AK Renny Speaks To Us About Suwannee Hulaween, What's Next For Her Project, And Much More [HIHF INTERVIEW]

We had an incredible experience covering Suwannee Hulaween, one of our favorite festivals in the country. Following her Road To Hula HIHF Guest Mix, we got to chat with the rising star production phenom AK Renny for an official HIHF Interview.

This year at Hulaween, the Amphitheater stage on Sunday provided attendees with an insatiable lineup of insane electronic acts to make the last day unforgettable. The Amp hosted the likes of Chris Lake, BUNT., Nora En Pure, and AK Renny, each bringing their unique flair to the infamous stage grounds.

AK Renny embarked on her second trip to Suwannee as a performer and opened up The Amp, delivering an explosive Sunday Service set. AK Renny is known for her high-energy sets and percussion-heavy bass-house releases, making it impossible to stay still during any of her shows.

Our team had the pleasure of sitting down with her after her fire performance at Hulaween to discuss her experience at Hula, her upcoming releases, and what she hopes is to come as she continues to rise rapidly within the dance music world. Check it out below!

You can also check out her Road To Hula HIHF Guest Mix here.

HIHF: What’s going on fam? It’s Wolf from Heard It Here First today with AK Renny, coming off her exhilarating set at Hulaween. So AK, how are we feeling about your second year performing at Hulaween?

AK Renny: Great! Hula is honestly my favorite festival and the first festival I ever attended back in 2020. I’m always thrilled to be able to attend and of course, perform. I wait every single day all year for this festival; so this year was no exception. It was absolutely fire and everyone involved always brings a hundred percent of their energy to make the experience amazing.

HIHF: I love that, definitely agree this year was amazing. Speaking of Hula, your HIHF Road To Hula Guest Mix was so sick! What was your inspiration when you put together that mix for Heard It Here First and the festival?

AK Renny: So, I was actually fresh out of Lost Lands and beginning to get my mind ready for Hula when I started creating that mix. Lost Lands inspired me to make my HIHF Road To Hula Mix a combination of my homie’s remixes, things I was listening to at the time as well as showcasing hits from other artists coming to Hulaween. I had to include my favorite Chris Lake remix, my favorite “Baddadan” remix, and a few classics from my sets over the years.

HIHF: Well, it was really perfect. Thank you again for that. In the past year you’ve landed some crazy team-ups and collabs, what’s been your favorite so far?

AK Renny: Probably my latest, “212”, with Truth x Lies and Wax Motif. I think the way it came together was beautiful and it perfectly showcases me. I love telling the story of how this track came together. It started with me writing the lyrics for another amazing artist and homie, Andrew Lux. We had just finished a few stops on the Dr. Fresch tour. We were making a song together and I wrote those lyrics for a track we were building together but we mutually decided to go another way on it. At that point, it was a throwaway but I still loved the vocals. Then my manager sent me a story post from Truth x Lies, before I really knew who they were, asking for collabs and vocalists so I took a chance and sent them a vocal pack with the unused vocals I built for Andrew Lux. They checked out that one and started working on it right away. I believe that when it comes to Wax Motif, he heard a sample of the track in Miami and immediately started working on it. The pipeline of how a song starts and what it can turn into is really beautiful to me.

HIHF: That’s such an inspiring, trust-the-process moment. So, we’ve checked Wax Motif and Truth x Lies off, what other artists are at the top of your collab wish list

AK Renny: I’d still love to do a collab with Dr. Fresch out of homage. Between him, Wax Motif, and AC Slater, the three of them were the first to get me into EDM as a whole. I think it would also be dope to step out of the genre and work with some rappers. I’m super into Doechii, she’s a female rapper from Tampa who’s getting really big. My visual girl STEF.FX and I used some of her music videos for the visuals during my Hulaween set.

HIHF: That’s so cool I’m sure she’d love that! I’m sure we all wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Doechii collab in your future…

AK Renny: Fingers crossed! Actually is it cool if I shout out an upcoming collab?

HIHF: Of course!

AK Renny: I feel like this will be one of my favorite stories to tell when the track officially comes out, but another one of my favorite artists growing up, Moksi, and I have a collab coming out at either the end of this year or the beginning of next year. It all came together during Dr. Fresch’s tour in Brooklyn, I was talking backstage with Dr. Fresch, BIJOU, Andrew Lux, Neon Steve, and Corrupt (UK). So I’m a little tipsy and I tend to get cocky about this when I’m a little tipsy, but I end up wanting to showcase my freestyle rap skills. So, I ended up freestyling in front of everyone including Moksi and his crew. Right away, he tells me he wants to get something cooking with me. Months later, he hit me up telling me how sick the freestyle was and asking me to check out this instrumental. Next thing you know we have a song together and it’s coming out on his next EP!

HIHF: Well, fam, keep your eyes and ears out for the upcoming Moksi EP! Besides Hulaween and Lost Lands, what other major festivals are you hoping to take on next?

AK Renny: Definitely Electric Forest! I feel like I hear so much of the correlation between Hulaween and Electric Forest from the community-slash family aspect. And I’ve been trying to go to that festival my entire life… so, that one is definitely at the top of my list. Besides that, one of my dream venues to perform is Red Rocks.

HIHF: Since we’re talking venues and festivals, what would you say is your favorite venue or festival you’ve played so far?

AK Renny: I’d have to say Hulaween is always at the top of my list. Especially coming from Jacksonville, Hulaween always attracts the whole Jacksonville community. Everyone always goes to Hula and the environment is always so positive. But, I will say Lost Lands was awesome! I was closing out Sunday and it started raining, but despite the rain and despite me being one of the last sets on Sunday, everyone came out and brought the best energy. It’s pouring down rain in the middle of my set and no one in the crowd or one stage is stopping. It was just a magical moment.

HIHF: Sometimes the rain during an amazing set is the best thing that can happen. Alright AK, last question. If you could collab with one artist outside of the house genre, who would that artist be?

AK Renny: Ooo that’s a good question. I’ve never been asked that. I would probably have to say GRiZ. He works with a lot of vocalists and he always puts people on. I saw him at Okeechobee, I couldn’t tell you what year, but he’s one of the first artists I’ve seen to bring out the vocalist during his sets. He was really that person for me who showed me that this is actually a possibility in the EDM world. Plus, he’s an all-around awesome producer and musician.

HIHF: Can’t argue with you there. Here’s to one day seeing an AK Renny x GRiZ collab come to life. Thank you so much for sitting down to chat with us, this has been Wolf with Heard It Here First, be sure to keep an eye out for what AK Renny has got cooking up next.

What were your thoughts on AK Renny’s set at this year’s Suwannee Hulaween 24? Let us know your thoughts below and be sure to show her love on socials. She has a massive future ahead!

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