OKAYVAL is living her childhood dream.
Before she was playing her techy house tunes on festival stages and at elite nightclubs, the now-Chicago-based producer and DJ moved from Colombia to the United States as a teenager. She had one goal: to become a successful electronic music artist.
Raised by house and techno-loving parents, Val’s artist journey began when she was in high school, learning Logic Pro (a gift from her father), sharing demos with labels, and deepening her commitment to her craft. Though she stepped away from the industry to get a college degree, she never stopped making music, and when she became disillusioned with her nine-to-five career, the beats called her back.
Since returning to the scene as OKAYVAL in 2022, she’s gone from winning Insomniac’s Discovery Project to playing the planet’s top dancefloors and releasing on the electronic music’s leading labels. After making her first appearance at EDC Las Vegas last month, the journey continues this summer with more major debuts at Hï Ibiza, where she’ll join the bill for James Hype and MEDUZA’s Our House, and Belgium’s world-famous Tomorrowland.
Ahead of her EDC set, EDM Maniac caught up with OKAYVAL to talk about the bucket-list gigs, her lifelong music journey, and what’s next.
EDM Maniac: We’re here at EDC, where you’re making your festival debut. How are you feeling, and what is it like to be here?
OKAYVAL: I’m feeling excited and like still in shock that I’m here, honestly. I came last year, MEDUZA brought me on stage, and I was like, “I hope I make it to one of the stages next year,” and here we are. So I’m so, so excited to be here.
EDM Maniac: What was it like getting the call when you found out you were going to play?
OKAYVAL: I was just in shock, because it was kind of a last-minute type of thing. I didn’t think I was gonna make it to the lineup this year, but we made it, and I was just so happy and in shock, and I was just like, “I cannot wait to announce it.”
EDM Maniac: It’s been quite a journey up to this point. You moved here from Colombia 13 years ago with the goal of becoming a DJ and producer. Tell us about that journey and what first hooked you into the scene?
OKAYVAL: Hooked me into the scene, my mom, definitely. So shoutout Mom. She used to listen to house and techno when I was little, and I just kind of fell in love with the scene and the music and everything.
When I came here 13 years ago, I started just making music, just for fun, to see where it goes. But obviously my goal was always to try to be an artist in the industry; that’s what I wanted to do. That’s how it all started.
EDM Maniac: At first, you produced under a different name, Hiedra Music. What was that first go-around like, and how did those experiences lead you to Okayval?
OKAYVAL: I was super young when I started. I was like 13 years old, didn’t know what I was doing, my production was not great, so I just decided to put myself out there, see what happens. I was in high school, so I didn’t know if it was gonna work out.
Regardless, I kept making music, and then I went to college, took the quote-unquote “safe route,” and then when I graduated college, I was like, “You know, I don’t think I like what I’m doing at my nine-to-five. I think I want to go back to music.” And in 2022, I was like, “Frick it,” you know, I’ll put myself out there and see what happens, and that’s when Okayval came into place.
EDM Maniac: What ultimately pushed you to jump back in and go for it?
OKAYVAL: I guess I just had a talk with myself, like, “I don’t think I’m happy with what I’m doing right now in my life, and music has always been something that I have really, really wanted to do.” So I just kind of came to the realization that life is too short, so I’m just gonna do it and see what happens, and here we are. I don’t regret a single thing, and I don’t have a plan B. I want to keep it that way.
EDM Maniac: What advice would you give to someone else looking to take the leap and chase their own dreams?
OKAYVAL: I was like, “You only live once,” so just do what you want to do. Live your life and don’t give up. The only way you won’t make it is if you give up. You will have a chance, so just don’t give up; keep fighting for what you love.
EDM Maniac: After EDC, in July, you’re headed on to play Hï Ibiza with MEDUZA and James Hype and make your first appearance at Tomorrowland. How are you feeling about the summer ahead?
OKAYVAL: I’m so excited for Ibiza with MEDUZA in July, as well as Tomorrowland. It’s crazy stuff. This year has been crazy because I wasn’t expecting to play Tomorrowland, and that has been one of my main goals, just to make it to Tomorrowland. And then it happened this year. I’m still in shock; I still haven’t processed that, but yeah, I’m so excited.
EDM Maniac: You’ve been teasing lots of new music online. Can you tell us about what’s coming next in the release pipeline?
OKAYVAL: I have a collab with SCRIPT dropping next week under Drumcode, which I’m so excited for, and I’m also dropping kind of a techno-ish song under Hannah Laing’s label, Doof Records. I love Hannah. She’s an amazing person. And then after that I have a big change coming up in the project, which I’m so excited for people to see. I cannot say a lot right now, but it’s going to change a lot of things for the project and how I move forward with music as well.
EDM Maniac: We’ll be ready. Before you take the stage this weekend, do you have any pre-performance superstitions?
OKAYVAL: Listening to Frank Sinatra before my sets.
EDM Maniac: Favorite Frank Sinatra song?
OKAYVAL: All of them.
Featured image courtesy: OKAYVAL.