Published in The Legacy Vol. 7, Number 28 on May 6, 2014
Photo Courtesy of Cole Plante
Ever heard the name Cole Plante? Maybe, maybe not, but if you’ve heard Demi Lovato’s single “Neon Lights” then you are at least familiar with this work. The young budding DJ is still only in high school but he’s also made a name for himself by being the youngest person to ever perform Lollapalooza and by hitting the road with the Disney songstress earlier this spring. Plante’s sound may be fresh on your ears now, but it’s likely to be one you’ll be hearing more of in the future.
Growing up in Southern California, primarily Los Angeles, and being surrounded by musicians and producer types his whole life, Plante has never been a stranger to the music industry. Starting with childhood curiosity and some tinkering with old mixing equipment, Plante developed his love for electronic dance music or EDM early on.
“Probably one of my biggest influences for me was my dad, because DJ-ing was kind of his whole career for most of his life, so that was definitely a huge inspiration for me,” said Plante.
Throughout his teen years Plante has worked his way up in the music world and at 16 he was given the opportunity to play mega music festival Lollapalooza. Playing such an event is an honor for many musicians and for a young performer like Plante, it was a dream come true.
“So when I played at Lolla, I was 16. I was the youngest DJ to perform there. So that was pretty incredible. Lolla’s probably one of my favorite shows that I’ve done so far,” explained Plante, “It was great, you know, because all those artists I played with were like people I look up to.”
More recently Plante got the opportunity of a lifetime: a national tour with superstar Demi Lovato on her Neon Lights Tour. For Plante this was his first real on-going full length tour and it gave him the opportunity to showcase his talent to audiences all over the country.
“I had done the official release for ‘Neon Lights’ which is the title track of the tour and that came out on her VEVO and she made a little music video for it and everything. And being signed to the same label as Demi and after doing the remixes they asked me if I would like to tour with Demi and it was an obvious yes for me. I mean who would say no that,” said Plante.
Being an up-and-coming musical act certainly has its perks, but with each exciting new experience comes a new burden or amount of sacrifice. For this high school junior, he says balancing school and music is all just “part of the job.”
“It’s definitely hard, it’s a struggle, it’s a balance, especially on tour, you know, because it’s so much traveling,” explained Plante, “Is there a secret to doing it? I don’t know. I just kind of do it. I’ll definitely have to sacrifice time with friends and time hanging out to get work done and get music done. I think it’s just part of growing up.”
Even with a career that’s really only just beginning, Plante has learned a thing or two when it comes to putting yourself out there creatively and making a name for yourself in a highly competitive industry. As for his advice for others with similar aspirations:
“I would say to keep at it because to some people, they see someone like me and think ‘wow, it took him like no time at all to get where he is now,’ but in reality I’ve been doing this for a quarter of my life and I’m still trying to work my way up,” Plante expressed.
Plante’s career is only just starting out and he has big plans for his future as a musician.
“There’s nothing you can ever stop striving for. For me it’s touring around the world and traveling, playing events, clubs, shows anywhere in different countries; that’s definitely something that I really strive for.”
If you want to find out more about Cole Plante, you can visit his official website at. To check out his songs including his latest single “If I Fall,” check out his VEVO channel on YouTube.
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