In this episode of What’s Cookin?, we sit down with Chanel Carmichael to unpack her journey from a classically trained musician to one of the most exciting rising DJs in the UK scene.

Chanel opens up about growing up in the world of classical music, the moment DJing first caught her attention, and what it really felt like to step away from a traditional path into something completely different. We get into how lockdown live streams helped build her momentum, and why she ultimately chose to shift her focus when the world reopened.

We also dive into the realities of building a career in music, from navigating agents, management, and eventually stepping into independence, to learning how to back yourself in an ever-changing industry. Chanel shares honest insights on moving to Manchester, building a network from scratch, and finding your place in a new scene.

From her production journey and musical influences to landing a residency at Ministry of Sound, this episode explores both the craft and the career behind the decks. We also touch on digging for music, preparing for sets, and how her classical background still shapes her sound today.

In this episode of What’s Cookin?, we sit down with Josh Hvaal, a DJ and producer originally from Derby and now based in Manchester, to talk about reinvention, artist identity and building something bigger than just music releases.

Josh opens up about his production journey from the very beginning. We talk about the early tracks, creative breakthroughs, unfinished ideas and the habits that helped shape his sound over time. We get into what it really takes to improve as a producer, how to develop your own identity and the process of getting music heard by the right people.

A major part of the conversation focuses on navigating the label world, with Josh sharing his experiences releasing music on labels like Hot Creations, TRICK and Hottrax, including the pressure, confidence shifts and industry realities that come with breakthrough moments.

We also dive into his decision to rebrand himself as an artist and restart his social media presence, opening up about authenticity online, comparison culture, and trying to build something that genuinely reflects who he is creatively.

Alongside this, Josh talks about relaunching his label and brand, Gibberish, and the vision behind expanding it into parties and events this year, creating a platform that goes beyond just releasing music.

In this episode, I sit down with Gaia from Girls Don't Sync to talk about her journey from South London to becoming part of one of the most exciting names in dance music right now.

We get into what life looked like before everything took off, from studying acting at university and working random jobs, to discovering DJing and production and figuring out whether music could really become a career. Gaia also shares some of the early experiences and gigs that helped shape her, and how Girls Don’t Sync first came together before rapidly growing into the force they are today.

Alongside that, we talk about bringing her mixed heritage into her sets and sound, the realities of touring, releasing music, and learning how to balance creativity with the pressures of the industry. Gaia also opens up about being dyslexic, how it’s influenced the way she learns and creates, and why teaching DJing and supporting upcoming artists through community-focused events has become so important to her.

If you’re into DJing, production, dance music culture or the behind-the-scenes reality of building a creative career, this episode is packed with honest insight, real stories and plenty of practical advice.