LA-based Elliot Sorgen, who goes by the name Highlnd, has been on a hot streak lately. Inspired by the vibrancy of his home city, Highlnd has showcased his unique, high-octane blend of bass, trap, and melodic EDM across multiple releases and live performances. We got a chance to catch him at Groove Cruise 2024 in Miami right before the ship set sail, and here’s what he has to say about his inspirations, songwriting process, building a community, and more!
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What initially inspired you to pursue your music journey?
It goes back to when I was 13, and I (or my brother) got a guitar. I started playing nonsense, but I would eventually spend every hour after school teaching myself and skipping homework. My grandparents saw how obsessed I was, and ended up getting me some lessons. Eventually, I went to school for music and even became a firefighter cadet, and then EDM came along. With certain genres like hybrid trap, especially now, there’s this palpable energy you can feel. It reminds me of the rock and metalcore shows I went to as a kid, and it just really inspires me.
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How do your musical experiences, especially as a guitar player, shape your songwriting?
Even though guitar isn’t my main obsession anymore, I still use it mostly as a tool nowadays, and record a lot of it for my tracks in more subtle ways. Every time I start something new or think a song needs a bit of a lift, I reach for my guitar, and I love using organic instruments. And in general, a lot of artists have an instrument of choice when they write, whether it’s playing piano or laying down their own vocal melodies. At the end of the day, it’s all about creating energy and giving it to your audience at shows. I don’t think it all has to be genre-specific.
Do you think being a LA native has influenced your music career?
It’s hard to say, but growing up in LA has always kind of exposed me to a counterculture. Whether it was metalcore, post-hardcore, or other kinds of rock music, there were so many bands of different genres just touring in LA. It just feels like the access to music is endless. Going to college in Boston, which to me was a bit less accessible, LA just seemed more diverse. I came back to my home city after college as it was just the most obvious choice, and also as other people came to start their careers. I just love the city that I’m from.
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How do you approach your sets, including what you’ll play on Groove Cruise?
A lot of heavy, high-energy stuff. If you listen to my Spotify, it’s mostly melodic with some sneaky bass drops in there, but in my sets there’s a ton of heavier IDs that I also produce and just don’t release.
My goal is to have like the most high-energy, fun, euphoric, and aggressive set. I like trying to combine all those worlds in a way that’s really entertaining, like what ISOxo and RL Grime (do). So still some more melodic stuff, but then more genres from trap, to drum and bass, bass house, and more that I’ll try to expand (on) in the future… I’m super excited.
What are you looking forward to the most in the next year?
Definitely community building. As soon as I get back from Groove Cruise, I’m gonna go full steam ahead planning underground and renegade shows with my best friends. I haven’t found as much of that in LA as there could be, and with trap and bass having so much culture and energy around it, it feels right to build this. More underground shows offer an alternative to bigger clubs and the straightforward sort of events.
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If you were the captain of the ship, where would you choose as the destination for Groove Cruise?
South Africa. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to go scrubs diving with manta rays. They’re huge, like 30 ft across or something, they’re just breathtaking.
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If you could pick any theme for Groove Cruise for a day, what would you choose?
Zombies or anything Halloween-related would be fun. I love dressing up on Halloween, whether it’s a spooky or a goofy costume, or even mixing both!
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