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Cheat Codes No Promises with Demi Lovato, Global EDM Success, Billboard Hits, Robin Schulz & Electronic Music | Nick Egan Times
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Cheat Codes join Nick Egan Times for a conversation about electronic music, songwriting, global success, and the journey behind one of the most successful EDM acts of the modern era.
Comprised of KEVI (Kevin Ford), Trevor Dahl, and Matthew Russell, Cheat Codes have amassed billions of streams worldwide and established themselves as a powerhouse in dance and pop music. Known for blending electronic production with infectious pop songwriting, the trio has achieved international success through chart-topping releases, sold-out performances, and collaborations with some of the biggest names in the industry.
In this interview, Cheat Codes discuss their rise through the music world, the creative process behind producing hit records, and the realities of building a career in today’s rapidly evolving music industry. They also reflect on the success of their breakout hits No Promises featuring Demi Lovato and SEX, along with collaborations involving artists such as Little Mix, Robin Schulz, U2, Fetty Wap, Wiz Khalifa, and many more.
The conversation explores songwriting, music production, touring, creativity, streaming platforms, collaboration, and what it takes to remain relevant in a highly competitive global music landscape.
As one of the most recognizable names in contemporary dance music, Cheat Codes continue to push creative boundaries while connecting with audiences around the world through their distinctive blend of EDM, pop, and electronic music.
This episode explores Cheat Codes, No Promises, Demi Lovato, EDM, electronic music, dance music, Billboard chart success, songwriting, music production, touring, streaming, collaboration, and the future of the music industry.
A fascinating conversation for music lovers, DJs, producers, songwriters, creators, and anyone interested in the stories behind some of the biggest electronic and pop hits of the last decade.
Hi guys, thanks for this episode of Nick Gegan Times. On this episode, we have an awesome guest. We have the Cheat Codes. Cheat Codes is an American electronic music DJ trio consisting of Kevin Ford, Trevor Dahl, and Matthew Russell. Cheat Codes have had a lot of success, which includes a 2000 single Sex, which samples a chorus from Let's Talk About Sex by Sullivan Pepper, and the 2017 single No Promises. Other hits include Let Me Hold You, Only You. The track was also certified platinum by the RIAA. Welcome guys and thanks for coming on the podcast.
SPEAKER_03Of course, man. Thanks for having us.
SPEAKER_00How's it all been going?
SPEAKER_03Good. Just hanging, we just got back into town today. We were in Nashville yesterday and uh yeah, just uh hanging out.
SPEAKER_00How's um how's life been, I guess, personally and professionally for all of you since the pandemic's hit?
SPEAKER_04Uh yeah, I mean everything's kind of back to normal here in the States. Like we've just been playing shows like every weekend, and uh, but yeah, we had we had like eight months off of touring, you know, when everything locked down. So we just kind of got in the studio and just wrote a bunch of songs, and that was kind of inspiration for uh the albums that we're putting out. We just put out part two of our album, Hellraisers, so that's out now. And uh yeah, we got part three coming, so that was kind of uh where all the music came from. You know, we've been touring so much like since we started that we we kind of needed the break, to be honest.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but now we're yeah, for sure. Um let's just jump straight into it. Talk to me about I guess the story for Cheat Coast, how it all began, how you guys met and how it all transpired.
SPEAKER_02Who wants to tick it?
SPEAKER_03Sure, I'll go for it. Uh I mean, yeah, so it um me and Matt uh met a long time ago when uh I was like 16 and he was 18. We met in St. Louis where he's from. Um I've been playing a show, um like just coming through his town or whatever, and uh we met briefly, and then a couple years later we saw each other again in LA and um became friends, and I moved in with him a few different times, and uh uh uh after a few after a few years of being friends, he had you know told me about Kevin and how they were gonna work on some music together and how I had to meet him and we all how we all should get together sometime. And so um I had been working on my kind of music, they were working on theirs, and we got to got together one day and worked on a song and just felt really natural. And uh yeah, that was a long time ago. That was about what 2014 when we first started getting together. So uh we just kind of got together, made some music, and and uh put out the first song we uh wrote together. So I guess the rest of this history, and a lot of time, a lot of time and um songs um have happened since then, but uh it's uh been a blast. So yeah, here we are.
SPEAKER_00It's incredible. Yeah. What about what what what do you believe's given um cheap codes the longevity? Obviously, it's now what seven years. How's what do you believe has been the nucleus behind that?
