The Power of Teamwork with Truth x Lies: Elevated Frequencies Episode #11

Ian:

If you think about it, you are competing. Right? That's just the fact of the matter. There's limited amounts of slots in a DJ set in the city because, you know, it's the way that it works. But at the same time, it's like you're gonna go farther if you help each other out.

And there is definitely enough for everybody to go around and to eat. And, like, I don't think it needs to be I think I think it's good at the end of the day because this means that our whole underwriting our whole industry is popping off.

Olivia:

Welcome to elevated frequencies, the podcast that gives you access to the next level of house in techno so you can explore an elevated lifestyle. Today I have Ryan and Ian, AK, truth and lies on the show. These are two guys that are giving music and the music community. They're absolute all. They are truly building something special and they have some incredible insight on how to build a team of people around you that are all bought into the same mission.

So I hope you learned something from this conversation and of course enjoy. Thank you both so much for joining me. It's nice to to meet you virtually.

Ian:

Thanks for having us. Thank you for having us.

Olivia:

Yeah. So I wanna talk about your name, but I feel like that's really cliche. I also have this idea that I wanna play the game 2 truths and a lie, but we don't know each other well enough yet. So let's Let's dig in a little bit first. So you guys are both both in New York now, and I know you have both have a musical background.

Yeah. But going back to your family roots. Ryan or Ian, whoever wants to start tell me a little bit about that journey.

Ryan:

Yeah. Ryan, go ahead. So I started playing, you know, I was in band in middle school and in elementary school and high school, and I played trumpet in band. And then I decided I wanna go school for music, and I went to school for classical music. And then when I got out of school, after I finished my master's degree, I was, like, not really in love with doing that anymore.

And I was like, it was a very tough business. It's not very much of it anymore. Like, performing in that industry is kind of difficult. And I loved it. So I loved the music part of it so much.

It just didn't like that part of, like, there's there's not that much for me to really go and enjoy. And I started time, I started DJ ing in a bar with a friend of mine, and that's when I got really hooked on doing electronic music. And when I moved in New York, it was, you know, it was it's very big here. It was huge influence on me every day of the week. We used to go to a club called Cielo in New York, and it was a club where you could go watch all these New York clubs and DJs for free Monday through Thursday.

And it was it was great, and that's when I got the house music kind of bug. And that's where I felt like we ended up meeting we ended up meeting at a with with the person I have started working on and DJ with, and it was it was it was good for me to just get out of that shell of classical stuff and go to something new. And then we met and and kinda give you a little more of how we met, but we met through this mutual friend doing events in the city. And then after a little while, we became truth and lies.

Ian:

Yeah. I mean, I I was playing music my whole life. It was like a every one of my family is not as a musician, so it's like a rule in my house. I had to play at least one instrument. I had to do at least an hour of practice a day.

So I I got stuck on the drugs pretty early, so I've been playing drums most of my life. And then, yeah, I moved to the city. I mean, I was born in the city. I've always been around New York. I grew up at Westchester.

So 10, 11 years ago, I moved into the city. That's super into the house music thing. And then I went to audio engineering school, and then I studied at icon, a live music production school. So those are, like, just kinda got me more and more into the world. And, yeah, like, Ryan was saying, I used to work at a record store in Midtown, and I worked with Ryan's old music partner.

And then, eventually, like, we started throwing music events together like Black Life Hardies. super ratchet, super low key, but, like -- I

Olivia:

love that.

Ian:

Yeah. It was so fun, but, like, so low budget. It would also probably some of the best nights of our life. But yes. And then Ryan and I just put off.

Like he said, we caught the house bug, and that was kinda it from there. And during quarantine, I'd say, it's really when we, like, buckle down and started writing a lot of our.

Olivia:

That's awesome. I mean, you said, like, it's ratchet, but those are some of the best times of your life. That's really the roots of what this music is. It's it's those parties where it's, like, it's dark and it's grungy and, you know, you're sweating your ass off. Like, that is -- Exactly.

Ian:

-- like a -- $300 budget. You know?

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah.

Ian:

That's so great. Those are the best --

Ryan:

We're we're mopping paint off the ceiling and

Ian:

the -- Yeah. We do blacklight paint margins, so that's the first and last time I've ever had to mop paint off the ceiling.

Olivia:

Oh my god.

Ryan:

Especially, like, your hardware. That's not fun.

Ian:

Yeah. They had us come they had us come back the next day because they're just like, yeah. We're not gonna make our our maintenance. People do this as best guys gotta go back in markets. That's that's fair.

Olivia:

That and it's humble beginnings. I love it. And so so there's a lot of duality, like, with your name, truth, and lies. Is that something that was super intentional, or how did that come about?

Ian:

Yeah. I feel like everyone thinks it's super exciting, but, honestly, it was we did want something with duality, you know, because our backgrounds and music are very different and, like, the way that we came at music was very different. Like but we wanted something that had that duality, something that represented the 2 of us, but also something that was easy Right? You know? Because this isn't this wasn't our first project.

