05)

8. Managing Fame, Scrutiny & Brand

• Addressing “fake DJ” accusations: most real work is behind the scenes, but there’s always pressure to look busy on stage.
• Social media brings scrutiny; they focus on authenticity and building a brand gradually.
• Merch started for free (throwing hats into crowds), building hype before commercializing.
• Name origin: TWINSICK merges “Twin Cities” and “sick”—simple and memorable.

Quote:
“People think we’re making music up there. It’s all made on computer—[live] we have 200 songs, maybe the first 5 minutes planned…” – Casey (24:38)

9. Musicianship & Backgrounds

• Both have musical training: piano, percussion, drums, trumpet.
• Musical background helps with rhythm and production; self-taught via YouTube and ongoing practice.

10. YouTube & Content Creation Aspirations

• Interest in documenting DJ life for YouTube; recognize it’s a lot of work, especially if self-filming/editing.
• Looking to do more city/crowd engagement in vlogs, inspired by artists like Fisher.

11. Youth, Parties, & Changing Music Tastes

• Observed generational shifts: six years ago, EDM was more underground; now house has gone mainstream, even with college kids.
• DJing for sober audiences (Mormon parties) or high-energy high school events brings its own set of challenges and stories.

Quote:
“At that age, like, we’ve done high school parties—they mosh pit, they open the pit, put one kid in the middle…doesn’t happen at a club.” – Casey (56:51)

Notable Quotes & Moments (With Timestamps)

• On Starting Out:
  “I was 17 in the club, getting paid by drink tickets—and had to use it on water.” – Casey (02:20)

• On Staying in Minnesota:
  “It’s a good home base. We fly every single weekend...come home and get our work done.” – Alex (02:55)

• On Drinking as a DJ:
  “You gotta kind of match [the crowd]...otherwise it’s weird if you’re on a different level.” – Casey (06:03)

• On Building Originality:
  “You need to build your kind of fanbase first and then make sure there’s a want for the original music.” – Alex (08:35)

• On Creating a Brand:
  “It’s like you either get the branding aspect or you don’t. If you can brand yourself as an artist compared to it being your job, that’s the main difference.” – Casey (34:36)

• On the DJ Name:
  “Everyone thinks we’re twins. We got [the name] from Twin Cities, both from Minneapolis…just needed another word at the end.” – Alex (41:05)

Highlighted Segments (Timestamps)

• Tour Stories & Burnout: (03:36–05:17)
• Party Culture & Drinking: (05:54–08:00)
• Transition to Making Original Music: (08:09–09:54)
• Managing Live Shows & Audience: (17:02–18:33)
• Production, Lights, and Visuals: (17:13–18:33)
• Legacy DJs & Aging in the Scene: (23:12–24:18)
• Fake DJ Accusations: (24:38–26:08)
• Afterparties & Travel Antics: (27:00–27:35)
• Music Training & Band Nerd Memories: (47:13–51:39)
• Merch & Branding: (39:45–40:46)
• Audience & Generational Shifts: (15:17–16:22, 55:36–56:59)
• City, Tour, and Travel Recommendations: (52:11–54:23)

Tone/Style

The conversation is light-hearted, energetic, with playful banter. There’s an undercurrent of “work hard, play hard” and a focus on community—both CboysTV’s and TWINSICK’s. There’s genuine admiration between the groups, encouragement for each other's creative risks, and a sense of camaraderie and shared hustle.

Concluding Thoughts

TWINSICK express gratitude and excitement for their rapid growth, crediting their Minnesota roots, musical evolutions, and a strategic embrace of both social media and live performance culture. The Cboys provide a relatable, humorous, and at times probing look into the less-glamorous yet undeniably fun realities behind DJ culture, giving aspiring artists and fans a front row seat to "life wide open."