via BroBible
Here’s the thing about earning a paycheck while chasing your passions: you have to know when to give yourself a break.
When your life is a balancing act of career highs and constant hustle, recalibrating is a matter of survival. Because even when your job looks like nonstop fun, too much of a good thing can still wipe you out and run you ragged.
I know that feeling all too well. My career at BroBible has been a wild ride. Covering events like the F1 race in Vegas or interviewing fascinating athletes and artists is the kind of life I dreamed about at 12 years old. And yeah, sometimes I have to pinch myself. But running at full throttle to chase those goals comes at a cost. I’ve learned that finding balance is crucial—for me, it’s through quieter passions like skiing and fly fishing.
For Gryffin, that reset happens on the golf course.
Known offstage as Dan Griffith, Gryffin finds rhythm in two very different places: the festival stage and the fairway. “Golf is the complete opposite of my shows.” Gryffin tells me.
That’s a good thing. Living the dream needs work-life balance too.
On this episode of the Mostly Occasionally Show, I caught up with the melodic house DJ and producer to explore that duality—commanding high-energy crowds at night and chasing birdies in the morning.
Fresh off an EDC cruise, gearing up for a European tour, and dropping new music, Gryffin’s life is in constant motion. But even amid the whirlwind, he makes time for balance—whether it’s playing golf with PGA pros like Will Zalatoris or creating tracks that transport fans to their own blissed-out worlds.
We dove into his journey from White Panda to Red Rocks headliner, the parallels between music and golf, and what’s next for his ever-evolving career.
Listen to our conversation on Apple, Spotify, or in the player below. Don’t forget to subscribe here.
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On Tour and Tee Time
While Gryffin’s music life is frenetic, and clubs and stages are his office, the golf course has become his sanctuary. “It’s the complete opposite of shows,” he explained. “Shows are loud, chaotic, high-energy. Golf is quiet, focused, and just about being outside, away from my phone for a few hours. It’s a mental reset.”
Gryffin mentions his handicap is 12. He also notes that it used to be closer to single digits before his busy touring schedule made it difficult to play consistently. “I played with Will Zalatoris recently—he’s insane. It’s wild seeing the precision at that level. Every shot of his is dialed in within three feet of the hole.”
Then there’s the time he met Bryson DeChambeau. “We were staying at the same hotel, and he introduced himself like, ‘Hi, I’m Bryson. I’m a golfer.’ I’m thinking, ‘Dude, I know who you are!’”
Golf also intersects with his music career, like when he performs at the occasional LIV Golf event. “The vibe is different—it’s mostly golf fans, but some show up just for the music. It’s a fun mix of worlds, and I’d love to do more of that.”
Reflecting on White Panda Days and ‘make music that resonates’
For us aging millennials who came of age during the EDM boom of the early 2010s, Gryffin’s early work with White Panda holds a certain nostalgic charm. I’ll never forget the time we booked White Panda to play a show at a club in Lower Manhattan back in the day. It was a sweaty mash-up dance-party inside. “We played everywhere—frat parties, tiny clubs, you name it,” he said. “It was fun for its time, but I feel so much more creatively fulfilled now. Back then, it was about the hustle. Now, I can focus on making music that truly resonates.”
The evolution from mashups to fully realized tracks like “Never Letting Go,” his latest collaboration with Julia Church and Aloe Blacc, marks a significant shift. “Julia flew in straight from Amsterdam to perform at Red Rocks—her first-ever U.S. show. She crushed it. That venue is magical—it’s intentional. Everyone’s just there for the music.”
“EDM on a Boat? Why Not?”
We also had to talk about Gryffin’s first time on a cruise ship. He recently played EDSea, a 5-day EDM cruise leaving Miami. It was uncharted territory—literally.
“I’ve never been on a cruise before,” he admitted, laughing. “I was nervous about seasickness. I packed a bunch of Dramamine, but luckily, I didn’t need it. The vibes were great, though! It was cool being in close quarters with other artists and fans for three straight days.”
He joined the ship mid-cruise after a gig in Miami, taking a seaplane to the Bahamas. “That was a first,” he said. Being on a cruise for the first time gave Gryffin a chance to see how his music connects fans and artists in unexpected places. Once onboard, it was all about connecting—with artists like Sullivan King and fans at every turn. “The fans were super friendly, but I had to give up on trying to work out in the gym. People kept stopping me for pictures. I loved the energy, though—it was pure positivity.”
Bucket List Venues and Big Dreams
Speaking of performing in unique spaces…
When I asked Gryffin about his dream bucket list venues, his eyes lit up. “Playing Forest Hills in New York was really special,” he said. “The history of that place is incredible—The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the US Open—it’s humbling to share that stage.” He described the energy that night as electric, making it one of his favorite shows to date.
As for future dreams? The Gorge is at the top of his list. I told him about my own trips there for Phish shows and how it feels like hearing music at the edge of the world. He smiled, “Yeah, playing my own show there someday would be epic. For now, I’m focusing on Europe and Asia, but I’m also carving out January to reset—more golf, more family time, and maybe even some new music ideas.”
And about that new music—Gryffin let slip a major collab: “I’ve got something coming with Kaskade. He’s like a mentor to me, the way Armin van Buuren was when I started out. Working with legends like them—it’s surreal.”
Back to the Basics
For someone who’s logged 1.4 million Delta miles (and counting), Gryffin has figured out how to slow things down. “I live in Palm Springs now full time, because even when I would get home back to LA, like, I always feel pressured to, like, go out to a show or go meet so and so for coffee or get in the studio with this person. I do like doing that when I’m in LA, but when I was living there full time, it was just there was no stop to my time.”
That quieter desert backdrop plays a pivotal role in how he balances creativity and chaos. “Honestly, I don’t know if I write better there,” he admits. “Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of traveling—being in Tokyo or New York—actually sparks my creativity. New York, especially, with its energy and density, just fires me up.”
This balance mirrors how Gryffin approaches his career. “I’m always thinking about tonight’s show or tomorrow’s plans, but at the same time, I’m looking ahead—two years out, wondering where I want to take things next,” he says. “My brain is all over the place, but I try to stay focused on what’s right in front of me. Enjoy that and crush it.”
I feel that. We all need a place to reset.