We started writing, like, Latin trap and movement ton and stuff like that -- Okay. -- just niches. So we'd always been making Latin music. So when people say we make Latin kinda just a continuation for us. But, yeah, this isn't our first project.

So when we rebranded and restarted, we we knew we needed something brandable. We knew we needed something that we can apply, like, imagery to. You know? So when the truth and lies first started, we started really with the black white stuff and, like, what's super serious with it. And now I think we're starting to explore more and more, like, maybe it's, like, the some of the serious side is the music and some duofy side is the other side.

So I don't know. We're just we're still exploring it, and, you know, we love making music, but I wouldn't say that for brand movements.

Ryan:

It we are both we're both naturally, like, musicians naturally gifted in thinking about how we wanna how music would sound, how people would feel with our music, and then the the name was just something that we came up with really out of, yeah, really necessity. We needed to have a name, and then we just wanted to brand it. So it was easy for us to use later on

Ian:

I think we had the music before we had the name, so we're like, damn, we should probably figure something out at this point.

Olivia:

Well, that's actually Okay. So one thing, I'm a branding consultant. That's, like, my 9 to 5 of a business. And and one thing One thing that I well, first of all, I think the name is really good because it gives you a lot of room to play around. You didn't, like, lock yourself into something.

Mhmm. The other thing that I was gonna say is, a lot of times, anyone who's first starting a business could be a music project, could be whatever whatever the hell they want. They get so wrapped up, and I gotta have a name and a logo before they actually have a business model. So you guys did it the right way where you're like, we're making music that we love. Now we have to do because so many people were like, spend 100 of dollars on a logo and name or whatever,

Olivia:

and then it doesn't launch.

Olivia:

And it's like, you just wasted your time.

Ian:

I think you're also just giving us too credit, and it's just because we just we prefer to make music, and we suck at social media. So it wasn't like a planned thing at all. It was more just, like, we like making music, and I don't know anything about, you know, IG. Obviously, we've learned over the years having to do it every day, etcetera.

Olivia:

Right. But in

Ian:

the beginning, it was just like, I don't know. what to post on our Instagram or what our story or our brand or, like, what creative value you have besides our music. You know?

Ryan:

Yeah. Another thing too is our our our holy ghost is let's try to do everything ourselves until we absolutely can't. So, like -- Mhmm.

Ian:

--

Speaker 4:

all

Ryan:

of our DJ visuals I made, all the social media stuff in the back end stuff we do, Ian takes care of. Like, it's it's all like a I mean, it's now it's a team project, but before it was just like, kinda had to do everything ourselves. And when they and Emmicated, it was the same thing. I was like, how are we gonna get our name out there while we can't play shows?

Ian:

Now that we started touring this last year, we've had to, like, start delegating, and, like, we've got an incredible team around us. We have, like, our day to day manager party and our manager Mario, and we have, like, photo guy, Josiah, and people to edit. Like, there's literally no way we'd be able to do all this alone. It's cool.

Olivia:

Yeah. But -- It it's -- But at

Ian:

the same time for us, it was important that we know how to do all the things of ourselves.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. You

Ian:

know? So we can edit all of our own videos. Like Ryan said, we can create other visuals. We take all the music. We do all the social stuff.

But it's just like, At a certain point, music becomes lower down in this importance when you do all those things. You know? Like, you end up not writing as much music and spending all your time doing these other So that's the opposite of what we're going for here. There's a limited amount of time in each day.

Olivia:

Totally. Sorry if you guys just heard that thunder right now.

Ryan:

Where where are you, Olivia?

Olivia:

I'm in I'm in Chicago, and it's -- Oh, nice.

Ian:

So you got thunder and smoke right now.

Olivia:

Yeah. I do. It's it looks like a like a apocalypse outside my window right now.

Ryan:

I know. That should be that should be your DJ name. Heather and spoke.

Olivia:

Yeah. That's fire.

Speaker 4:

What did you say? Thunder and smoke. Oh, that's really good.

Ian:

That's fire.

Speaker 4:

There you go.

Olivia:

There you go. That's that's my DJ name now.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Olivia:

Well, I think so I've talked to a lot of artists about this about knowing how to do all the things yourself, but knowing when to delegate. And I always emphasize the importance of knowing how to do the thing because I think you you have to because you if you just pass off your shit to somebody without knowing anything about it, you're bound to get burned. That's how people, like, go to jail for tax fraud. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Ian:

You I think you at a certain point, you maybe fall out of touch with certain parts of the process. Mhmm. But at the same time, there's certain something to be said from, like, the Henry Ford approach, which is He doesn't know how to do any of the things himself, but on speed dial, he had all the professionals that could come and do it for it sort of thing. I I Personally, I see both sides, and I know, like, as we continue to expand and the brand expands, we're gonna be able to do fewer and fewer things because --

Olivia:

Right. -- you know,

Ian:

it's not like diplos editing some videos playing for Right.

