The Grand Rapids electronic music producer returns to Breakaway festival next week. Local Spins spotlights her music and debuts tracks by Lindsay Lou, Kyle Brown, The War and Treaty and more.
Regaling Big Crowds: Blüejay at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park earlier this summer. (Photo/Kurtz Media)
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For those immersed in the electronic music world, it’s all about P.L.U.R.R.: Peace, love, unity, respect, responsibility.
“I think what really keeps me coming back is the community side of it and just how open and welcoming these events are when you go to these shows, and you’re surrounded by people that are all there for the same reasons,” said Andrea Jeffries, otherwise known as the DJ Blüejay.
“So much of it adds so much to what I already love about music and just adds a whole extra layer of energy.”
After growing up with music that Jeffries said was “very by the books,” she quickly became “totally engulfed” in the electronic music – especially the music of Subtronics – and began performing under the moniker Blüejay in 2024.
‘A Dream Come True’: Blüejay plays The L.A.B. stage at Breakaway next weekend. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
“It brings out a different side of me that I didn’t know was there until I was put into that crowd. … We’re here for peace, we’re here for love, we’re here to bring each other together. Respect is respecting the people around you and respecting yourself, and responsibility is being able to take care of yourself and the people around you. … It’s such a welcoming and safe community to be in.”
Part of that community will once again welcome Blüejay to the stage at the upcoming Breakaway Music Festival unfurling at Belknap Park in Grand Rapids Aug. 14-15.
After playing the festival’s silent disco in 2025, Blüejay will join a few other West Michigan DJs in kicking off the main stage at this year’s Breakaway.
“Last year was an absolute dream come true, and I was struggling with myself of how I was going to keep up with myself for this year. So I was really nervous about Breakaway and if I would get to do it all again,” she said.
“So the fact that I was asked to come back and be on the main lineup was such a dream come true. It really solidified that what I did last year really made an impact on the community enough to be brought back again, which is just honestly undescribable what that means to me. So I’m so excited to be back again this year and show people what I’ve been working on.”
What exactly has Blüejay has been working on?
“I would describe my sets as very high-energy dubstep and bass, sprinkling a little bit of riddim (groove-driven subgenre of dubstep with bouncy bass loops), sprinkling some of those classic hits with some crazy bass drop at the end,” she offered.
“I would say my sets always have a little something for everyone. I try and sprinkle in as many different genres as I can, especially depending on who else is on the lineup with me. I try to play off of what their styles might be like to just keep a good flow for the whole day. … I love all of it and I definitely attach more to the dubstep and bass stuff, but you never know what you’re going to get.”
TWO SETS AT BREAKAWAY AND AN AFTER-PARTY, TOO
Blüejay performs at 4 p.m. Friday (Aug. 14) on The Leave It All Behind Stage, aka The L.A.B., and at 6 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 15) at the Silent Disco. She’s also playing the Breakaway After Party on Saturday (Aug. 15) at Rapid River Stillhouse in Grand Rapids. (Before all that, she’ll headline this weekend’s New Wave Fest in Battle Creek on Saturday, Aug. 8.)
Of course, getting in front of a crowd of thousands has its daunting hurdles.
“I would say the biggest challenge I face is myself and how critical I can be on myself. I’m such a perfectionist, and I think anyone that’s in the music scene can relate to that,” she conceded.
“It’s so hard to put yourself out there. It’s more than just being on a stage. Being on a stage is already intimidating enough, but then you’re putting your art out there and you’re displaying it to all these people live and hoping that they like it.
‘A Little Something for Everyone’: Blüejay (Photo/Eric Stoike)
“And so much love and intention and energy goes into making music, and then so much vulnerability goes into putting that music out on a stage. … On top of that, being in the public eye and having so many people either rooting for you or not rooting for you is just really intimidating.”
But there’s also nothing more satisfying than completing a crowd-energizing set.
“I think the payoff for that is what it’s like to … have it go well and have the crowd be receptive. You’re so hard on yourself when you don’t need to be, and then you get off the stage and you’re like, ‘That was amazing. I had nothing to worry about that. I was so stressed for no reason. That was so fun and such a good time.’ ”
Blüejay is especially excited about performing at Breakaway because her hero, Subtronics (Philadelphia producer Jesse Kardon), is on the festival bill this year, headlining the Main Stage at 9:45 p.m. Saturday.
“Subtronics is one of the first artists that I really connected with on a music level,” she said. “Just listening to how he talks about sound design and performing in general, the way that he approaches his career is something so honorable in my opinion. He’s just so himself in the best way. He’s just doing what he loves. He doesn’t put himself on a pedestal.
“He’s so incredibly talented, whether that’s for producing, sound design, or even live performing. He’s just really one of those artists that I will do anything to go to one of his shows.”
This week’s edition of the Michigan Music Showcase spotlighted two tracks by Blüejay – “Free Your Mind” and her remix of MPORT’s “Old Bae, Old Bay.”
It also unfurls new music by several Michigan artists: Morgan Haner, Man Mountain, Jessica Rottschafer, Kyle Brown & The Human Condition, Aiden Wells, Jeremy Porter & The Tucos, Lindsay Lou, The War and Treaty, Pablo Eskobear and Erin Monroe. Listen to the interview and full radio show podcast below.
The Michigan Music Showcase airs at 11 a.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Sundays on WYCE (88.1 FM) and online at wyce.org, and on Interlochen Public Radio at 7 p.m. Saturdays. Check out previous show podcasts online here. Come back to Local Spins next week for a full preview and guide to Breakaway Music Festival 2026.
PODCAST: Local Spins Michigan Music Showcase (8/7/26)
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