All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Celebrating its fifth year in the Hamptons, Palm Tree Music Festival kicked off summer with a sun-soaked, Don Julio-filled party at Southampton’s Shinnecock Reservation on June 21. Crowds of revelers came out to get sweaty, dance and party to vibrant sets from a jam-packed DJ lineup, including Fisher, Kygo, Mau P, Coco & Breezy, Tinx & Lucas, Benjamin Lloyd, Beau Cruz and Blond:ish.
Taking a quick break from Ibiza, Blond:ish brought the Mediterranean energy to the Hamptons, giving festivalgoers a taste of her historic Abracadabra residency show, performing hit songs like “Never Walk Alone” and blending a wide array of house sounds for a set full of good vibrations. The producer/DJ/label owner/philanthropist began her 11-week residency at clubbing institution Pacha last month, becoming the first female-led headlining residency at the venue and breaking the attendance record shortly after. With a new album out earlier this year, a record-breaking residency show, and a precious newborn turning 1 soon, 2025 has become a year of milestones for the Canadian artist.
Billboard caught up with the “Never Walk Alone” producer before her set at Palm Tree Music Festival to discuss her historic female-led headlining residency, favorite pre-show rituals, and memorable crowd interactions. Check out the interview below.
How does it feel to have your first residency in Ibiza?
I went to Ibiza for the first time 15 years ago. I was 18, a really little chicken, and I understood the hustle there because back then I didn’t have any money, and I was hustling. So, just getting around was a hustle, and getting into all the parties, the villa parties, and just learning how it works. It’s obviously amazing, but every single day of my life in the past six months has just been about, “How do we make this a success?” And we’re killing it.
There’s so many marketing levers. Everyone does business in a different way, so you gotta navigate so many layers of sh–. But then you have this incredible thing on the surface that looks amazing. You can feel that people were ready for something like this in Ibiza, because you always get a similar offering, but this is different. This is more intentional, more of a feminine energy, but gangster.
Did your first headlining Ibiza show feel different from any other set you’ve done?
Yes, because it’s ours and the beautiful thing is that it’s not just one week, it’s 11 weeks! So every week you can iterate. We have this blackout moment where we just fake that all the power goes out, and then that creates a moment of connection. Because that’s what we try to do with abracadabras. Bring more connection in little, tiny ways that aren’t obvious. Like, “Hey, guys connect now.” People start talking and you might meet someone. I’m on the dance floor hugging people all around, I acknowledge people, you know. That’s what the audience wants.
Any fun pre-show rituals before getting onstage?
There’s thousands of people out there, and everyone comes with a different mood, different energy. Everyone’s going through different sh–. I have to put on a little protection bubble out there because everything I do is energy. Everything is energy. So, I just make a little protective bubble around me. Do some Qigong, a five-minute little ritual where I could just reset and get grounded, so that the energy I put out is pure and is optimized and efficient as possible. And then I have a tiny sip of tequila, like a tiny kiss.
Which type of Don Julio tequila do you like best: Blanco, Reposado, Anejo?
The brown bottle. [Points at a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila.]
What’s your preferred way to drink tequila: neat, on the rocks, or a cocktail? If a cocktail, what kind?
I used to drink a lot of Mezcal because I lived in Tulum for a few years. That’s just the culture there, and then as I started touring more internationally, like Mexico, I switched to tequila. I love spicy margaritas. I like to feel like I’m in the deep jungles of Tulum at the best restaurant ever.
What’s a song that instantly transports you into a good mood?
There’s this NYPD mashup of Temper Trap that is really “housey” and has these big strings, and it goes down a fifth, and it just creates this crazy energy. I’ll play it today. I saw that it makes everyone else happy, so it makes me happy when everyone else is happy. I’m always doing music, so it’s more of a utility now for me. I have to get prepared for a show, I have to go dig for music, and then I have to play the music. So, when I’m not DJing, like, in the car, I’m not really listening to music. I appreciate the silence and listening to the sounds around me.
The word “energy” seems to be a really important term for you. How would you describe your energy?
Every single word we say has energy. You’re an energy, whatever those guys are doing over there, every decision we make, every single thing, every song, is a resident frequency. That’s kind of what I found to be the key to life. If you frame everything as energy, and you always ask yourself, “Does it take my energy? Is it giving me energy?” Then life starts to flow more. So that’s why I mentioned energy a lot, and that’s why I double down on it. So when you say, how would you describe your music? Yeah, I would just say it’s energetic, you feel an energy. I don’t want to overuse that word, but that’s exactly what it is.
When it comes to great energy, there’s always this close connection between you and the crowd. Sometimes they’ve asked for hugs or brought you a whole pizza during your set. What’s the most fun/memorable crowd interaction that you’ve experienced while DJing?
We had a bunch of people come to a show with tinfoil hats!
Tinfoil hats? Is there a meaning behind it?
There’s a lot of meanings, like people who are anti-system, people who don’t go with the norm of society but for this, it’s more about protecting yourself from magnetic energy.
How has your onstage presence evolved throughout your career?
It’s all inspired by the feedback I get in my comments and the DMs. Honestly, that’s where we create all the culture. I noticed when I reply to people in my DMs, I see how appreciative they are. I understood, oh, okay, people want to be acknowledged, even if I’m just making eye contact with them, copying their dance moves when I’m DJing. We try to understand these little moments of connection. They really appreciate the hugs.
What do you want fans to take away after experiencing your set?
I have a baby now. He’s almost 1, and to see his pure face, like pure happiness, makes me question, “Why do we lose that going through life?” So my goal is to bring us as close as we can back to that pure happiness. I just want people to live their best life. Through Abracadabra and my performances, all these seeds that we’re planting, and also through the music, I hope that everyone can open the road to living their best life.