Olivia:

Here. But you have the awareness.

Ian:

You you Exactly. I think it's a firm foundation. Yeah. It's a firm foundation. That's what I would I agree.

Yeah.

Ryan:

Another thing too. The other thing too, like like you said, is that it's good for us to know because now we can tell somebody since I I learned how to make visuals, as, like, I can tell someone who actually makes visuals for us now. What kind of style we have or what kind of style we'd like

Ian:

--

Ryan:

Mhmm. -- we can kind of go through it. And and same thing for, like, when we do our videos, we have a photographer that travels with us. He knows what we do, but if he can't come with us, then he we have to get someone else, and we have he takes care of the branding of what our visual representation looks like in a video form for Instagram or TikTok or whatever. Shout out to

Ian:

your site.

Ryan:

Yeah. So it's it's like you said, it is really important. It was I'm really glad that we did that because it helped us a lot with figure out our direction. And I think once we figure that out, once we figure that stuff out, and we gave it to people who actually can do way better than we can do it. Right.

Things are able to help. Like, our

Ian:

online -- A lot of this happened because of our manager. Like like I'd say earlier, this isn't really our strong suit You know? So a lot of it was, like, Mario sitting us down and being like, yo, you guys I have someone. I'm gonna send them on the road with you guys, and we're like, alright. Let's Let's do it.

because generally, at the end of the day, like, we we trust Mario. We have a manager who, I would say, knows way more about the music industry than we do. So, yeah, certain yeah. I know that in my heart, he works for us, but, really, it feels like I work for Mario.

Ryan:

Yeah. It's a good thing to say for other artists is that's really hard to find a good manager that -- Yes.

Ian:

--

Ryan:

that will that believes the project as much as you, and I think Mario actually probably believes in the project. It may be even more than

Ian:

us sometimes. Yeah. I would say.

Ryan:

He'll text us at, like, 3 AM super hyped about something he saw, like, an article or someone kind of love our tracks, and it's just great.

Speaker 4:

I'll look

Ryan:

in the morning and be like, why didn't you text me 3 AM. I didn't see this.

Ian:

Mario Mario is, like, one of the first a and r's when he back when he worked at a record label to pick us up. So he's been watching our project for a long time. He really helped us in many ways. Like, back before COVID, we had all sorts of music written. and I think no concise theme for it.

Like, no two songs that you would listen to and be like, oh, this is truth of lies. You know? and he sat us down. He's like, guys, you gotta figure out what's going on here. Like, what's your route?

What's your sound? What do you offer that no one else did? And that's that's that we took that into COVID, and it really helped a lot. And, you know,

Speaker 4:

he picked

Ian:

us up and It's kinda kinda going off since then a little bit.

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And there's a there's a lot to be said for that. So You're talking about finding the through line and the cohesion between everything you do.

Ian:

Absolutely.

Olivia:

And, you know, as somebody who does branding for a living, It's always the creatives who are so particular about their work. It's hard to step outside of yourself and recognize those patterns. because you're still you're so close to it. So it's so amazing to have, you know, a team like you do to help you they they're just seeing it through through fresh set of eyes in a different lens. And that's just, like, an invaluable thing to have that, you know, you wish for for every artist.

It's really special.

Ryan:

And that's something that doesn't kinda naturally right away for people too. Like, when we first started, we're like, this sounds all our music. It sounds so good. And then we'd send out to people to, like, It's

Speaker 4:

not really that good. It's like Yeah. And you feel like,

Ryan:

you know, I I spent so much time on it working on it, but we just didn't have any perspective. And so having a manager, having a a team around us gives us perspective. Having met you know, mentors and friends that are in the music industry that can send music to or bounce ideas off of. that really has helped us grow, and it also helps us grow faster. So it's -- Yeah.

Ian:

I mean, there's there's definitely a bunch of artists that have helped us out like that. Like, back in the day, codes. You know, when we are first starting to make tech house codes put us on, ask for absolutely nothing. Like, Sid has put us on, ask for absolutely nothing of a term. then the list goes on.

Like, not even musicians too. Just people in the industry like Bobby from DJ Lovers Club. He's helped us out so much. You know?

Olivia:

Yeah. That's awesome.

Ian:

Pretty lucky to have the network that we do.

Olivia:

So let me ask you a question about that because I feel like on the 2 extremes when it comes to just whatever any industry, you have people who are too afraid to ask for help or feedback or opinions. And then you have people who can be a little bit annoying about it, right, who are overly familiar and friendly when they shouldn't be. So how when you were building your career, how did you kind of approach building those relationships in a way that was mindful that wasn't gonna hurt your brand.

Ian:

So for us, it was a little different than what you're describing because One way that we decided to provide value from our brand especially during COVID is we started doing a weekly demo streams So anybody could send music into our demo stream that we would listen to the whole song. We would get feedback. You know, and we would do that for 20, 30 songs a week, 40 songs depending on what we got. Sometimes up to 70 if we got that many submissions. Wow.

