One of the fastest rising stars of the Australian dance industry, the last 12 months have been a whirlwind of non-stop gigs, overseas trips and packed dancefloors for Jody McLeod.
The floor-filling DJ, popular Nova radio host and ambassador for Pioneer Pro DJ has taken all before her in 2009, rising up the ranks to become one Melbourne’s busiest spinners. She regularly knocks dancefloors for six at clubs, festivals and corporate gigs, while juggling headline tours of Mykonos for Ministry of Sound and trips to New York to interview Beyoncé.
A second generation DJ, McLeod was born with music and performance in her blood. Her dad spent much of the ‘70s spinning tunes, so it was no surprise his daughter sought sonic inspiration from a young age. By the age of four, she was already enacting carefully choreographed musical routines for her neighbours, with keytar and mic in hand. Not long after, her first pocket money was used to invest in the cherished vinyl of Prince and Michael Jackson.
Today, swap her neighbours for thousands of ravenous dance fans and not a whole heap has changed. A growing favourite with festival goers, McLeod’s smashed it Stereosonic07, 08 and ’09, rocking beats alongside everyone from Booka Shade, to Axwell and Deadmau5. Her impact at the behemoth Sensation parties was also undeniable, going down a treat at the inaugural event on NYE 2008/9 alongside Erick Morillo and Fedde Le Grand. No surprise she backed up last year’s performance with a slot alongside Sebastian Ingrosso and Roger Sanchez on 31 December ‘09 at Etihad Stadium.
True to form, there’s no rest for the wicked. McLeod started 2010 with a bang, playing alongside Ingrosso and Dirty South in Perth, before completing a quick fire tour of Bali throughout January. There’s also further touring throughout Europe planned for mid-2010, with McLeod set to return to Mykonos on the back of July’s storming performance at Paradise Club.
All the while, McLeod’s radio career continues to go from strength to strength. She hosts the 12-4pm weekday slot on Melbourne’s Nova 100, having also completed two trips to Amsterdam to cover Sensation and Trance Energy for the network. This is on top of being flown to New York to chat with the biggest R&B artist on the planet, Beyoncé.
With so many projects on the go and an endless amount of passion for music and sharing it with those around her, just wait and see what we’re going to be saying about Jody McLeod in another 12 months time.