HoneyLuv knows how to keep a dance floor moving, but finding a moment to slow down is another challenge entirely. Sitting down with Josh at Nexus Lounge Amsterdam, the Cleveland-born DJ and producer opened up about the pace of international touring, the connections that fuel her creativity, and why her ambitions reach beyond her next release. Between conversations about house music and favorite foods, a clear picture emerged of an artist figuring out how to build something lasting while living out of a suitcase.
Born Taylor Character, HoneyLuv has taken a path that now stretches from her Ohio roots to a home in Berlin and stages around the world. That travel has given HoneyLuv plenty of places to compare, and Amsterdam remains among her top five European destinations. Italy holds a special place, too, with its combination of food and parties making it an easy favorite. Even with a packed calendar, the experiences surrounding a performance clearly matter as much as the destination itself.
This Amsterdam visit was particularly brief: just 24 hours in a city overflowing with music and familiar faces. Returning for what HoneyLuv estimated was her fourth or fifth Amsterdam Dance Event, HoneyLuv recognized the creative energy that brings the industry together each year. There is an appeal to being surrounded by people who share the same passion, even when the schedule leaves little room to take everything in. With touring keeping HoneyLuv busy since the beginning of the year, quick stops have become part of the rhythm.
That pace also affects what happens away from the decks. Making music requires time and attention, both of which can be difficult to protect between flights and performances. HoneyLuv spoke candidly about the exhaustion that comes with constant travel and the challenge of carrying that energy into a recording session. Inspiration does arrive, however, and when an idea takes hold, HoneyLuv can spend hours following it through.
Working alongside other artists helps create that spark. For HoneyLuv, sharing a studio offers something that remote collaboration cannot fully reproduce. Being in the same room allows ideas to develop through immediate reactions, conversation, and the unexpected directions a session can take. The attraction is the exchange itself: hearing what another person brings and discovering where that connection might lead.
That emphasis on connection carries into For The Love, HoneyLuv’s label. Its debut release, Good Measure, represents a track that remained a personal favorite while listeners continued asking for it. Giving the record a home through the label made its arrival especially meaningful. It also introduced a project with ambitions that extend beyond putting music into the world.
Community is central to what HoneyLuv wants For The Love to become. Music programs and pop-up parties around the globe are part of that vision, creating opportunities for people to participate and connect. A party, for example, can become more than a place to hear a new release; it can bring listeners and artists together around a shared love of the music. HoneyLuv’s plans suggest an interest in nurturing those relationships over time.
For all that ambition, HoneyLuv does not describe herself as a “studio rat.” The admission fits the openness of the conversation: creativity has to coexist with fatigue, travel, and the need for a life outside work. A month-long retreat in Thailand offers a welcome reset, with local culture and dishes such as pad kaprao and drunken noodles providing pleasures far removed from a touring itinerary.
Food also brings out some of the interview’s most personal moments. Cleveland soul food remains close to HoneyLuv’s heart, while carrot cake ice cream has become a favorite discovery in Berlin. Although Berlin is home for now, Lisbon is somewhere HoneyLuv could imagine settling. These details reveal the everyday preferences behind a career spent crossing borders.
Musically, the possibilities remain wide open. HoneyLuv spoke enthusiastically about collaborating with Grammy-winning artist Muni Long, while Rihanna sits high on the list of dream collaborators. There is excitement about what could come next, paired with an appreciation for the experiences already unfolding. Whether through a studio partnership, a label release, or a room full of dancers, HoneyLuv keeps returning to the connections that make the work worthwhile.
Listen to the full HoneyLuv interview with Josh below for more on For The Love, life on tour, and the stories behind the music.