SPEAKER_04Uh yeah, I mean I I think it's just you just gotta do it like we just do it every day, like we're working on something and we just try to keep it moving. And we're always working on new music or playing a show or you know, doing interviews like this, or just creating content in general and just trying to be creative. And uh I think it does help that we're a group and we're we're all like really good friends. Um, because I think sometimes if you know we met a lot of DJs like on the road, for example, that'll be like, yeah, man, it's really lonely out here, you know, stuff like that. And I'm sure you get kind of burned out or you get kind of unmotivated. So it's like we can kind of like tag team it a little bit, whether it's you know, halfway through a two-hour set and uh one of us wants to take a drink and the other one wants to kind of take over uh hyping up the crowd or whatever it is, or just I don't know, even just creatively, if one of us has an idea, um we can just kind of roll off of that. So I think that really helps, honestly.
SPEAKER_03Um I don't know, I don't know about the other guys, but yeah, I would just say the fact that we're able to always, you know, um keep like pushing the envelope as far as like what kind of music we're making and never being stuck in a box musically and always kind of having fun with it, you know. So we're always just um doing what we want to do and not really having to answer to anybody else. And the more time goes on, the more we're able to kind of run our business the way we want to and put out the music we want to, when we want to, and how we want to. So um, yeah, it's been uh it's been a good journey.
SPEAKER_00Wonderful. And you looking at it, and obviously listening to music, you've got your music's amazing. With the collaborations you've done, you know, you two you too, sorry, Freddy Wat, Wes Khalifa. Talk to me about that, uh, those collaborations and the experience behind that as well. Has that helped your music, do you believe, too, going into the future?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, totally. We love being able to collaborate. The whole idea behind Chico just trying to like, you know, uh make different styles of music and being able to when when you're able to collaborate with those kinds of artists, you're able to, you know, uh do what they do and do what we do and kind of meet in the middle and create something special. So, you know, whether it's U2 or FettyWop or Demi or Black Bear or whoever, um, we're kind of able to work with whoever and make something special, I think. So um, yeah, every every uh like situation is different and unique in its own way, and so you know, working with you two is completely different than working with Demi or whoever. So um, but it's all it's about all about just kind of like uh finding middle ground and doing something that you guys both really like in the end.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. Awesome. What inspires um cheat codes?
SPEAKER_04That's a that's a good question. I mean, I think we all listen to kind of like different music. I mean, if you're just talking like musical inspiration, um, so it's always kind of like random in a sense, because like I don't even really know what like Princess Rosie and Trevor are listening to right now. I'm assuming Princess Rosie's listening to Drake because he always listens to Drake. Yeah, that's a good guess. But but that's I think that's what keeps it fresh, is like we can kind of inspire each other, or like, hey, have you heard this new record? Or you heard this new Edamame record by Baby No Money and Rich Bryan or whatever, and maybe only one of us has heard it, and we can kind of like expose each other, or you know, we also have other really good friends like Danny Quest, who's like a really good house DJ, and he'll like show us a lot of underground tracks that aren't necessarily mainstream, but they might inspire us like for our set or for something we want to do uh in the electronic space. So um, yeah, like I said, I think being in a group really helps because otherwise you're kind of like just listening to the same artists over and over again, and you just end up kind of making the same music. Yeah, it's true.
SPEAKER_00Impressive. What what's the process between I guess you three with the songwriting? How does that transpire?
SPEAKER_03Um, it's just another one of the things like Matt said, where it's uh another good reason to be in a group because we can sort of divide and conquer and we can all do sessions and um we're able to make a lot more music and create a lot more songs and top lines and um and just more ideas to choose from, especially when we come together and we're able to say, Hey, I was working on this with this person, or I was working on this with this person. What do you think? And uh so kind of just endless possibilities with how we can create a song. You know what I mean? There's not just one way. Um a lot of producers or writers have like their one way of doing it, which is cool, but we can kind of come out of a million different ways and create something special. So yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and what's cool about like Hellraisers part two that's out now is um a lot of that was inspired by a lot of songs that Princess Rosie was working on, a separate uh just on his own, and we kind of were like, Oh, these are tight, like let's do this as cheat codes thing, and and it kind of allowed us to have more of like a personal uh narrative on the records instead of you know approaching it like a lot of pop records where you're just trying to make it lyrically uh uh apply to everybody, like this could be anybody, but sometimes it's nice to have like a more specific lyric where it's like maybe doesn't apply to everybody, but it sounds more personal and it sounds more authentic.