So we built we built a relationship with 100 probably up to a couple 1000 producers during COVID just because we were giving out a lot of feedback. So For me, it does not bother me at all when you send me music to listen to. I just it's just been a lot these days, and I can't listen to everything. which makes me feel kind of bad. But at the same time, it's a fucking amazing feeling to see these producers that are now popping off that we were listening to during COVID like, help me out.

You know? So

Olivia:

Yeah. I

Ryan:

think it's important. Yeah.

Ian:

I hope to one day be able to get back to do something like that. But, you know, streaming on Twitch isn't really a valid opportunity right now considering compared to what it used to be at least. So I think there's a way to get back to it. And eventually, you know, when we have our record label launched, think we'll be doing way more stuff like that.

Ryan:

Yeah. And I think that's good thing is, like, in saying the community is so important to us. Like, that is a big thing that we try to focus on with you know? We're gonna try to have this massive social media falling that we, you know, pay for bots or whatever to grow. It's we just wanna have everyone We want everyone to feel comfortable DM ing us.

We want everyone to feel comfortable talking with us, and that's the same thing how our whole team works. It's our team works. He just messes them or message us, and we'll, you

Ian:

know -- We answer every DM, which just takes a while.

Olivia:

That that's so awesome. 1 of, like, the universal principles that I believe in is you have to give in order to receive. So by, you know, giving that value and and and being, you know, a sounding board for people literally is is amazing. And it it does come back. you know, the good karma does come back in one way or another.

Ian:

Absolutely.

Ryan:

Yeah. And it's always important to remember that, you know, if someone starting out, you know, if there's like, for us, when we deal with younger producers are sending us demos, we were there before. So we know what they're we know what their challenges they're gonna go through. We know what to what they're gonna have to overcome. And we never really have like, we just kind of started and did it on our own.

We were just totally, like, You know what? When we first started producing and working together, we worked pretty much exclusive just just he and I for, I don't know, 3 or 4 years. Buy ourselves without really getting help from anybody. we kinda had to go through these struggles a lot more than anyone else can.

Speaker 4:

But when

Ryan:

I hear someone else send us a track and I can get in a feedback and say, hey. we've been there. We know what you're doing. Here's how you can take the next step and hopefully improve faster. Like, that's that's more gratifying to me than anything because I Oh, I want I want everyone to succeed.

There's enough place there's enough space in this industry.

Ian:

We can

Ryan:

all eat for sure. Exactly.

Olivia:

It's very refreshing perspective because I think a lot of a lot of the discourse I see are people who are kind of like in the scarcity mindset of all everybody wants to be a DJ now and they, like, roll their eyes. And they you know, I see this a lot, especially in the my local scene in Chicago, And I'm not, like, saying this is for everybody, but people who have been doing it longer, like, the old heads, and they say, oh, now everybody's whatever. And I just think that's, like, crazy because everybody nobody's making the same stuff. Everybody has their own unique, you know, contributions to music and there's something out there for everybody. So it's really nice to hear that, you know, you guys are coming from that perspective that the, you know, the more the merrier join the party.

Yeah.

Ian:

Yeah. I mean, there's it's two sides. Right? Like, if you think about it, you are competing. Right?

That's just fact of the matter, there's limited amounts of slots in a DJ set in the city because of, you know, just the way that it works. But at the same time, it's like you're gonna go farther if help each other out, and there is definitely enough for everybody to go around and to eat. And, like, I don't think it needs to be I think I think it's good at the end of the day because this means that our whole genre and our whole industry is popping off. You know what I'm saying? Like, people wouldn't be getting into this and people wouldn't constantly be coming new DJs if there wasn't an industry or, like, to dance.

Yeah.

Ryan:

And I think competition's a good thing too because if if we notice that everyone else is doing well, we're like a man. We gotta rock our game too. And it's not like we're gonna go after and be like, oh, you know, we don't we don't wanna go to them and say, hey. Just because you're an old head, dude, you don't know what you're talking about. Us new kids know stuff or whatever it may be.

But it's really it's really just a it's really good to have competition. It's also really good to have community, and that's, like, one thing about New York that's all the New York DJs go out and support each other. Everyone goes to each other shows that when they're in town, it's, you know, Brooklyn Mirage is, like, a little bit of DJ hangout spot. So Yeah. -- garage and see people play that are in town visiting or whatnot.

And

Ian:

-- It's, like, almost never drama in a local scene. You

Speaker 4:

know? Like

Olivia:

That's good. I'll be I'll be at the Brooklyn Raj for the first time on July 22nd or 3rd. I'm excited. I think it's I think it's El Row. Yeah.

I'm excited, but a little nervous because there's a lot of people. I have a a tough time sometimes.

Ian:

Do you have a you have Backstage?

