This post is inspired by DJ Psyched’s post “DJ Psyched’s First Set Review.”
As I’ve written about before, along with being a blog content creator, I am also a DJ for WKNC. I DJ during the “Daytime” genre, which is essentially indie and/or rock. The Indie Inbox (my show) is supposed to be “an eclectic mix of the best of indie pop, indie rock, math rock and more.” Since I started making my sets, I’ve definitely nailed down the process and familiarized myself with the genre enough so that I can create unique sets that flow together well.
With all of that being said, let’s dive into the pros and cons of my very first edition of The Indie Inbox, circa March 23, 2021. The set can be found on my Spotify and Spinitron.
PROS
– The songs are all bangers. Of course, in every set, I try to put in songs that I enjoy, and that I think the audience will enjoy, but this first set really takes the cake for how many of my favorite songs are in it. My personal favorites that made the list include “Steamboat” by Adrianne Lenker, “The Execution of All Things” by Rilo Kiley and “Let’s Get Out” by Life Without Buildings.
– I follow all of the rules. There are rules as to what is and isn’t acceptable on the radio in general and at WKNC. Again, I do this in every set, but it’s good to see that I had a handle on that from the get-go.
– Everything more or less fits within the parameters of my show. This is important, and I try to always do this (are you sensing a theme?) but sometimes I do venture outside the lines. While that is okay to do on occasion, I like to keep things consistent for any recurrent listeners I might have. I did a great job of picking great songs by relatively small artists and touching on indie pop, indie rock, and math rock.
CONS
– It’s a little all over the place. Although everything fits into the genre and the set has an alright flow, it still feels like I’m going in a lot of different directions.
– I used too many good songs in my first set. Okay, I know I said that the songs all being bangers was a pro, but I used so many of my favorite songs in the first set. I know looking back that this is because I was still exploring the genre and didn’t have a great hold on what I wanted to do for my sets yet. I really try to keep my artists as diverse as possible and have only once ever repeated a song, so seeing that I used a lot of prime picks in just my first time around saddens me just a tad.
– It’s just a bit too long. The set totals in at 59 minutes and 13 seconds, which would be great for an hour-long show if I didn’t have to do air-breaks. Every DJ is different with when and how they like to do theirs, but nowadays I like to reserve at least 2 minutes for my air breaks throughout the set.
Overall, my first set is something I cringe at just a little, but am ultimately very proud of. I love learning and growing as a DJ.