SPEAKER_00Incredible. Well, talk to me and elaborate, I guess, on the music that you you've worked on recently. Obviously, you just talked about that you've released. Talking about that and what shows and what tours, what does the future look like as well?
SPEAKER_03Yes, so we just did part two of our album. So it's uh it's a three-part album called Hellraisers, and uh the second part just came out and it's very like alternative leaning, and we got to work with some really uh chorus that we've you know been listening to since we were kids, whether it's like Tyson Ritter or or Travis Barker or or whoever, so um, or Ollie Sykes, and those just yeah, so some really cool collaborators on this one, and uh um something different for us. We haven't really done this sort of music before, so it's uh it's uh it's cool for us to be able to just kind of do something creative that we just kind of felt like doing and um something that we can put a lot of Kevin's vocals on and something that uh like Matt said he feels really you know attached to and there's more personal sort of lyrics and and uh yeah, so anyways, um yeah, sort of the vibe and as far as tours going, uh as far as shows and stuff, we have a tour coming up in a couple months starting in January. It's called the Hellraiser's Tour, it's all over the US, it's like 40 dates. I think there's adding more, so it should be a bunch of stuff. But um, we're excited for it. It's the first like full US tour that we've done, it's like that's ours, so it should be cool.
SPEAKER_00That's really exciting. You're gonna have an amazing time on tour as well, right? Traveling and going to different cities, that'll be awesome.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, we love it. It's the best part.
SPEAKER_00What are um some of the fondest memories that you've had so far? Like being out um doing tours and shows previously, and you know, even when your songs hit the charts, what are what are some of the memories that you can recall that really stick out for you guys?
SPEAKER_05What do you think Rosie? I think playing Madison Square Garden is cool.
SPEAKER_03That definitely is a memory. Yeah, that was a really special moment. Um doing Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, that was really cool. Um anything like that is always really exciting, you know what I mean? And uh, you know, obviously we're always grateful if the song's hitting on the charts, and that's always really special. And um, yeah, it's kind of hard to pinpoint, it's all been really cool, you know. Even like whether even the times we're working on a song that might not be the biggest time we release, it's always just a good time working on music, you know what I mean, whether it's a hit or not. So we're just blessed to be able to do what we do.
SPEAKER_00Aston is what what's the best advice you guys have been given?
SPEAKER_05Um Go ahead, Rosie. Mine is probably uh scared money, don't make money.
SPEAKER_02I like that one.
SPEAKER_03Another good one is it'll allow work and stuff out in the end.
SPEAKER_01That's a great one.
SPEAKER_03That's a good one.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. When we first started, the chain smokers told us to never fly first class, but we didn't listen.
SPEAKER_02I disagree. That's hilarious.
SPEAKER_00Relating to that, what are some of the key learnings obviously been in the industry? And you know, obviously everything's always changing consistently. What are what what have been the key learnings you've taken from where you first started to where you are now?
SPEAKER_03Ooh. That's a good question. I mean, it's it's different for every artist, but for us, it's just like I think that uh just like the more you know you want to be as involved with your business as possible, not just on the music, you want to understand everything that's going on, and just the more we're the longer we're a group and the more uh time goes on, we're kind of able to kind of really control our destiny. And I think that's something you should really try to figure out early on if you're a new artist. So um I think that's the biggest like thing that I've learned as time has gone on, I guess.
SPEAKER_00Cool.
SPEAKER_04What I was just agreeing with Trevor. Oh, okay, cool. Thanks, Matt.
SPEAKER_00The dream team. What uh what do you guys like to do away from music? What are you guys' hobby hobbies and passions, and yeah, what do you like to do in your downtime?
SPEAKER_02Oh, what do you guys like to do? Matt's always working out and staying healthy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I was just playing basketball today, so really yeah, I kind of had a play. Yeah, what do you mean? Oh my god. You gotta work out right now you get off the plane, otherwise you get jet lagged. Yeah. Fuck. That's like I was a little off today though, so maybe that's why.
SPEAKER_03Alright. Yeah. Um, to me, I mean, uh I mean, we do spend a lot of time working on the project, so what if we're not doing this, I'm always working on other kinds of music. Or um I like camping, I like being in the outdoors, I like all that sort of stuff. I like visiting Portland where my family's from, hanging out with them. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_00Cool. Are you guys gonna come out to Australia?
unknownOh.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's the goal. We've never been there, but we love it. And I don't know why we haven't been there, it doesn't make any sense, really. But uh we really hope that we can come out the ASAP.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you guys are really popular down here, especially obviously you've had a couple of hits in the charts as well. So yeah, you're very well known and you know everyone loves you down here. So yeah, calm down.
