Behind the Journey: Duce

What can I say about DUCE – he's a USA-based producer, a father to a one-year-old, and he works full-time in finance... oh, and he's racked up millions of streams for his chill house music, with releases on labels like Setting Sail, Monstercat Silk and Spectrum Recordings!

Duce's journey is seriously inspiring – not just because of his musical talent, but because of his whole approach to being a producer. He’s found a way to balance making music, becoming a father, and maintaining a career in finance, which is something I really admire.

Stick around to hear more about his journey and check out some of his new music!

Socials: @ducemusic_

Thank you for joining us Duce, can you tell us where are you in the world right now and what projects are you currently working on?

I’m from St. Louis, Missouri and if you're not familiar with the location, you're not alone—it’s right in the heart of the US, about five hours south of Chicago.

At the moment, I’m focused on finishing a few singles that are set to release later this year. I’m also hoping to dive into some larger projects in the near future. Last year, I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time creating music, which has left me with a solid catalog heading into 2025. This has given me the opportunity to concentrate on new ideas.

This year has been amazing so far. I’ve had a few releases with Setting Sail and was honoured to contribute to my friend Rshand's Monstercat Silk EP Overthinking, with our track "Willow Ridge"—it’s definitely one of my favourite songs to date.

Looking ahead, I’m excited for a collaboration with Rshand on Setting Sail, and I've also just released a solo track on Spectrum Recordings.

Take a listen to Duce's latest release on Spectrum Recordings

You’ve put out a lot of music over the last year, with your songs being played on SiriusXM Chill and reaching millions of Spotify streams, what motivates you to keep making music?

Last year was truly surreal and unexpected, but incredibly rewarding. One of the main things that motivates me is simply how much I enjoy making this type of music. By day, I work in the finance and banking industry, so creating music is my way of connecting with my creative side. I love creating chord progressions and melodies that resonate emotionally. My goal has always been to make music that people can really feel and move to. Something that speaks to them.

Another key motivator for me has been the success I’ve seen from my music in such a short amount of time. A year ago, I never could have imagined having millions of streams or hearing my songs played on SiriusXM Chill - those were things I only dreamt of. To see these dreams become a reality has been mind-blowing and it continues to push me.

"I started out making rap beats in my parents basement when I was younger"

Also, the community and friends that I've made along the way has been equally motivating. Over the past year, I’ve made some amazing connections and friendships with people through music. It feels great to be part of such a supportive and inspiring community. The feedback and encouragement I get from listeners and fellow artists keep me pushing forward, constantly striving to create something new.

It’s surreal to see my music resonate with so many people. I started making rap beats in my parents basement when I was younger for fun, so to know now I’m connecting with listeners all over the world is incredible. That kind of growth keeps me motivated and excited to keep evolving as an artist.

What’s been one of your biggest challenges you’ve faced so far on your musical journey?

One of the biggest challenges I faced when I was starting out with this style of music was finding a sense of community and like-minded people to connect with and bounce ideas off of. Where I live, there isn’t a big dance music scene, so I often felt isolated creatively. Honestly, it was really discouraging at times, not having anyone to reach out to for feedback or guidance.

How do you tackle this: Eventually, I discovered a YouTube channel and Discord group called 'Out Of The Loop,' and it was exactly what I had been looking for. Founded and run by LAR, this community is made up of artists and producers at all different skill levels. The best part was that it was made to the kind of music I was passionate about making. This group really helped me grow, offering everything from valuable feedback to making new friends and finding collaborators. One of those collaborators, Maynørr, has become one of my closest friends and creative partners. We have created some of my favourite songs and working together has been an amazing experience.

Daybreak - one of Duce's popular songs on Setting Sail Records.

Whenever people ask me about music, I always tell them it’s my ‘aggressive’ hobby, because that’s exactly what it is! Music will always come second to what matters most to me, my family. I became a dad last year, and my son just turned one in early March, which has been an incredible experience. On top of that, I work a full-time job, so finding time to create music has definitely been a challenge. I’ve had to get creative about when I can be in the studio.

I usually do most of my sessions at night, after work and once my son is asleep, or on weekends while he's napping. The days of long, four-hour studio sessions spent endlessly tweaking songs are behind me. But honestly, that’s been a good thing, it’s helped me become more organised and intentional with the time I do have. I try to push myself as much as I can to make the most of every moment I can when working on music.

"I usually do most of my sessions at night, after work and once my son is asleep"

Is there anyone who inspires you or has helped you out on this

journey?

My wife, Kendall, has been such an amazing supporter of my music passion. She’s always encouraging me to get in the studio and pursue what I love. Funny story for you: when my son was first born, there were nights when I was just too tired to work on music. I found myself losing interest and falling behind. So, I jokingly told Kendall that whenever I bailed on making music, she should tell me, ‘You will never make good music again,’ just to make me feel guilty and motivate me. To this day, she’ll say it, and it honestly works almost every time.

There's also a few people who have played a significant role in helping me get to where I am today. The first person that comes to mind is an artist named MBX, who was a huge influence and mentor when I began my chill/melodic house music journey in 2022. We would regularly do video calls where we walked through my projects together, and he offered invaluable feedback and creative ideas for me to explore. MBX also played a key role in helping me sign my first track to a small progressive house label called Masvingo Recordings. To think a random person would take the time to teach me when I had no music footprint is crazy and I couldn’t appreciate him more. We’ve remained great friends, and I still reach out to him frequently for feedback and advice.

Check out Kendall Park - one of Duce's most listened to songs!

The main person and label who has helped me grow as an artist would be Bastiaan de Nooijer aka Piece Wise and Setting Sail Records. We were first introduced in 2023 when I submitted the Kendall Park demo for consideration. Bastiaan and I have become great friends and he has been a massive mentor to me as I’ve grown as an artist. He is a wealth of knowledge and creativity and may just be the nicest person I’ve ever met - he’s poured a lot into me. Setting Sail has given me more than I could ever ask for, an outlet for my music and a community of artists that I call great friends. The label has helped catapult me to where I am today. I am very grateful to have been given such great opportunities to work with this great label.

What have you got in store for us in 2025?

I have some great songs and collaborations coming out over the next few months which I am really excited about. 2025 is shaping out to be the year of the Duce and I’m really looking forward to sharing all this new music with the world. 

Looking forward, a goal of mine is to get away from grinding out singles and maybe focus on a bigger project. Who knows, but I think this is the next step for me as an artist. Stay tuned, you may even see some live sets coming your way soon :)

Thank you Duce - lastly, what music have you been listening to recently?

I’ve been listening to a lot of mölly, I love her style of emotional progressive/melodic house. Every track she releases is amazing, some would say she doesn’t miss. I’ve also been big on Midnight Pass, who is a duo that makes some really great chill house songs. Very smooth and emotional, right up my alley.

Click on our Rise & Shine playlist to listen to more of Duce's music.