International dance music event Palm Tree Music Festival made its Australian debut in March 2023.
The event’s founder, Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo, shared headline duties with Dutch mega-producer Tiësto, bringing crowd-friendly dance music to outdoor venues in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Palm Tree will touch down in all three cities again this December, with EDM heavyweights The Chainsmokers, Alesso and Gryffin to headline. Also on the bill is soul-influenced producer Austin Millz, dance-pop artist Daya, and local tech-house DJ and producer Darley.
The Melbourne leg of Palm Tree is happening at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday 8 December. It’ll be a return to familiar surroundings for Darley, who had the pleasure of playing at the venue for Ultra Australia 2023.
Palm Tree Music Festival 2024
- Chainsmokers, Alesso, Gryffin, Austin Millz, Daya, Darley and more
- Friday 6 December | Sydney Showground | Sydney, NSW
- Saturday 7 December | Sandstone Point Hotel | Brisbane, QLD
- Sunday 8 December | Sidney Myer Music Bowl | Melbourne, VIC
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
“It’ll be really good to be able to get back in the Bowl in December,” Darley says, chatting to Beat on a windy spring morning.
DJing became Darley’s primary source of income 18 months ago and she’s been keeping busy ever since. In addition to two consecutive years at Ultra Australia, Darley supported the Backstreet Boys on their Australian tour, played at Melbourne’s F1 Grand Prix, and entertained the masses aboard Singapore’s It’s the Ship music cruise
She’s also played club shows all over the country, from Warrnambool and Narre Warren to the Gold Coast and Dubbo, and will complete a two-week residency at Fiji’s Crowne Plaza in the lead-up to Palm Tree.
“I love being on the road,” Darley says. “I always tell my agent, ‘I would play every night if I could.’”
But, despite her fondness for the club-trotting lifestyle, nothing compares to a festival slot, says Darley.
“I’m super excited for Palm Tree Festival. I feel like doing the festivals gives me that opportunity to really express myself as an artist and play exactly what I want to play, which is so much fun.”
Darley’s positive feelings towards the festival environment largely stem from her experiences at Ultra Australia in 2023 and 2024. “Ultra is one of my favourite days on the calendar,” she says. “They’re just such well-run festivals. The crowd there is so much fun.”
By virtue of her relentless work ethic, Darley believes her command of the festival stage has improved in the 18 months since she first played at Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
“I’ve just progressed so much as an artist since then,” she says. “I look back on the set and I would’ve done so many things differently, just because of how much more experience I have now and how much more experience I have on the road and in my own artistry.”
Darley is looking forward to including more of her own productions in her Palm Tree set. “Originals as well as edits and remixes,” she says.
Darley’s catalogue of originals is steadily growing. After releasing her debut single, 1am, in May 2023, she dropped three more dance floor-ready productions before the end of 2023. Her latest release is the muscular, pop-adjacent number, ‘Buy Low Sell High,’ which came out in June this year.
There are more originals to come, Darley says. “I want to try to get one out before Christmas, hopefully that I can debut at Palm Tree.”
As for edits and remixes, Darley has recently been messing with songs like Chappell Roan’s Good Luck, Babe!, SZA’s Prom, Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina, and more.
“I’ve just finished one of [Gwen Stefani’s] Hollaback Girl,” she says, “which is a really tech-house version of that song. It’s been done to death but it’s such a banger.”
She adds, “I am wanting to do a Sugababes one and I’m also doing an edit of Hanumankind’s Big Dawgs.”
Remixes and edits have obvious utility in the club environment, but creating them has also helped Darley to expand her skillset as a producer.
“It’s a really good way to learn [production],” she says. “Making the edits has made me a more autonomous producer.”
Plus, nothing gets a crowd moving like a well-executed edit of a ubiquitous pop song.
“The thing about making edits is that’s where I find you can build an audience, because people love to sing-along to songs that they know,” Darley says.
Kick off summer with Palm Tree Music Festival this December, grab your tickets here.
This article was made in partnership with Palm Tree Music Festival.
