Think tech house infused with a shot of pop and a sprinkle of pure sonic sex appeal. That’s SIDEPIECE. Their bass-heavy drops and infectious grooves aren’t just dance floor fillers, they’re full-blown flavor explosions that leave you craving more. They’re the secret weapon DJ Duo- the unexpected guests who turn any party into a night to remember.
But what fuels this sonic wildfire? Who are the mad scientists behind this genre-bending alchemy? Dylan Ragland and Ricky Mears, the masterminds behind the magic, are about to spill the tea. Stage Hoppers contributor Andrea Simon had the pleasure of sitting down with SIDEPIECE at their Toronto show a few weeks ago to discuss their inspirations, upcoming tour, and even the origin of their infamous name.
What is something you would tell fans to look forward to on your tour?
Ricky: I would say the main thing is [that] we spent a lot of time preparing really cool moments, like actually curating production stuff and new versions of songs that you might know. There’s different parts of it where it’s going to surprise you and hopefully be a moment where you get to hear the song that you like, but it goes into something that you’re not expecting.
Dylan: Yeah, what he said!
Let’s talk about your name- SIDEPIECE. Is there a story behind that name or anything that you want to share with us about it?
Dylan: It’s a very exciting name, yes. The name was, when we first got together to talk about wanting to make music together as a group- there was [specific] no group in mind. It was just kind of like, “hey, I’ve got this idea”, “he’s got this idea”- we both wanted to do some stuff in the house world. That’s where I got my start. We were talking back and forth and he’s [Ricky] like, “hey, you know, I always thought it’d be funny to do a side project called ‘Side Project’.” And I was like, “why don’t we call it SIDEPIECE?” Like it’s our side piece. It was as simple as that. It was so organic. It just felt like we got together and it’s like, I had started some, he had started some, and it was very cool- we’re ready to go. But we need to make up a cooler story…
I understand you both have some side projects that you’re working on. Do you each want to talk a little bit more about those?
Ricky: More side projects. I mean, you [Dylan] did Dylan and Harry this year. I did like SAYMYNITTI and stuff. So yeah, I mean, we’re definitely always releasing a lot… these two are just like fun for us. You know what I mean? We’re able to do extra music because we’re both producing all the time. So it’s fun to be able to put it out under different monikers.
Dylan: Right, but SIDEPIECE is our MAIN piece. It became the secret main piece.
What advice would you offer to people that are trying to get started in the music industry? Specifically, DJs and Producers?
Ricky: I would say it’s always reps. It’s kind of just putting the time in, to be honest. After that, obviously, there’s some honing and I feel like you eventually learn how to slow down. But, in the beginning, to me it’s more about just constantly trying and trying and even if it’s not good- even if you don’t like it- you’re gonna eventually get to a point where you’re like “hey I actually like this song” or “I actually think this is cool”. Then, you might make ten bad ones after that, but just keep in mind that consistency really is key.
Do you guys have a favorite song that you’ve ever worked on- whether it’s for SIDEPIECE or any of your individual projects?
Dylan: You know, there’s a song that we did early on that- we technically put it out as kind of a secret thing to our fans and a lot of people don’t know it actually ever came out- called ‘Bitch, You a SIDEPIECE’. It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek song if you listen to the lyrics. It’s very- it sounds very extreme- but it’s kind of funny. I remember when we made that, it just was kind of for our fans and what not, and it’s become a fan favorite. It’s hard to say, [it] may be my favorite, but it is kind of one that brings me back to the early days of when there was no stress and we hadn’t achieved any sort of success with the group. It was just kind of for fun.
Ricky: I do remember that, but mine is probably a song that’s actually not released yet. We’re actually working on it and we’re about to go finish recording it and everything probably this week. It’s just- I don’t want to give it away- but it’s a BIG song with a big vocal anthem. I really want people to hear the lyrics, and the songwriting is very deep and it means a lot to me. When we were working on it, we knew immediately that this is a special song. So that one is coming out soon, it’s called ‘Who Created Love’. You’ll know when we play it in our sets. It’s very euphoric. It’s epic.
Alright, let’s talk collabs now. Do you guys have any upcoming collabs you can tell us about? Also, who is an artist you would love to do a dream collab with?
Dylan: We have a song with It’s Murph. It’s really fun, we love that one. We got got a few other ones coming up too with San Pacho and CID. And there’s a few that we can’t really say- including with some vocalists.
Ricky: For a dream collab, I mean, it would be great to definitely hit all the big legendary house guys. A Chris Lake collaboration would be really cool. Green Velvet. That would be insane. Even the more up-to-date people like John Summit and Dom Dolla. They’re our peers. You know what I mean? We look up these guys. We play their music. They play ours. It’s always fun to be able to send ideas back and forth. So I think that would be cool to start doing some of those.
Dylan: I think for collabs- and I just said this other day- that we want to work with other big vocalists, too. London Grammar is a big one on my list. They’re a group, but her voice is absolutely ridiculous.
Connect with SIDEPIECE
Website | Instagram | X | Facebook | Spotify | TikTok | YouTube | Apple Music