SPEAKER_03Hey, thanks, man. That'd be awesome. Hopefully we can make it happen uh you know, either I guess next year, because obviously we can't do it this year, probably won't be able to make it happen in the next couple of months. But uh next year would be awesome if if the travel restrictions allow us to.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure. Well, they've opened up the borders here, which is amazing. So I'm gonna go over there next year. I can't wait as well. Just get out travel, have a travel for three years, so it's really exciting.
SPEAKER_03Nice. Well then I'm glad that they're open. That'd be awesome to make it happen.
SPEAKER_00For sure. Um where do where do you see the cheat codes going into the future? Like if you're in a if you had like a box and you could see into the future, where do you guys see yourselves in 10 years?
SPEAKER_03Ooh, in ten years.
SPEAKER_05Shit.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think like now that we have more control over our business, it's like I want to focus more like on the fans, like building like a diehard fan base. Of you know, sometimes you get caught up when you first start, like you just want to like have the biggest numbers of the biggest hits or or whatever it is. But at the end of the day, it's it's about the fans and it's about putting on like good experience for them and and all aspects of it. So um I think that's where I would like to shift our focus, you know, more.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, cool.
SPEAKER_04I agree, love that.
SPEAKER_00What uh what are some of the funniest stories too that you can share that you can recall?
SPEAKER_03Oh man, it never ends. I don't know. We all always have a good time on tour, we're always laughing every time we play some shows or after the show or before or whatever. We're always having a good time. But uh what are some good stories, you guys? Anything stand out?
SPEAKER_05Oh no. No funny, no funny stories, Rosie. Wow. I just have any of them, I just don't know what, you know. There's a lot. I don't know which one like the best. What's the first one that comes to your head, Rosie? Oh the nacho cheese? That one's a good one. That one is a good one that one's a good one. The fire extinguisher? The fire, yeah, probably the fire extinguisher one. That was pretty scary.
SPEAKER_03That was really young. Yeah, so it was it was, you know, we were still learning. It was just us three. We didn't really have a tour manager. We didn't have a tour manager at all, did we, at that point, did we? I don't think so. Yeah, so it was early on. We were just beginning to tour, and you know, we had too much to drink, and at one point we were all sharing a hotel room, actually. But Kevin left the room, was on the phone for a bit, and then next thing we know, the whole hotel's being evacuated because the fire alarms were on. And we go outside and smoke everywhere, but apparently it wasn't it wasn't really smoke. It was Kevy. Kevin had taken the fire extinguisher and sprayed it through the hallway, and the alarms went off, and everyone evacuated, and the fire department came, and the police came, and it was just a mess. But you know, live and you learn. Yeah, wow, and you know, back to the advice we said earlier, it'll all work itself out in the end. Yep.
SPEAKER_00Right, yeah, that's 100% spot on. Um, if you if you guys can give your opinion too, obviously, with everything that's happening in the world, how where do you see not getting too political? The United States, generally speaking, going into the future as well.
SPEAKER_04I don't know, man. Well, I mean, it's it's a big country, that's what I like about it. Like every every state has like kind of its own vibe, and luckily we get to like travel and experience, you know, every every part of it. But I mean, it's kind of like divided right now, but I mean, at least we have like I said, different states, so it's like as long as people are living the way that they want to live, you know what I mean? Whether it's completely like Florida, completely opposite from LA or New York, whatever, as long as that's how they want to live, then then I'm cool with it, you know?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm cool with everyone having different person different perspectives and personalities and opinions, you just gotta respect each other's opinions.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's so like it's easy to judge people when you've only lived in like your town or like you never traveled or whatever, but like we've traveled everywhere, so it's like you can kind of get understand different people's uh perspectives and stuff, and it's not as like the media kind of makes it seem like there's more yeah, it's like black and white, but it's like hey man, if you want to live, how you want to live and you voted for that, then cool, like you know, whatever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, that's that's great, and that's great insights too. Thanks for sharing. Um, yeah, guys, thanks for coming on the podcast. I do appreciate it. Um, you know, you guys have done amazing, you're doing amazing, love the new music, and yeah, it's just incredible your future and trajectory of where you're going. So yeah, thanks for coming on the podcast. Appreciate it, thank you.
SPEAKER_03Appreciate your time.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, thanks for having us, bro.
SPEAKER_00All right, take care.
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