Papa Grooves

Brighton’s James Andrews began making music under the alias Papa Grooves soon after becoming a father for the first time, in the summer of 2021. No stranger to the scene, having DJ’ed across Brighton and London—as well as a stint co-running his own club night in Beijing—Andrews has returned to music reinvigorated, inspired by the birth of his daughter.
After spending his teenage years tucked away in his room, listening to nu-metal (which may tacitly account for his hard-hitting melodies and bass-heavy approach), Andrews found himself in similar circumstances over lockdown, as music once again became his vital, escapist salve.
After putting his daughter to bed, Andrews worked exclusively on music until the early hours—headphones and Ableton on—he began creating 90s inspired plush house music mixed with melodic techno and juddering breakbeats, transporting him to the dancefloor of his dreams.
Using music as a break from his day-to-day life full of parental and professional responsibilities, Andrews makes music with the simple intention to make others feel good. His vocal samples are unwaveringly uplifting, and his devastatingly catchy hooks inspire even his one-year-old daughter to dance along to papa’s grooves.
Swiftly coming into his own as a master of anthemic and emotive dance music, Andrews has pushed his production to the next level, engineering his synth sound design with precision, while delivering a widescreen punch.