Zedd discusses recent decision to DJ sober after a decade of drinking on-stage

Zedd’s Sobriety Breakthrough has redefined His Stage Presence.

In a conversation with lifestyle entrepreneur and New York Times Bestselling author Lewis Howes, Anton Zaslavski, more commonly known as Zedd, revealed a change in his relationship with alcohol, committing to performing on stage without drinking, marking a pivotal moment in his sobriety journey. It all came to a head at a show in Vegas when he committed to his fitness goals and performed for the first time in the party city without having a single drink.

Midway through the set, to his surprise, Zedd had the same physical reaction, the euphoric feeling of performing his craft at a high level, which he attributed to the alcohol. His fear of not finding his groove on stage without alcohol was a falsehood, “I was scared to lose this feeling,” he said, “and if I lose this feeling, I’m going to suck on stage,” which he felt would lead to him to an early retirement as a performer. His awareness of his alcohol consumption grows as he counts calories in a fitness goal to lose fat and gain muscle, and the amount of calories from alcohol gets in the way of his new diet.

Zedd’s reasoning for drinking on stage had several factors; he believed that by having a few drinks before and during the show, his nervousness and anxiousness about performing would be dulled, allowing him to play in a more relaxed mindset and feel a bit more connected to the patrons who’ve been consuming alcohol as well. In his career as a touring DJ for over 10 years, Zedd believed his ability to provide the most entertaining show was impossible without the help of alcohol, which led to venues having his drink of choice premixed at clubs around the world. Though he appreciated the hospitality, he became aware that he may have a dependency on alcohol on stage.

Zaslavski, 35, was born in Russia and raised in Germany. Zedd, the son of two musicians, was classically trained and proficient in the piano, drums, and guitar. In the early 2010s, Zedd cites the album Cross by Justice as an influential album that pushed him to explore producing electronic music, to which he had early success, making remixes for Skrillex, Lady Gaga, and Swedish House Mafia, among others. He landed his big hit in 2012 with the EDM anthem and Grammy-award-winning track, Clarity, from his debut studio album.

In 2024, Zedd released his 3rd studio album, Telos, collaborating with Muse, Remi Wolf, Bea Miller, and more. Telos was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album by the Grammy Awards. For a passion project, Zedd composed music for Dragon Ball Daima, an anime series in the Dragon Ball franchise. He’s also brought his talents to other fandoms, producing songs for the video games League of Legends and Valorant and his throwback Legend of Zelda tune.

Sobriety is gaining traction in the dance scene, with DJs like Dillon Francis and John Summit speaking about the benefits of performing without drinking, further supporting the Zedd sobriety movement. Venues facilitate sober events, such as Ministry of Sound in London’s ‘sober raves’ and Stereo in Montreal, Canada, a no-alcohol venue that DJs Spencer Brown, Rinzen, and John Digweed have praised.

Featured photo courtesy of Zedd’s Facebook

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Bryant Denton

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