“We just try and make music that makes people feel”: An interview with Cameron Edwards of Sigma at Rise Festival

Sigma are the renowned DJ and production duo consisting of Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie, who first met and bonded at drum and bass nights while out partying as students at Leeds University back in 2006. Since those humble beginnings, they’ve become one of the biggest acts on the dance music scene, with a knack for bringing the genre into the mainstream with their contagious, make-you-wanna-move beats and euphoric vocals.

A key turning point came in 2014 with the release of their single, Nobody to Love (a remix of Kanye West’s Bound 2), which hit number one in the UK charts; later that same year, Changing, featuring vocals from Paloma Faith, also hit the top spot. The rest, as they say, is history. Their unique brand of drum and bass, and success in collaborating with an eclectic list of other artists – from Cry with Take That to Find Me with Birdy – have cemented their place as mainstays in the charts over two albums. Life (2015) and Hope (2022) have racked up hundreds of millions of streams in the process, and the duo are in demand at festivals the world over. 

The Upcoming had a chat with Edwards and MC Dynamite just after their blistering DJ set at Rise Festival, which they’ve played numerous times over the years. They told us why they love the snowboarding music festival so much and how it felt to entertain a buzzing crowd on a brand-new stage atop the mountain. Edwards also reflected on Sigma’s success in bringing drum and bass into the mainstream, how two consecutive number-one tracks changed the course of their career, their many collaborations, from Birdy to Paloma Faith, and what’s next for the electronic duo.

Sarah Bradbury
Photos: Ambra Vernuccio

For further information about Sigma and upcoming events visit their website here.

Rise Festival was on from 10^th until 17^th December 2022. For further information visit the festival’s website here.

Read our review of the festival here.

Watch the video for the single Little Things here: