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DJ Mag Top100 DJs
44
Alison Wonderland
52

Aussie bass star Alison Wonderland has been busy as a bee throughout 2019, challenging herself creatively, setting records and ticking off bucket-list items left, right and centre. She achieved a personal goal by playing the incredible open-air Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside Denver, Colorado, selling out two shows and becoming the first woman in electronic music to do so in the process. Wonderland (real name: Alexandra Sholler) also tells us she adapted her show to include more live elements, and consist of 90% her own material, “which was a very scary leap to take, pushing myself as an artist.” 

She rocked her own headline tour, a collaborative one with Dillon Francis — with whom she released trippy trap number ‘Lost My Mind’ — and will be taking her Wonderland Warehouse Project festival on the road this winter. 

Outside of the music, Wonderland launched her own clothing brand FMUOASL (named for her de facto catchphrase Fuck Me Up On A Spiritual Level), became the face for a Pepsi and Forever 21 campaign, featured on the cover of Billboard and in Vogue magazine, and won $20,000 for charity in the Celebrity Pro-Am at the Fortnite World Cup. 

Plus she squeezed in two hikes, and took some time to work on her mental health. And given she’s risen a massive 52 places to claim this year’s Highest Climber title, it’s clear all that hard work has paid off! 

Do you submit your DJ setlists to the relevant royalties collecting society?

“Yes.” 

What more can we do to combat the mental health crisis in our scene?

“Be more open about it. For me, normalising struggles like anxiety and depression helps people to feel less alone. When you feel less alone, you have more strength to face your demons. I work a lot on my mental health and am always open with my fans. I want people to know that it’s OK to not feel OK and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.” 

Are you personally doing anything to improve the gender balance of line-ups?

“Yes. I think women seeing other women succeeding from a legitimate angle gives them the confidence to put themselves out there without compromising their art. I try to keep pushing myself. Art doesn’t have a gender for me personally and the more people realise this, the better.” 

What changes have you made this year to be more environmentally friendly?

“I stopped eating meat and I don’t own a car.” 

What was your favourite toy when you were a kid?

“I have a toy chicken called Chickalobola. To be honest, he is still around. He travels with me everywhere.” 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

“Watching The Bachelor…”