Olivia:

Yeah. I we do. -- fine. Let me see. Yeah.

So I think I mean, I did that because it's like, I I'm getting too old to be in the thick of the crowds.

Ian:

No. Crowds will give me a little bit of anxiety now.

Ryan:

Yeah. I like going to in the crowd a little bit just so I could feel like the vibe of the energy of something.

Speaker 4:

For sure. Like,

Ryan:

whenever we're playing somewhere or, like, whenever we're going, I just love going to to experience it a little bit. Yeah. I do I do understand that. Especially before or

Ian:

after our set, I love to do that. But, like -- Yeah. -- going into the middle of the Brooklyn Raj battle, 10000 people who've

Ryan:

Yeah. It it's also just stressing me out a little bit.

Olivia:

Yeah. I and for me, it's more like germ anxiety. And just getting pushed around and stuff. I think I think it's a post COVID thing because it really COVID accelerated, like, I remember the first time going back to a club. and, like, being bounced around like a ping pong

Ian:

-- Yeah. --

Olivia:

on the dance floor at Spy Bar, and I was like, oh my god. Like, what what the fuck? Like, I'm used to my living room, you know, sets or whatever, the livestream. So -- I do

Ian:

love the sky bar.

Ryan:

Yeah. Spy bar is a little sweaty club. It's tiny. It's not like

Ian:

-- Got it.

Ryan:

I wouldn't say it's like a smaller club, but it's, like, you feel like you're all packed in together. It feels I mean, I love

Ian:

that kind of stuff. In April. Right? Yeah. We saw it in April.

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah. I remember. I I remember you guys were here. I was actually out of town.

So I was bummed. I didn't see you, but I've I've been going to Spibar for a very long time. Like -- I'm assuming you don't share. Of course. I think it's his birthday today.

Ian:

Is it? Oh my god.

Ryan:

I gotta call him -- -- his birthday.

Ian:

Can you let's give him some of that salable Lord.

Olivia:

Oh, he made you try Mallort?

Ryan:

Who was he doing? We went out to dinner with Sean before our show, and he's like, we're gonna have we're gonna have some Mallort. and we took a swine malure. And I don't think it was horrendously bad, but it was not it was not good.

Ian:

No. Yeah. We'll see what's --

Ryan:

But the one for the one for us was funny to watch as our photographer, Josiah. He he was he was he was, like, healing over, like, almost dying after I took it. I was like

Ian:

--

Speaker 4:

It's

Olivia:

it's not it's like the grossest, like like, grape fruit, like but, like, rancid grapefruit tastes. He I'm hoping he's getting paid to do what he's doing.

Ian:

I hope so too because otherwise, there's no if

Olivia:

there's no certain reason unless you just wanna torture your friends. That's what I'm assuming. Like

Ian:

It's great content.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. Yeah. It is. It is. It's very

Olivia:

it's like, genius, but also low hanging fruit because it's Chicago, like Centric. Like -- Yeah.

Ian:

--

Olivia:

this you know, you have to use, like, Michigan water to that's how they it was like Michigan Water. But there's, like, a joke about the Chicago River being disgusting. Like, you don't wanna even dip, like, your finger in the Chicago River because you it'll, like, like, fall off. And to me, that's what I feel like Malore is made with is Chicago River water.

Speaker 4:

Well, I'm glad to know that we

Ryan:

had that that fish run the Chicago River for dinner that night with him too.

Olivia:

Yeah. Wait. No. You didn't. It's like you might wanna go get some blood work done.

Ian:

Oh, yeah.

Olivia:

That's too funny. It's a small world. See, the community aspect of of house music is unmatched. I I love sure. I used to have, like, during COVID, we started this thing a couple friends I started this thing called rooftop drops where when we were allowed to, like, be outside again, we were doing livestream sets from different rooftops.

and Sherm came and played for us. So that's what makes the scene so special. Like, you just make long lasting friendships it it's it's just a great way to meet people.

Ian:

It's a tiny little scene too. You see the same people backstage in, like, Florida, Texas, Cali, New York everywhere. It's, like, so funny.

Ryan:

Yeah. We have a we have a crew that you know? Whenever we play in LA, they're always there. It's like the same crew of people, and it's, like, then we have a similar thing when we go to play in in Orlando or or we go to Tampa or whatever. It's just the same thing.

It's like and even the city too, same thing. It's and that's that's special. Like, that's fun. That's awesome to me.

Olivia:

Yeah. That's gotta feel really good just to see the people coming out for you over and over again and knowing. I mean, I say this to, like, every artist I talk to, and some of them are just like, ah, no. Like like, they're they're too humble about it. But, like, you're making you're the best part of their week.

They work most of the time. People who attend shows work a job that's 9 to 5, sometimes soul sucking, and they're looking forward to this moment of release. and, like, that's gotta feel really cool that, like, you can do that for them.

