Haskell: Elite Mindset, Underground Music & the Most Underrated Skill in Music
From rugby international to Toolroom artist - what elite sport actually teaches you about building a music career.
This week I'm joined by James Haskell. You might know the name from rugby, but for the last twelve years he's been building something completely different. DJing, producing, releasing on Toolroom, and getting tracks played by Carl Cox, Skepta and Marco Carola. Underground tech house. Just doing the work.
We get into what elite sport actually teaches you about making music - the mindset, the resilience, the obsession with feedback - and where the two worlds are completely different. We talk about his process for working with engineers, why he's done five production courses and still collaborates with people better than him, and the honest reality of trying to build a new audience from scratch.
There's also a brilliant bit on professionalism, and why it might be the most underrated skill in music.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Control the controllables: You can't make a label sign you or a DJ play your track. But you can make better music, send more emails, seek better feedback and show up every day. Focus there and the frustration has nowhere to land.
- Seek direct feedback: Vague advice like "find your sound" is useless. Find people who will give you specific, actionable notes and do something with them. That's how you actually improve.
- Professionalism is rare and therefore powerful: Responding to emails, delivering on time, turning up prepared - most people in music don't do it. The ones who do stand out immediately.
- Build a routine that makes the work inevitable: Haskell structures his days like a professional athlete. Eating, training, emails, music - in that order, every day. Motivation is unreliable. Structure isn't.
- Enjoy the moments: Getting a track played by someone you respect is the whole point. Stop and notice it when it happens. The destination keeps moving - the moments are what you actually have.
BEST MOMENTS
You can lie to everyone else. But you can't lie to yourself.
I didn't want abstract and ethereal advice. I wanted actual steps. Go do this. Come back. Done it. What's next?
There's a reason Mark Knight and Toolroom are successful — they are professional, and they do what they're supposed to do when they're supposed to do it.
Just because you think you've sent it to enough people — you haven't. There are 8 billion people in the world. There's always more.
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Toolroom Academy production courses recommended by Jame
Turning Pro - Steven Pressfield
EPISODES TO CHECK OUT NEXT
James Hurr: Making Hits, Staying Prolific & The Business Lessons Nobody Teaches You
ABOUT THE HOST
Lex Luca is a London-based DJ, producer, and label owner known for his infectious energy both behind the decks and in the studio. With releases on Snatch!, Nervous, and his own label In Tune, Lex has garnered support from Pete Tong, Annie Mac, and Claude VonStroke. A former BBC Radio 1 producer, he delivers a unique blend of house, disco, and techno that has taken him from London to Ibiza and beyond. Lex founded OpenDAW Songwriting Camps, bringing together independent musicians to collaborate. As the host of OpenDAW Talks, he shares his journey and insights with the next generation of music creators.
CONNECT & CONTACT
Email: hello@opendawtalks.com
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