In conversation with Jaguar

“I’m very proud of the legacy I’m building as a broadcaster…”

 - Jaguar

Jaguar. Image credit @moja.wtf

BBC Radio 1 presenter, DJ, podcaster, and award-winning entrepreneur Jaguar is a trailblazer in the UK dance music scene. As a queer Black woman, she is fiercely committed to championing diversity, equality, and representation, using her platform to highlight emerging talent and push the culture forward. Her work spans broadcasting, DJing, producing, and advocacy, earning her accolades including DJ Mag’s Underground Hero and Mixmag’s Broadcaster of the Year.

Jaguar joined us for our In conversation with series to discuss her journey from sneaking out to raves on the tiny island of Alderney to becoming a tastemaker in the UK dance scene, her debut EP flowers, and how she translates personal experiences and mental health into music. In this candid conversation, she opens up about creativity, resilience, and the lessons she’s learned while shaping a meaningful and influential career in music.

You’ve become such a central figure in the UK dance scene, can you take us back to where your journey began and what first pulled you towards music and broadcasting?

I’ve always been music-obsessed. My first loves were 2000s pop and R&B, Final Fantasy soundtracks, and anything my older brother would listen to, from 90s/00s electronic acts like Faithless and the Chemical Brothers to Timbaland and Gorillaz.

I also used to sneak out to raves when I was 14. I’m from a tiny island called Alderney in the English Channel, and we’d have “Bunker Parties” in abandoned WWII bunkers from the German occupation. I just loved going out, leaning into that sense of adventure and escapism.

It wasn’t until I went to university in Leeds to study English Literature that the real adventure began. I fell into student radio and presented my own show aged 18. Pretty quickly, it was clear that I wanted to pursue a career in it, so I applied for an internship at the BBC and ended up doing two months in radio production at Radio 1 and 1Xtra in 2014.

This was such a pivotal moment, and I fell head over heels for broadcasting. I was determined to land myself a show on the BBC post-university. I achieved this in 2020, aged 24, and have been hosting my new dance music show, Introducing Dance, ever since.

I’m very proud of the legacy I’m building as a broadcaster, as the first person to support and champion acts like Barry Can’t Swim, Hannah Laing, Elkka, Jodie Harsh, and Prospa. If anyone reading this is a new artist, upload your music to bbc.co.uk/introducing - it’s free, it works, and it’s the best service the BBC offers. I love how radio can build artists’ careers; it’s still such a powerful platform.

But yeah, radio came first, then I started DJing alongside it, playing student nights in Leeds and then in London. I also worked at Mixmag for a few years as Weekend Editor and used to host the Lab LDN streams between 2018–2020. I was determined to make a name for myself and look back so fondly at these times.

flowers is your debut EP. What does this release represent for you at this point in your journey?

It’s about reconnecting with your inner child and recognising how far you have come through hardship. I struggled a lot during my late 20s, but picked myself up, found purpose again, and did a lot of therapy. The title track is a love letter of gratitude to my inner child who got me through this hard time.

The other tracks explore the different sides of my personality - from UK Cunty club bangers for queer clubs to peak-time rave weapons.

UTOPIA. Image credit @jules.mov / Julia Boehm

The EP explores your late-20s mental health struggles. How did you translate something so personal into music?

I made flowers with Jacana People, who are good friends of mine. I had the idea for writing a song to my inner child ahead of the session, and we worked on the instrumental first. They have a lot of pedals and hardware synths, which was so fun to play with.

I wanted to bring a tender energy reminiscent of being a child running around in nature to the track. We also used twinkling chords inspired by a track from my favourite Final Fantasy game. Then I started working on a poem addressing my inner child, and the spoken word vocal in the track is the initial take we recorded on the day. I felt very vulnerable but also free during this session. It was very healing, and I surprised myself by pushing myself a bit further. The Jacana People boys are amazing to work with and made me feel so comfortable, complementing my artistic vision so well.

You’ve been a tastemaker for years, supporting artists like TSHA and Barry Can’t Swim. How has championing others influenced your own sound?

I listen to about 700 tracks per week for my Radio 1 show. So I suppose I am good at knowing what is a good track or a well-produced track. I pride myself on my music curation and taste. I programme my radio shows in a way that showcases the best and most unique sounds I’ve been sent that week, but I also want it to be varied in genres and types of artists - geographically, by gender, ethnicity, or sexuality.

It’s a difficult task, but I’ve been doing this show for over five years now, and the success stories speak for themselves!

Image courtesy of Jaguar

UTOPIA has grown from parties to a label. How does flowers fit into the world you’re building with UTOPIA?

The label was the missing piece of the puzzle for UTOPIA, after the parties and podcast (UTOPIA Talks). I LOVE helping artists and running a label. It’s probably my favourite thing that I do.

The label gave me a space to visibly showcase my music taste, and helped set the scene for this year when I started releasing my own tunes on UTOPIA. All the releases are different, but I suppose a lot of them have a cross-over element, while being something I would play out in the club. I’m very lucky to have made some incredible friends through the label, and have released music from the likes of Lu.Re, SONIKKU, Orchid, GHSTHGHSTGHST, DRIIA, Flava D and many more.

UTOPIA is now 5 years old and I feel like we’re just getting started. I want to have a UTOPIA festival in a few years’ time, and keep being the go-to label and platform to help break artists.

In 2022 you published a groundbreaking report on gender representation in UK dance music. What progress have you seen since then?

The report is one of my greatest achievements to date. The impact it left was monumental - it made national news, I went on Women’s Hour, Sky News, the BBC; I saw really amazing conversations and change in dance music on line-ups and behind the scenes at labels, venues, events brands. The statistics in general showed that marginalised gendered are indeed misrepresented, but the stats showed that things were improving year on year. However, I’d say in the last 2 years that line-ups look less diverse again, and the dance space feels very male heavy again, almost like we have regressed. I believe that this is due to the nightlife industry which is currently in an economic crisis. It’s even harder than ever to sell tickets, clubs are closing and younger people are not going out as much due to change in habits and everything being so expensive. I fear the focus has shifted from pushing forward equality and more about trying to keep everything afloat. It’s a frustrating time, but I will never stop fighting for marginalised people. I hope to bring back a second edition of The Jaguar Foundation report in the next few years and reignite the movement. It feels like it is needed again.

With such a busy role as broadcaster, label head, and artist, how do you look after your own creativity and wellbeing?

I LOVE working under pressure. I definitely do my best work when I’m juggling different projects. I’m not sure how, but it’s how I’m wired. But I also have learnt to prioritise down time, looking after myself, getting enough sleep. I love my routine too - full of meditation, yoga, going to the gym, journaling, but also gaming, reading and chilling out with my partner when I can. 

Life is about balance - I’m getting better at it!

Image courtesy of Jaguar

The [Quick] #FLODown:

Best life advice?

Take your time. Enjoy the ride. DON’T compare yourself to others!

A book or text you return to for inspiration?

Anything by Audre Lorde or Octavia Butler. Love Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty too.

Can’t live without?

Music, a pen, and my diary.

Which artist, living or dead, would you most love to have a conversation with?

Lady Gaga or Honey Dijon.

What should the art world be more of and less of?

More support for artists! More investing in talent over followers. Less following trends and looking at metrics. Let the art speak for itself!

Jaguar flowers EP is out now on UTOPIA. Get it HERE.

Connect with Jaguar on Instagram | Soundcloud | TikTok

Connect with UTOPIA on Instagram | UTOPIA Talks Podcast | Bandcamp