Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandt Belisle.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
NEEKS N BRANDT
What started at Saint John’s University with two friends who simply wanted to DJ parties in exchange for a couple free beers has grown into a journey we never could have imagined.
We created a social media page for our DJ duo and began posting videos from our college parties. A few of those videos started gaining traction, opening the door to bookings at fraternities and universities across the country. What began as a hobby quickly turned into something much bigger.
After graduation, we had the opportunity to take our music overseas and live in Rome, Italy, where we held multiple club residencies. Playing for students studying abroad from all over the United States allowed us to grow our following internationally while building relationships with students who would eventually return home to their universities.
When those students returned to their fraternities and campuses, they started booking us for events across the country. That network helped take NEEKS N BRANDT from playing college parties to performing at 50+ universities nationwide.
As our audience and social presence continued to grow, we were fortunate enough to earn opportunities to perform alongside some of the biggest names in electronic music, including Martin Garrix, Alesso, and many other major artists at music festivals and large-scale venues.
What started with two college friends, a social media page, and a couple free beers has turned into a nationwide DJ brand — and we’re just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the biggest challenges along the way was building a social media presence strong enough for promoters to look at us and believe we could actually sell tickets. We knew that simply being good DJs wasn’t enough — we needed to build a brand and an audience around NEEKS N BRANDT.
We spent a significant amount of time creating original music and content that we felt genuinely represented our sound and our brand. As that music and content began reaching more people, our following continued to grow, which helped us break into clubs and venues in new markets across the country.
That growth created a snowball effect: the more people discovered our music, the more opportunities we had to perform, and the more opportunities we had to perform, the more we were able to grow our audience. It ultimately helped us transition from primarily playing college events to becoming a touring DJ duo with a presence in clubs, festivals, and major venues nationwide.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
NEEKS N BRANDT is a DJ duo focused on creating high-energy experiences through music, live performance, and a strong connection with our audience. We specialize in college events, clubs, festivals, and large-scale venues, with a style that blends electronic music, remixes, and high-energy party records to create an experience that keeps people engaged from beginning to end.
We’re most proud of the fact that we’ve built everything organically. We didn’t start with a major label, management company, or established following. We created our own music, built our social media presence, developed relationships with students and promoters, and turned those relationships into opportunities in markets all across the country.
What sets us apart is that we understand both sides of the equation. We care deeply about the music and the live experience, but we also understand the importance of building an audience and actually getting people in the room. We’ve put a huge emphasis on creating content and original music that represents our brand, which has helped us grow our following and break into new clubs and markets.
At the end of the day, we’re two friends who started DJing because we loved music and wanted to throw great parties. We’ve been able to turn that into a career by constantly finding ways to evolve, connect with people, and create experiences that people genuinely want to be a part of.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
We both played soccer growing up and actually met playing college soccer at Saint John’s! Brandt was in choir in highschool (not a good singer) but they needed someone with a deep voice. We studied abroad together in London as well where we were able to watch lots of soccer games.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neeksnbrandt
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/3cBSwWQvIp4
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/JYH1eqUAz7iItK0QaV
