Interview: Underground House Legend Grace Sands

When it comes to the rave scene, nobody knows it better than Grace Sands. Formerly known as DJ Rick ‘Digs’ Down of the duo Digs and Woosh, Grace is a lifelong connoisseur of house music, bringing joy to thousands of ravers over the years through the free parties held by the Nottingham-born DiY Soundsystem. We caught up with her to discuss freedom, identity and how the spirit of hedonism lives on in our city through the power of music.

You play legendary venues such as Berlin’s Panorama Bar and Manchester’s Depot Mayfield, as well as across London and beyond for your ADONIS residency – what’s it like to return to Nottingham?
It’s always good to come back to Nottingham – it’s mainly Lee Eden (aka DJ and producer Animist) who tends to invite me these days. I love it because with his nights, you get good music, a carefully curated line-up and an up-for-it crowd with taste. This time he’s teamed up with multi-genre promoters Bass Invasion Midlands, and it looks like a quality mix of DJs and music – house, jungle, DnB and more – definitely one not to miss. I’ll also be playing alongside Andy Riley of Inland Knights, which is always an honour.

You initially moved to Nottingham in 1989, and co-created DiY Soundsystem while living here. How has the city evolved since then, in your eyes?
The city’s changed a lot in some ways, but not so much in others. Nottingham still has a compact city centre which is easy to get around, and a party crew that knows how to have funnnnnn. We grew DiY in the 90s alongside the Venus/clubbing scene and it was brilliant. It took Nottingham's unique warmth, wit and passion for music to make it happen. I think people look back to that as a time to reproduce, or draw on, and I'm proud of that.

New energy is always vital to keep the fire burning – Lee’s part of Kinky Movement, one of the key deep house crews to come through since DiY. There’s a lot of quality on the Notts scene – established and well-respected names like Wigflex, Soul Buggin’ and Gallery Sounds keep the city firmly on the map, alongside some pop-up disco parties and underground queer one-offs that are worth searching out.

We initially spoke on the International Day of Trans Visibility, which seems like a good time to ask about the challenges of identity and finding freedom. How was it, introducing Grace Sands to the world?
The transition from Rick to Grace didn’t happen overnight, and it did take me moving to London to achieve it. I’m lucky that my roots are in the free party scene, which was always based on inclusivity – so there's been an ethos of acceptance. I did have a circle of friends to draw on in Notts at the time, but we’d lost the DiY studio at Square Dance, various friends weren’t really going out much and I did feel isolated. It wasn’t perfect for me by any means, but it was definitely worth it.

Do you have any words of advice for people who might be in a similar position?
Yes – for anyone in my shoes/heels/pumps… Huns, it takes a minute to get there – it will drive you mad and patience is the one virtue you’re gonna have to discover, believe me. I’ve now found my peace identifying as female, so it’s all worked out.

We can’t wait to see your set on 19 May. What else is new for Grace Sands?
I've been writing a lot alongside DJing in London, where I live, and further afield – I’ve recently played in Berlin, Paris, Tel Aviv… I feel very lucky that it’s all working out!

Watch out for releases on Fabric associated label LoveChild, Cormac’s Polari and my own label Sands of Time. I’ve also been working on a mixtape called Taste the Grains. It’s a very special project as it’s dedicated to my longtime friend and DJ partner Pete Woosh, who left us in October 2020.

Find out more about the full line-up below...

ROOM ONE: JUNGLE, DnB, HARD TRANCE, GARAGE AND TECHNO – hosted by Smedz and Buzz B

Bustawidemove (Junglist Luncheon/Widedubz)
Junglist soldier Bustawidemove is making a very special appearance in Nottingham as part of Deep Invasion’s multi-genre lineup. Busta is a festival stalwart with residencies at Glastonbury, Boomtown Fair, Shambala and Sunrise festivals.

Aura B2B Nell (Gyals in Notts)
Aura and Nell, founders of Gyals in Notts, play an electric mix of bass-driven sounds in their sets ranging from garage, breaks, dubstep speed garage, 4x4 and more.

OmniRhythm (UK Jungle/Bass Invasion)
Nottingham’s very own Icelandic Junglist and a massive part of the UK Jungle wave, OmniRhythm plays at big bad free parties around the world. His distinctive brand of rinsing amens will have you flailing your arms uncontrollably and grinning from ear to ear.

Corrosive (Them Man from Notts/Bass Invasion)
Owner of Them Man from Notts and senior manager of DnB Politics and the Houses of Barliament, Corrosive is a Nottingham-based DnB DJ with roots in the free party soundsystem era. He’s an influential force on the scene, holding multiple residencies up and down the UK.

Jailhouse Jefferson (Subtone Society/Bass Invasion)
Swing, vintage remix & tropical, fused with DnB, house and bassline – Jailhouse Jefferson brings festival vibes all year round!

Skynside (Havoc Audio/Bass Invasion/Resonant Sounds)
Nottingham-based multi-genre DJ and producer playing from 140-200bmp. His music taste is like no other – expect the faster side to Skynside at this event shaking the dance floor.

Unlimited Stomps (141)
Co-founder of 141 Events. Expect nothing but heavy beats and free party stompers that will take you on a journey through space and time.

ROOM TWO: UNDERGROUND/DEEP HOUSE

Grace Sands (DiY/Adonis)
Droppin’ it like it’s hot, DJ Grace Sands brings a queer take on deep house, influenced by her DiY SoundSystem roots, free parties and worldwide travels in the partnership Digs & Woosh.

Andy Riley (Inland Knights/Drop)
DJ, producer, label owner and one half of the world-acclaimed deep house duo Inland Knights, Andy plays across Nottingham for Smokescreen Soundsystem, Gallery Sounds and more – as well as being a longstanding artist on the international circuit.

Eden (Animist/Kinky Movement)
Nottingham born and bred music aficionado Lee has been hosting successful underground house events for over 20 years – including his regular InDeep nights across the city, which bring together artists from Nottingham and beyond, championing undiscovered talent. He’s toured worldwide as part of Kinky Movement as well as under his solo Animist guise, and is a prolific producer, with recent releases on Robsoul Recordings, Phoenix Music and Steve Lawler’s label VIVa, to name but a few.

Poach & DJ SJ (2 STEP/Certi/Wireless)
Talented DJ/producer Poach is the force behind Nottingham’s only dedicated UKGarage night, 2Step, and is known for his high energy and technical ability behind the decks. He goes back-to-back on 19^th May with DJ SJ of Wireless Soundsystem, a deep house devotee who was born and raised in the free party scene of the early 2000s.

Jakki D (Ultrasound Lincoln)
Part of Lincoln’s eclectic Ultrasound DJ collective, vinyl fan Jakki’s vibe is house-disco-soul-funk-boogie, low-slung with a dirty bassline. She regularly features on Nottingham line-ups and has played for Smokescreen, Gallery Sounds and InDeep, as well as further afield.

Kylan K (Vox/Paraiso)
House DJ and producer Kylan K holds various residencies across the city, and his talent – both behind the decks and in the studio – has already been recognised by several prominent music labels.

Lailow (Sanctury)
London-based resident of Sanctury, a rising Nottingham music brand that celebrates all genders and genres, Lailow enjoys playing house, UKG, breakbeat and techno. If she’s not behind the decks, you’ll find her on the dancefloor.

Buy tickets for the event here

@justgrace7