Martin Garrix has had an incredible few years. The 20-year-old Dutch DJ has become one of electronic dance music’s youngest superstars after his song, Animals, topped the global charts three years ago. He now headlines festival main stages internationally and has certainly come a long way since DJing his parents’ parties in his teens. 
Now 2016 is turning out to be busier than ever for Martin as he is set to release new songs and will also be travelling extensively with his new set, including to Finsbury Park for Wireless Festival this Sunday. 
He has taken a quick break from his whirlwind lifestyle to reminisce about his musical childhood in Amstelveen, in the Netherlands, and how he can’t believe he is making a living out of his hobby…

Have you played at Wireless Festival before? Are you looking forward to it?
It will be my first time playing there and I’m really looking forward to it since I've heard a lot of good stories about it. 
What can the audience expect from your show? Any new material or just the classics they already know?
A combination of the two. I have lots of new material that I can’t wait to share with the audience but of course, I can’t do a show without playing some of my classics. 
You shot to fame quickly with Animals in 2013. Did you expect it to become such a huge hit?
Absolutely not. I was just enjoying making music and it was never with the intention of creating such a big hit. Then the song was teased without my name attached to it and it started blowing up. People started guessing who produced the song and after a while I could finally say that it was me. It was crazy! 
Who has been your favourite artist to work with so far?
All the artists that I collaborate with inspire me in a certain way. It’s amazing to create something together. Working with Tiesto, my biggest inspiration, was great and the collaboration with Usher was also a big milestone for me. 
Who would be your dream artist to work with, dead or alive?
Michael Jackson. Who wouldn’t want to work with him?
How do you compose your songs, does it start from sound or an emotion?
It mostly just starts with an idea in my head. I am constantly trying to create a new sound.
What is your hometown like?
I grew up in Amstelveen which is a peaceful, rather small city close to Amsterdam. I had a really nice childhood growing up there. I played my first show in a venue in Amstelveen called P60, so that’s basically where it all started. Good memories!
What inspired you to become a musician, do you come from a musical family or were you influenced by other artists?
I developed a love for music from a very young age, but the biggest inspiration for me to become a DJ was Tiesto. I watched him playing during the Parade of Nations at the Olympics on television in 2004 and immediately got interested in electronic music. If I hadn’t seen his performance, I probably would be doing something completely different right now.
Did you have any musical instruments growing up at home?
I grew up in a musical family, so music was all around me. I used to play the guitar and this later on switched to electronic music. But my passion for music definitely started at a young age and was influenced by my family. 
What is your favourite part of being a DJ?
That I get to travel all over the world doing what I love the most. It’s great when you can make a living out of your hobby. 
What is next for you after the festival? Releasing new songs?
First finishing the busy festival season with my residency in Ibiza and shows like Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, Weekend Festival and a lot more. After that I’m going to prepare myself for the Amsterdam Dance Event where I will be having two solo shows in the RAI (Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre), really looking forward to that. And of course I will be releasing new songs, my next track will be with Bebe Rexha, and my album is in the planning.
What have you learnt most about being a musician?
I think I have learned that the most important thing is to stay true to yourself. I have a group of close friends and family and they make sure that I stay with both my feet on the ground. I’m just really happy and grateful that I get to do this every day.
Wireless Festival, Friday July 8 to Sunday July 10. Details: wirelessfestival.co.uk