Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea (AJ) Jeffries.
Hi Andrea (AJ), so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been in the bass/dubstep scene since going to my first show in 2019. I saw NERO play at The Intersection, and 2 weeks later I went to Breakaway, and then followed that up with Lost Lands just a month later. I dove head first in to the music and community, and truly never looked back! Show after show, festival after festival, my passion for this music and community grew into something much bigger, and I realized I was being called to do something that I truly love.
I remember mentioning to a friend that DJing was something I was really interested in. A few days later, he lended me his decks so I could play around and see if I was any good. I wasn’t- but I loved it, and it became something I thought about every day. A few months later, I was actually gifted brand new decks. Nothing crazy, just something for beginners to get started. Then- covid happened. I started to get the gist of it, but there wasn’t any shows or events happening due to quarantine.
During covid, I got a second job working with Moments In Time, a wedding/event company. So I got comfortable on a stage, on a microphone, and behind the decks. I loved my wedding gigs, but it still wasn’t scratching the itch of what I really wanted to do. I constantly talked about wanting to play shows and be on a stage, but making that leap was very scary.
SO- It wasn’t until January of 2024, when I got laid off from my first job at Amazon, that I decided to take that leap. I set a goal to DJ every day for 1 hour, and see where it takes me. By April, I landed my first booking at Papa Pete’s in Kzoo for their open decks night. By August, I landed my first big booking in GR playing unofficial Breakaway afters at The General Woodshop, where I soon became a resident DJ at, and played monthly shows there. Day by day, 1 goal at a time, 2025 came, and I secured my first booking at The Intersection. That was a huge milestone for me, and from there I kept pushing and playing different shows across the state. Now, I have played over 50 shows in the last 2.5 years, from festivals like Breakaway, Gridlife, Electric Forest, & Big Fam, to different shows opening for artists such as Avello, INZO, Getter, Rusko, and many more!
It’s been an insane journey and I’m so grateful for all of it!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has truly been a wild ride, and I’m so fortunate and grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had! There has been so many highs and so many lows. The road has certainly been bumpy. I am someone that likes to say- “Pick your problems.” Choosing to chase my dreams mean’t choosing what problems I want do deal with, such as- Having more time invested into making my dreams come true, but having less time to see my friends & family, or- playing shows, traveling, and spreading my art, but not having a consistent paycheck, OR, especially- growing my support & following and achieving my goals, but being put into the public eye more and more, which can come with a lot of judgement, anxiety, and “hate” from…. strangers. Something I have struggled with more recently is the burn out that comes from trying to keep up with myself! It can be so hard for me to say no to a show because I love what I do so much, but there has definitely been some instances where I am giving everything I’ve got to make it through a weekend. The best thing I can do is try to learn from every experience and allow it to help me grow as an artist and person!
Although sometimes, life throws struggles at you that you have no control over. Just a few months ago, in April, my Dad Jim, lost his year long battle to lung cancer. There is nothing that can prepare you for the loss of a parent, even if you knew it was going to happen. That is something I still am working through and battling every day. It’s been such a weird experience to go through something so devastating, and continuing on pursuing my dreams and reaching these milestones, carrying the weigh of a loss that significant. Again, it has truly helped shape who I am as a person & artist, and I know he is so proud of everything I have done & will do.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Blüejay is a Grand Rapids-born DJ, producer, and promoter making waves in the Midwest bass scene with high-energy dubstep, wonky riddim, and an electric stage presence. Since launching her career in April 2024, she’s rapidly built an impressive resume-opening the main stage at Breakaway Music Festival in Grand Rapids, closing out the main stage at Big Fam Music Festival, and performing alongside renowned artists such as INZO, Getter, Rusko, Sippy, YDG, and Avello. Blüejay also hosts Big Ol Bass-a weekly open decks night at The B.O.B., helping cultivate the next wave of Grand Rapids.
I am definitely most proud of the show that I threw at Fredrick Meijer Gardens. I had full creative freedom to do what I wanted with that event, and I loved being able to incorporate flow artists, live painters, a craft booth, and bring on my good friend Ontario/Tarrow as an opener to the night! It was such an amazing opportunity getting to work with FMG, from doing a behind the scenes interview, to getting to hear my music played on the radio, FMG gave me so experience as an artist and event organizer.
Another insanely awesome milestone for me was Breakaway in 2025. I applied for the silent disco and was not selected to play. But, thanks to the support of the community, I ended up selling so many tickets that I not only was given a silent disco slot, but was also told that I won the ticket sales competition and would be playing Main Stage AND Breakaway afters, opening for INZO, as well. Getting to play the main stage at Breakaway, which was the first festival I ever attended in 2019, was truly a dream come true. Now, in 2026, I was asked to come back and keep the good energy going! It’s an honor to be brought back and I couldn’t be more excited.
As far as what sets me apart from others- I would say absolutely nothing. There is a million other artists out there wanting the same thing, and therefore- a million different roads we take to get there. Everyone’s story is different, everyone’s journey is different. All you can do is give it your all and hope for the best.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
It’s hard to pick an exact memory to be my favorite, but as someone that’s pretty family oriented, I would say any memory that involved having my whole family together. Whether that’s holidays, sporting events, or camping, anything that brought all of my family together for a day was my favorite!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/_bluejay
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluejaydubs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluejaydubs
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/XxBmD3hZAZzKi1EE8
