Do you need to get signed to a record label? Does it take decades to build a scene around your music? Everything about the music industry has changed since these were the rules, as recent Liveschool graduate Doug Loch has proven – and to great success.
After an unexpected redundancy from a corporate job, Doug took his lifelong love of music, enrolled in the Produce Music course –> graduated with tracks ready to release –> enrolled in the Release Music course –> self-released his first EP on his own label, and has developed a fast-growing music scene for mature-aged clubbers.
Doug Loch’s 2nd release on his own ‘People Like Us’ label.
What sparked the ‘People Like Us’ concept?
“I started People Like Us last year — it’s a new party for, well, people like us!”. The name comes from a phrase Doug and his wife use when talking about new people they meet – ie are they “PLU” – AKA People Like Us — referencing kindred spirits who share their passion for music and club culture, long after marriage and kids have come along.
“The idea behind the parties was to provide a forum for friends to play music together, including live performances as well as DJs, and in my case, to play my own musical productions out, in established venues and on a big sound system,” Doug explains. “It essentially involved creating my own platform and scene, rather than trying to get a foothold into existing clubs and parties run by other people. The same goes for the record label – I wanted to get my own music out and onto Beatport and other platforms, but I didn’t want to wait for however long it may take to get a track signed to a label”.
The DIY pathway
“Liveschool changed my life!” said Doug. “It gave me the opportunity to fully focus on music production and provided a route to getting my music out and into the world – which I had been wanting to do for years”.
Doug graduated from Produce Music in May 2024, and presented two high-quality original productions at the graduation showcase.
Recognising that launching a successful music project required more than just production skills, Doug immediately enrolled in Liveschool’s Release Music course to master the business side of the industry, which culminated in”Resonant”, his first release:
Frustrated that no-one was creating events for seasoned electronic music lovers in Sydney, and not wanting to be at the whim of established record labels, Doug started his own record label and is forging a community and a musical movement People Like Us (PLU) that’s reshaping the city’s music scene, and is now one of Sydney’s most refreshing party concepts.
How did your musical journey begin?
“I grew up in a religious household and had piano and guitar lessons from a young age. I progressed rapidly through classical piano grades, however I was never really into music until I started playing in bands as a teenager,” Doug explains. “My most successful high school band won the UK’s prestigious national TSB Rockschool competition in 1987 and that was a lot of fun, however my love of dance music stems from going to the famous Hacienda club in Manchester (around that same time), and later on, to Cream in Liverpool.”
Originally producing music in London using Logic in the early 2000s, after moving to Australia in 2007, Doug balanced family life with a legal career, playing in bands again and often DJ’ing at parties, but mostly squeezing music into the margins — until everything changed in 2023. “When the bank I worked at closed down, I found myself without a job and with a lot more free time. I had wanted to get back into music production for a while by that point, but using Ableton Live rather than Logic, so I told myself it was now or never, and instead of hunting for another job straight away, I saw all the free time I suddenly had as a blessing, and jumped back into music production.”
What makes People Like Us parties different from other events?
Doug envisioned PLU as a complete ecosystem for like-minded music lovers who aren’t necessarily being catered to in Sydney’s music scene.
“There’s this misconception that dance music is only for younger crowds, but the original ravers still love to dance — we just want spaces where the experience is centred around the music, and where friends and friends of friends gather to mingle together, to celebrate their combined love of music and dance.” Doug explains. “My musical mantra is equal emphasis on melody and rhythm, and the parties generally start off with a bit of a house and disco vibe, gradually getting deeper and more progressive as the night progresses. The crowd are generally friends and friends of friends, and they always up for it.”
At PLU events, the DJs are not established names, and there are always several live vocal performances, including from Doug’s former band members. Doug himself performs hybrid sets featuring plenty of original material, and the overall offering is something truly distinctive in Sydney’s electronic music landscape.
This community-first approach has been central to PLU’s growing success. While many events chase trends or court industry gatekeepers, Doug has built something authentic that serves an under-represented, but still significant audience.
What can we expect from future PLU events?
“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing” says Doug, “including continuing to grow the franchise. We are expanding the DJ roster while staying true to the equal emphasis mantra, but we need a venue with a late licence”. The next event is on 5 April, which as usual Doug will headline, and there will also be some customary live vocal performances across the night.
His community-focused philosophy remains simple but powerful: “We encourage all people like us to arrive early, and not to miss a beat.”
For producers looking to launch their own projects, Doug’s path offers valuable lessons. Rather than following the traditional route of shopping demos to established labels and trying to get gigs and other people’s events, he identified a gap in the market and built something from scratch that serves a specific audience.
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