For our first DJ Dads interview we've got Philadelphia DJ Froz 1 ( aka Josh Kwedar ). Josh is an old friend and one of the most solid guys I know. From sourcing rare regional Philly records (down to 2" reel and acetate), and general record nerdery, to an encyclopedic knowledge of soul records. When it comes to records, few do it on his level...and as a Dad he takes no shorts.

- Case

How long have you been a dad?

4.5 years strong!

 How many kids do you have? How old are your kids (or child)?

I have two beautiful daughters.  They are 4 and 2 years old.

What’s a daily father/parenting day look like for you? 

During the week, I’m lucky if I see the kids for 2 hours after work so I’ll help with getting them fed, talk with them about their day, watch cartoons and then get them ready for bed.  I spend most weekends going on day trips with the family.  We’ll hit a few playgrounds, visit the grandparents, BBQs in the summer, go for a bike ride, etc.  I just try to keep them as busy as possible to avoid any meltdowns.

How long have you been collecting records?

16 years

How has being a father affected your collecting?

I’m doing less “real world” digging for sure.  Early Saturday morning record digs have been replaced with day trips to the zoo, playground visits, swim lessons, bike rides, etc.  I wouldn’t say my collecting has been affected though.  Discogs/eBay is the obvious replacement given my lack of free time to get out there and hit physical spots.  I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon!

Do you play music for your kid(s)?

Absolutely.  Every day. 

What style of music do they like?

I never really thought about it until now, but I don’t know that they prefer any particular style over another.  I’ve never heard them ask me to turn something off because they didn’t like the music (yet), only if its too loud.  They seem to like all of the genres I’ll play around the house, but if I had to pick one “style”, it would be modern pop music.  The 60s soul harmony tunes just can’t compete with T. Swift! When they were babies they definitely responded the most to Reggae.

What’s the challenges about being a DJ who is a parent?(travel, late nights, etc..)

Aside from the occasional out of town gigs throughout the Northeast, I’m rarely traveling to DJ.  When I do, all of the daily Dad duties get queued up for when I return.  For example, on a regular day, I’ll split bed time duty with my wife.  After a day or two of traveling, I’m pulling double bedtime duty because Mom’s understandably exhausted!  Late nights for local gigs are the killer.  Your kids don’t care if you’ve been out DJing til 3am the night before, they are up at the same time every day.  I’ve purposely shifted my recurring gigs to end a little earlier so I’m not zombie Dad the next day.

Any advice for new parents?

At some point, you’ve probably heard someone say, “being a parent is the hardest thing you’ll ever do, but its also the greatest”.  It is 100% true.  You can go from having the best time with your kids to them having a complete meltdown in seconds.  It’s great and it can suck all at the same time… those feelings aren’t mutually exclusive.   So my advice is to not carry any guilt when the thought “man, this sucks!” crosses your mind because it does at times.  Also, play music in the house at all times (duh).

What does an ideal Father's Day look like to you?

My ideal Father’s Day isn’t much different from a normal Saturday with the family, except maybe the kids sleep in a bit more than they normally do.  Brunch is a must.  

Keep up with @froz1 on social and on his mixcloud account.

 Our Father's Day Sale is in effect!

 Check out this Froz 1 mix of all Philly soulful Love Songs.