On her latest EP, setting up her own label, and championing women in the industry
Lex Hearth is a woman spinning the decks alongside several other spinning plates, as a DJ, music producer, broadcaster, brand strategist, and author of not one but two Substack newsletters. Passionate about amplifying the work and voices of women in the music industry, Lex is keen to champion other female creatives, and having created her own label, has an outlet to share her own and others’ work with the world. She is London-based though currently living in Paris for work.
The second EP from Lex’s DMD Records drops on October 17th, a follow-up to her debut, Romantic Situations, released earlier in 2025. The tracks underpinning Explorer honour the experience of self-discovery and solo travel, bringing storytelling to dance music that pairs house and club sounds.
Lex’s curation doesn’t stop with her musical talents, as she also co-hosts Substack writer meet-ups in London, seeking out vibrant spaces that foster connection among those looking to learn from each other. It was at one of these meet-ups that we first met, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know her more through her words and work since then.
Despite having so many projects in flow, Lex takes it all in her stride, and to be in her company is to witness a cool calmness. When we chatted recently, I asked her about how she balances all these creative outlets, the motivation behind her ventures, and of course, what being lazy means to her.
Congratulations on your new EP coming out! Can you tell us more about the influences behind the six tracks that make up Explorer, and how the process of creating this collection differs from that of your debut, Romantic Situations?
Thank you so much! Yes, this was quite a unique project for me, as it was very thought-out before I made any of the tracks. I’d been collecting and tightening my ideas for it for a year, and then went on a ten-day trip, working on a new track a day to create the EP.
It’s predominantly instrumental and designed to be what you want to listen to when on a plane or arriving in a new country. The final track was about a rekindled holiday romance I was just uncovering while writing the project.
With Romantic Situations, I had all the tracks, and it was a retrospective thought of ‘what can these collectively mean or represent’. I don’t feel like all songs or projects need to have such structure or meaning, but this has definitely been a year of depth for me, and this is the result!
As well as being a DJ you are also a music producer, and launched your own record label this year. Why did you decide to create your own label and what are your hopes for DMD Records?
It’s funny, I think it’s often not understood how DJing and producing are completely different skills!
I DJ’d for about five years before I started producing music, and now releasing my own records that I’ve made is a fun but surreal next phase of my artistry. For me, having a label was very important because the electronic music industry is really shaped by the labels as much as the DJs.
There are very few female-founded labels, and next to none of which are at the top. I felt I could make a difference to that by being someone who built one.
It also means I’ll always have an outlet for my music, as well as an additional way to reach new audiences.
Alongside sharing music, you also write about it in your Substack newsletters, Five Good Things and Dance Music Digest. In your writing you often champion other women in music, and talk about closing the gender gap in music. Can you tell us more about your experiences as a woman in the industry, and why it feels important to address this gap?
I started DJing hip hop initially and was intrigued about why all of the ‘best rappers’ lists rarely listed any women. I also noticed that whenever a woman was included (Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, Lauryn Hill etc), there were so many people trying to discredit those women and what they had achieved.
There was some additional research at the time highlighting that, of the top songs in a year, less than 5% were produced or engineered by women or non-binary people.
To me, this is a major problem because songs and celebrity influence culture. So if the dominant voices on our radios are heavily skewed male, then that has a negative impact on society as a whole.
Where I am now, I have a lot of very supportive men and women around me, but it’s definitely isolating being the only woman a lot of the time. And I often feel I have to reiterate that I’m there for the same reason as everyone else – a love of music and belief that I have something to contribute creatively.
Of course, music has such a significant influence on culture, even down to words and phrases that become part of the common lexicon, adopted following a song’s popularity.
So, how do you see writing on Substack fitting in alongside your music work and other creative projects you’re engaged in?
I find it a safe way to express my voice.
I can connect with a broader range of people who have a range of different interests. I love being able to share amazing tracks, or words, books, podcasts etc with people. I usually do this via my weekly newsletter, Five Good Things, and see this outlet as something that can continue alongside my journey and various creative ventures.
The other Substack I write, Dance Music Digest, is the foundation of what I want to be a bigger media and storytelling platform on Dance Music. I see it as a way to have a point of difference from other DJs, and establish credibility in a sense, through something which really gives unique value to readers and fans of dance music.
Before we wrap up, I have to dig into your Lazy Woman credentials!
Between the new EP coming out, settling into living in Paris for a while, planning events in London, and I’m sure a whole lot more behind the scenes, you seem like a busy woman! Do you allow yourself time to relax, to be lazy, and what’s your favourite downtime activity?
Yes and no!
I’m very sociable – my favourite downtime activity is definitely going for wine or dinner with a good friend. I have a dog who I walk for an hour or so a day which I find very meditative. I also love a good action movie! For something slower, taking a pause in a cafe with a delicious coffee and a notebook is always a treat.
I try not to have too much lazy time generally because I know how hard it is to try and keep things moving in my world, and I want to be there. That said, if I have a late gig and I know that I’m really going to be exhausted, I do sometimes allow a total sofa based duvet day.
Everyone needs that sometimes right?!
Thank you for sharing some behind-the-scenes insights with us, and enjoy celebrating Explorer! We can’t wait to add it to our autumn playlist.
Interview by Lauren Powell.
Lauren is a Welsh writer based in London, UK, and publishes regularly via her Substack, The Navigation, as well as writing for other independent outlets. Alongside working as a product manager in EdTech, she undertakes creative freelance projects including event management, solopreneur strategy support, and editorial work. When away from her desk she is usually reading, brunching, or at a yoga class.