Ryan:

That's a great perspective. I hear you say it like that because

Ian:

-- Oh, that Yeah. I didn't have a thought.

Ryan:

It's it's often we we don't think like that, and that's really important for us to go, wow. You know, it's it's great for us.

Ian:

I mean, this is what they are looking forward to this week.

Olivia:

Yep. I know for me, you know. I mean, I love, like, I love my job. I love everything, but, like, being able to look forward to something like that And, you know, what I do is, like, I try to keep my phone away for the most part, but I always take 1 or 2 videos because the next day just getting to look at and recapping it. You know?

It's like, wow. Like, that was just so much fucking fun.

Ian:

Yeah.

Olivia:

It's re it's unmatched.

Speaker 4:

Have you ever been

Ian:

have you ever been to output in New York before?

Olivia:

I I yep. My my husband's from New York, and we went in

Ian:

2018

Olivia:

and then didn't it close in 19 or

Ian:

20? Yeah. Just just for a COVID.

Ryan:

It it closed in January of 2019, I think.

Ian:

reason I brought it up is because they would put they would put that sticker over your phone there, so you wouldn't really be allowed to, like, take videos and, like, they would kinda politely suggest that you would put your phone away. if you -- Yep. -- out on the dance floor. So definitely that vibe that you're talking about, you know, I understand.

Olivia:

Yeah. Yeah.

Ryan:

That's a that's a provide like, for us, like, when we go out, we we that's why we have a media guy take videos for us because I don't I don't, like, pulling my phone out while we're DJ ing and, like, doing the whole thing and, like, taking a photo of the crowd. Like, to me, that feels like I'm I lose the the crowd loses interest in the mayor.

Olivia:

Yeah.

Speaker 4:

Well, I

Ryan:

feel like I'm not connected to them anymore. And so I I do appreciate the no phone thing. Obviously, obviously, we it's a double edged sword because we do want people to take videos of us and post

Speaker 4:

them so we can share them

Ryan:

with social media and stuff So

Ian:

--

Olivia:

Of course. Yeah. But, like, but you're you're in the moment. And most for the most part, people are. Like, people don't go to these shows to be on their phones.

It's not like a regular club environment. You know?

Ian:

Let's say the vast majority. Yeah. You're right. Sure.

Olivia:

Yeah. So I wanna touch on really quickly because one of the tweets that had, like, really sparked my interest in talking to you. I'm not sure which one of you runs Twitter or both. We were talking about, like, doing your taxes as a create like, as a artist. Right?

Ryan:

Yeah. That was me. I remember what I I remember what it was. Yeah.

Olivia:

Okay. because, like, Ian's looking and I'm like, oh my god. Is that not you? I'm I'm pretty sure it was. You're talking about, like, you know, how important it is to to get all of that in order.

And there's so many components to being a successful artist creative whatever, but the business side is the stuff that nobody ever wants to deal with. So why did you decide to post about that.

Ryan:

I think the good thing to to know is that, like, for me, again, like, we come from a place of, like, we love working and helping people, and that's the thing. And this past year was our 1st year we really had truth and lies as a business. Right? We we kinda did it as we tore, but we didn't really make enough money to what it was like. You know?

It was just, like, here and there, we put a couple shows, and we make some money, but nothing that was, like, crazy amount of money. And this last year, we had to, like, get an LLC. We had to get a bank account. We had to hire someone to do our taxes. Like because, I mean, I can do my own taxes.

That's not too hard. But doing it for, you know, deductions for literally everything possible so we can end up having some money. I'm not paying the government all of our money. was important. So I I just was like, you know what?

I'm gonna post the stuff that we learned this year that has really helped us and has really helped know us get our stuff together because I feel like someone out there who's starting is gonna gonna go through the whole year and be like, oh, shit. I have to do my taxes. I didn't I didn't think about any of this. I used my personal card. I didn't have a business account.

Like, I figured someone was gonna find that useful. And that's generally every so often, I like to post things like that on Twitter. Because on Instagram, it's like you post fun stuff from videos, but it's not like something you can post, like, a lot of text and really people grasp it.

Ian:

Yeah. It's not a text based platform.

Ryan:

So I post stuff like that every every so often on there, and it usually does really well for a gets a lot of interaction, but it's also people messaged us later and say, this is awesome. This really helped me.

Ian:

It's always the educational post that do the best. Like, I remember, Ryan, you posted a while back of like, a list of all the plugins that we use the most, and, like, that post went off. You know? Like, a couple ones like how to you did another one that was, like, how to send music to artists that you respect? Like, what's the best way to get your music to artists?

I mean, those are those things.

Speaker 4:

And there

Ryan:

was a lot

Olivia:

of talent. -- driving value.

Ian:

Yeah. Yeah. Finding value. Exactly. I mean, that that was our biggest struggle.

It still is with our Instagram at least, you know, because, like, we don't really make content much. And we're not -- Mhmm. --

Ryan:

our content is, like, show content and funny stuff. That's kind of what we we are and

Ian:

--

Olivia:

Totally.

