Music is rife with countless “you just had to be there” moments. The Beatles crashing Ed Sullivan. Johnny Cash kicking out the lights at The Grand Ole Opry. Elvis Costello’s unplanned performance of “Radio, Radio” Saturday Night Live. And then of course, there’s a moment so captivating, they gave it its own season: Charli XCX’s Brat Summer.
DJ Zoe Gitter, who’s been signed before she was legally allowed to drink, is a musical marvel in her own right. Her series Gag the Party at Sunset at Hollywood is one of the most coveted club scenes in Los Angeles, packed with surprises, special guests, and music you can feel.
Gitter was lucky to be a part of Brat Summer, opening for Charli XCX in Mexico City earlier this year. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Gitter to talk about her part in this memorable moment, how she became a DJ prodigy, and her advice to the new generation of aspiring female musicians.
Playboy: You’ve been a signed DJ since you were 18. Can you tell us the origin story of how you managed to achieve such success at such a young age?
Zoe Gitter: I started DJing in high school because all the DJs were boys, and I felt like I had just as good taste, if not better, than all the boys in my high school. And I wanted to prove everyone wrong. So, I started DJing with my best friend, another girl.
And it was primarily just kind of female empowerment vibes. Then we realized that we were really good. I went to a music university in New York, and I just started DJing a bunch of clubs and parties in lower Manhattan. And I got signed to this agency, an all female DJ agency (Les Filles) when I was 18.
Ever since then, I had opportunities to play for really big brands and travel the world doing it. And when I moved to Berlin, I got to play in Germany and Paris and I got signed by a subsidiary in Paris in my agency and yeah, it went from there. But I was very lucky to have been recognized at a young age and I kind of just took it from there.
Playboy: Can you tell us about your creative process?
Gitter: I am deeply inspired by other female musicians. I also am just a big music history lover. So I’ve spent a lot of time—countless hours—studying music, and seeing what inspires me sonically.
I’ve always been drawn to the darker stuff, the kind of underground movements, especially in music. And when they’re created by female-identifying people: I see myself in that. My creative process is really just like: “How can I bring counterculture and subculture into what it is I’m doing in the nightlife and club scene here in LA?”
Playboy: You were fortunate enough to open for Charli XCX in Mexico City during the height of Brat summer. How did it feel to be a part of this huge moment of pop music history?
Gitter: It felt like a once in a lifetime moment. I feel really honored to work with her and be alongside her in any capacity. She’s such a genius, and I just feel really lucky to have witnessed a big cultural moment and be so close to it. I mean, Charlie champions the underdog. She’s really good at sourcing and finding talent of people who no one has heard before. And she’s not afraid to go in front of millions of people and promote their stuff and their music. She’s unashamed to show who her influences are, and bring up all the people around her. I really admire her for that.
Playboy: Your series Gag the Party at Sunset at Hollywood has included special guests including Charlie XCX, of course, Kim Petras and Tove Lo, just to name a few. Is there a night or a moment from this series that will stick with you forever?
Gitter: It’s definitely going to be when George Daniel and Charlie were there. “Brat” hadn’t even come out yet. And “Club Classics” was one of the first singles that came out from the record.
Playing that live in the club with George and Charlie, and just really feeling the first waves of what was going to be Brat Summer, there was such an energy and an excitement there that I will really never forget. Yeah, I think the crowd and the community was just so explosive.
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Playboy: Can you describe this energy?
Gitter: The music created something. We all see it, with the widespread success of “Brat.” But it created community. It created this family. Everyone in the room being united under this just really raw excitement and joy that was coming from the music. It was an example that club culture doesn’t have to be destructive. It was very loving.
Playboy: On the other side of that, can you relay times on stage when conditions were less than ideal?
Gitter: I used to struggle with really severe stage fright most of my career. I started as a songwriter and I transitioned to DJing full-time in college because I was so scared to be on stage with my guitar. I felt much safer to be behind a bunch of equipment. So, I’ve had many a moment where I was so scared that I completely forgot how to DJ and just put on a mix cuz I was terrified.
Playboy: Do you have any tricks or strategies to deal with this lingering fear?
Gitter: I try and give myself, in every set, three or four songs that I know really get me excited. They’re songs that I love, that help me kind of forget anyone’s there and I just do it for myself. And when I play those songs, and I feel the energy in the room, it kind of locks me in when I’m feeling a little drifted.
Playboy: That’s awesome. Any advice for all the aspiring DJs and musicians out there?
Gitter: I think my advice is…we’re living in such a lucky time. If you’re passionate about something, you’re more likely to actually have a shot at being successful at it by just having bravery and confidence. And that is a lot easier said than done. But my advice is just: try.
And if you fail, that’s okay. But at least you tried because there are more opportunities now, especially for young female musicians, to succeed than ever before. And there will never be too many women in this space. I love seeing girls and female-identifying people exploring previously male-dominated spaces. My advice is just muster all the bravery you got and just try it.
