In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

❤️ ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕚𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕞𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕔 ❤️

DJ/Producer from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Shugz combines high-energy, air-tight mixing and electrifying productions to boot. From humble beginnings rising through the ranks in Trance to now diversifying with a more polished open-format sound whilst still maintaining the sounds of his early influences and roots. Shugz’ sound breaks down the barriers of dance music, no rules and straight up energy is a mainstay in his productions and live sets, with no problems producing a plethora of unique styles including Techno, Trance, Hard Techno as well a more recent commercial sound. 

  

Starting 2024 with a bang, the Belfast man secured himself a multi-track major record deal with one of the biggest record labels in the world in Colombia Records/Room Two, pinning himself alongside of the world’s global elite artists such as Calvin Harris, Adele, Daft Punk & Harry Styles to name a few. Shugz’ musical accolades do not stop there, with already requested remixes from MK, Rita Ora & Joel Corry to compliment his new deal & ability. 

  

In 2023 he produced a total of 38 tracks and accumulated an impressive 12.5 million Soundcloud streams with each one of his Soundcloud uploads hitting the "New & Hot" chart consistently as well as a top 3 "All Music Chart" hit with "King of My Castle". 

  

Shugz also is no stranger to the world’s dance music circuit, with a stacked passport each year from 2016 when he started his journey professionally with his first international artist agency. Having played 41 gigs in the last 12 months alone, touching down in over 20 countries with regular tours in Australia, Asia, UK, and regular visits to South America and all over Europe.  

  

In his native Belfast he achieved local-hero status with 6 sell-out shows in the famous Telegraph Building with his own brand ‘Kill your Idols’ as well as regular summer appearances at major festivals such as Creamfields, Coloursfest, Lost Minds, Escape in the Park, Planet Love & the Felie An Phobail in Belfast. 

  

Stay tuned as Shugz continues to grow, explore & improve in new sonic territories with his newfound sound & direction.

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