Ryan:

And we, you know, we do like educating helping people and then stuff like that. So I try every so often to post my educational. And, you know, like, I post the one about how to how to travel, like, how you can get become a frequent flyer, how do you get business credit cards and stuff like that. And it's like, I don't want anyone to have to spend more money or, like, these hotels and airlines make so much money as it is. Let's let's -- Mhmm.

Ian:

--

Ryan:

learn how to use it to your advantage. And so you don't have to go through paying extra amount of money to do with, you know, flights so you get benefits.

Ian:

I think I think all that stuff that you're posting to Twitter and text form can be eventually converted into video form. for the other platforms. But like I said, it's just, like, a question of making the content and, like, right now, Ryan and I both work. So truth and lies is kinda like our side project.

Olivia:

Oh, yes. You guys are busy busy.

Ian:

Yeah. Since rent in Manhattan, it's fucking ridiculous. You know? It's -- Yeah. -- it's, like, truth lies until it's the main thing, it's always gonna be the side.

Yeah. Something about this. Like, by by by next year. Yeah. That's the way that we grew this year.

We're hoping we'll have some similar growth for next year.

Olivia:

That's insanely impressive, though, that you guys are doing all of that because the just the hours the difference in the hours you have to spend in nightclubs versus a 9 to 5, I I can't even fathom.

Ryan:

Yeah. I work for a school, so I'm up at, like, 7:30 in the morning.

Olivia:

No fucking way.

Speaker 4:

Mhmm. Yeah.

Olivia:

What do you do?

Ryan:

I do IT work for a school. So it's not like a it's not a very difficult job for me because it's a lot of,

Ian:

like -- Okay. --

Ryan:

kids breaking. Kids breaking their know, iPad or whatever, and it's just like I put in a box to send it to Apple. But it's and it's it's time consuming. You know? I come home from work every Monday through Friday.

And, like, on Mondays, we have our team meeting with our management, and we go through, like, stuff we need to buy flights for the week or whatever we need to buy. Wow.

Speaker 4:

We we

Ryan:

do all that on Mondays, and then Ian, I work 2 like, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Maybe one of those days, we don't have we take out, like, some time off to actually some time off. And then Friday, sometimes I go from work to the airport, fly to a show. I mean, that's

Olivia:

Wow.

Ryan:

Yeah. That's it it's a it's it's a challenge for me, but I love it. And I I mean, eventually, I wanna do this more full time in having to work at a desk job because that would this job is kinda my numbing and not what I wanted to do my whole life.

Ian:

The ideal situation would be truth and lies full time with something part time on top and not the other way around.

Ryan:

You know? Something musical. You know?

Olivia:

Yeah.

Ian:

Yeah. I mean yeah.

Olivia:

Well, I I think you're well on your way there, and that's really impressive. I just can't like, it's amazing to to See, they always say if you're if you need something done, ask the busiest person in the room because they know how to fit everything in. That's obviously true of you guys. So, yeah,

Ian:

once that's our manager to do that.

Olivia:

Yeah. Well, I feel like you should have saved

Ian:

He's really busy with us.

Olivia:

The manager. Yeah. I feel like you should have saved that IT part for 22 truths and a lie because I would have not guessed that. I do before we wrap up, I wanna play this just for, like, shits and giggles. But I but Ryan and Ian, you know each other obviously very well.

So you can't give it away. I'll I already thought of mine, so I have a a head start on you guys. So I'll I'll start. Okay? you guys can think.

So alright. So 2 truths and a lie. You've played it before. Right?

Ian:

Mhmm.

Olivia:

Okay. Alright. So I wrote these down. Wait. Okay.

I I couldn't ride a bike until I was in my twenties. I got slimmed on Slime Time Live for Nickelodeon. And I've camped at 15 festivals. What is the lie?

Ian:

First one is a lie.

Ryan:

Yeah. The first one is a lie.

Ian:

Oh. Oh. I was really hoping you guys live on slime time live.

Olivia:

No. I did get that no. I did.

Ryan:

So you were -- Well, then

Ian:

you said the first one was alright. Yeah. So I was right. Yeah. Let's go.

Speaker 4:

Wait. Well, no. The no. That was the lie. The lie

Olivia:

the lie was I camped at

Ian:

15

Olivia:

festivals. I've never camped in my life.

Ryan:

You never camped in your life. Wow.

Ian:

You were I I figured you were a camper. I don't know why.

Olivia:

Ugh. I'm kind of offended by that, but I wanna decide.

Ian:

I figured you were a festival camper.

Olivia:

I'm a festival goer not a camper.

Speaker 4:

You have a goer?

Olivia:

I'm not a camper. No. Not even in an RV. Can't do it. I'm I'm an indoor cat.

Ian:

Yep.

Olivia:

Yep. Alright. Who wants to go next?

Ian:

You gotta let me think of 1, though.

Olivia:

I know. I feel like I gave you no prep time.

Ian:

Yeah. No prep time. That's all.

Ryan:

prep time. Let's see if I can think of a couple things. That'd be good. Alright. I'll go.

Olivia:

Okay. Let's hear it.

Ryan:

I've been to all 40 I've been to let's say here. Okay. You don't probably get this. That's the that's the this isn't gonna be the challenge because it's definitely

Ian:

-- -- gonna give it away. I'm sorry. I'm gonna think of mine.

Ryan:

Alright. Okay.

Olivia:

It's just for me then.

Ryan:

Yeah. So I've been to all of the continental 48 States. I've lived in more than 5 different states, I've never been outside the country. Which one is the lie?

Olivia:

I think I'm between the first and the third. I feel like you've been out of the country. Is the first one to lie?

Ryan:

Nope. I've been to all. I've been to all those states.

Olivia:

So did you not live in 5 states?

Ryan:

Nope. I lived in 5 states too. So

Ian:

--

Speaker 4:

So you've never been out of the country. Nope.

Ryan:

I just got my passport, like, what you know, when did I get like, April? No. No. I got it because we could do groove cruise.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Ryan:

So, technically, Oz on Groove cruise.

Ian:

You've been lucky.

Speaker 4:

You got it you got it for Groove cruise?

Ryan:

Sure did.

Olivia:

That's a group cruise is a good time.

Ryan:

So I guess that all three of those are true technically because I did go out of the country, but I really didn't because we were on the boat. So it doesn't

Olivia:

Yeah. Does he I've did you even leave the boat? because when I went on Groove Cruze, we barely left the boat.

Ryan:

We left the boat for, like, an hour. Yeah.

Olivia:

So that doesn't count. That was good though. That that was a a really tricky one. I like the travel theme.

Ryan:

Yeah.

Olivia:

So, Ian, do you have your chance?

Ryan:

Do you think a DJ is just traveling everywhere? and I was like -- Right. I've never

Olivia:

had that done so. You got me.

Speaker 4:

Alright. So

Ian:

I speak Spanish fluently. I do environmental advocacy work,

Speaker 4:

or I've never been out

Ian:

of the country. No way.

Olivia:

Okay. You said you make a Latin house or you you made a lot of Latin house, so I feel like I feel like that one's probably true. Environmental advocacy work. I feel like that's really random. So is it the is the third one the lie?

Ian:

Damn it. You're clear.

Olivia:

Well, I mean, come on. Who comes up with him, but that's, like, such a random job. Like, today?

Ian:

I feel like, you know, it's I feel like that's yeah. I guess I could have come up.

Speaker 4:

could have

Olivia:

No. No. Those were good, though.

Ryan:

You could have changed it.

Speaker 4:

I got

Ryan:

I make instruments out of recycled materials.

Ian:

Damn. That would have been the 1. Yeah. That's the environmental advocacy work.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. But that's really cool. You guys have really, like, cool jobs.

Olivia:

I mean, like, you have important jobs.

Ian:

Ryan does that with us as well. You have to make instruments out of recycled materials, and we go to schools and talk about environmental sustainability and the science of sound and stuff. So Ryan also performs in that, and Ryan's wife Anna as well. She also knows workers.

Speaker 4:

Yeah. That is so dope.

Olivia:

Do you guys because I would like to share that with this episode, do you have, like, links or anything to show for that that I can include?

Ian:

Yeah. Yeah. It's a Bash trash.com.

Olivia:

Bash the trash.

Ryan:

And, actually, that's Ian's it's Ian's family's business. They've been doing it.

Ian:

The family in the eighties.

Ryan:

Eighties. So

Ian:

-- Yeah. Late the late eighties, the road.

Olivia:

Very cool. Well, I'll have to check that out. I I really appreciate you guys taking some time and chatting with me was so so cool to get to know you on a little bit deeper level, and I hope that I can see you soon next time you come to Chicago.

Ian:

Definitely. Yeah. Great to meet you, Olivia. When you're in New York, let us know, and I think we'll definitely be in Chicago drinking that nasty ass in the world soon.

Olivia:

So I really wanna highlight those points that that the guys made about their management team literally texting them at 3 in the morning because they saw something on Instagram or they had an idea, and they were just so excited they couldn't wait to share. If you are on a creative team or you're an entrepreneur or you're just trying to build something, you may recognize how rare that is to have everyone on a team rowing the boat in the same direction and just invested in this idea of success. It is rare and it is the gold standard in life. So if you are someone who's building something, I really encourage you to take stock of of who you have on your team. Are these people who are energized by the idea of success or Are they kind of just punching in, punching out and hanging around?

This can be a tough thing to do, especially if you have people on your team that you love, that you're close with, but it's necessary if you wanna get to the next level. So if you've enjoyed the show, of course, the best way to support is subscribe, give us a follow, I'll see you here next week.