Breaking Binaries with Queerdo Royalty­ Wreckno

Wreckno (he/they) is a genderfluid dancer, DJ, music producer, and rapper taking the industry by storm. They’re known for their iconic live performances, producing unapologetically loud and queer electronic bass music, creating a safe space for fellow queerdos, and throwing a whole lot of ass!

OFM sat down with Wreckno to discuss their artistry, get the scoop on their new song “Topsy Turvy” with Ru Paul’s Drag Race Queen Yvie Oddly, and talk about the importance of self-discovery and acceptance in one’s gender identity journey. 

For those who don’t know you, how would you describe your sound?

My sound as a musician is very queer, loud, electronic, and bassy!

What inspired you to become a music producer? 

Initially I wanted to be a performer. I wanted to be a backup dancer for Lady Gaga. That was my first dream job. Eventually I started writing music with my brother. He was working in FL Studio when I was around 15-20 years old. It took me a little while, but eventually I started playing around with producing. It was really just me going to so many festivals and EDM shows, then also having my brother I looked up to a lot. It was really like a mixture of those two things that made me want to start.

What does being a ‘Queerdo’ mean to you?

It means everything to me. I came out when I was, like, 14, and I was a queerdo before I even understood that that’s what I was. I feel like I’ve always been rebellious. And in my own mind, it’s always been other people’s problems that they have an issue with who I was. I experienced that coming from a small town. You know, in my teen years and to this day as a really loud person, you experience people not liking it. But it’s really just part of our armor we wear to protect ourselves, and it’s really allowed me to be who I am.

How was collaborating with Yvie Oddly for your song “Topsy Turvy?”

Oh my god. Literally the best! I remember watching Yvie’s season and just being like, “This bitch is crazy.”  Like, I just thought she was so cool. And, I mean, when she saved the backbends until the end, I just remember being like, “Oh my God.” I had no words. I was just so in love with her whole vibe. Then she released music afterwards, and I just remember being like, “She can write; she can rap; she has such a cool outlook on music, and her perspective and drag.” It’s so, like, against the grain of what we had seen on Drag Race, so I always resonated with her.

Shout out to Yvie’s partner, Doug, because he showed her my music. At one point, Doug was like, “Why haven’t you worked with Wreckno?” And we followed each other. Whenever one of the queens I’ve watched on TV or looked up to follows (me), I’m like, “That is literally insane to me; they’re real Life Superheroes to me.” So working with her and having her extending the opportunity was really great. I had just been sitting on the song, the original beat, for a year. And I wanted it to be something special when it did happen. And I wanted it to be something special when it did happen. Yvie came in and then just wrote her rap. It was just like one of the most effortless, coolest things I’ve had the pleasure of doing, honestly.

I saw Grindr had you curate a ‘new music friday playlist on spotify, what bop would you add to that playlist for summer?

For this summer, I would say I think I put “Playboy / Positions” by ShyGirl on there. I’ve been opening my sets with that, and it is like, whoa; it gets the party started.

Will you give us some insight on how it’s been for you exploring your gender fluidity?

It has been crazy. It’s really only been almost a year and a half. But then I also have to preface that when I was in high school, I was always a rebellious weirdo. There’s pictures of me where I cut a disco ball in half and had them as boobs. There’s so many pictures of me doing weird kind of clownish makeup and just experimenting. But I also lived in a really small town, and I didn’t have the verbiage of even knowing what gender fluidity was when I was in high school. 

Then via music and my desire to perform, I slowly was like, “How would it feel if I wore a skirt on stage? How I would feel if I presented myself differently?” I remember December of 2021, I finally wore a skirt on stage, and I’ve just never felt so empowered as a performer, as a person. 

In my regular, everyday life, I’m very comfortable. I wear sweats and sweatshirts all the time. But when I go out there and do my passion, which is performing music, it’s like, I’ve always been enamored with people to get to that next level. They become this extended, turned up to 11 versions of themselves. And I feel like my gender fluidity has really allowed that for me both in and out of music. It’s really just a blessing, and everyone’s been very receptive to it. It’s really changed my life to be comfortable as an adult finally be like, “Oh, you’re allowed to play dress-up.”

What’s currently your biggest aspiration and something you’re proud of accomplishing thus far in your career?

I can’t think of a specific goal. It’s really just internally these little victories as a musician and writer who’s always learning. I just want to keep surprising myself and somehow one-upping myself without it turning into this crazy internal competition. I’m always trying to give myself the space to grow, but you know, even talking about working on a song with Yvie, you’re like, “Well… what happens next?” (Laughs).

Something I’m proud of is the strides I’ve made when it comes to my live shows. I was initially just DJing, and now we’ll have two dancers on stage whenever we can. I’m still playing DJ clubs, but when we’re doing choreo and I’m laughing, and I’m really giving the full sensation of why I wanted to be a performer and musician on stage, (that) is what I’m most proud of.

Do you have any aspiring words of encouragement for queer artists trying to make their way in the industry?

I would say always be open to advice, but remember, one person’s way of making music or getting from A to B Isn’t everybody’s. Everyone’s journey is different. Don’t let the internet or how someone else views how music should be done deter you, whether that be writing, producing, sound design, any of that. I think that was something that really halted me. I was more scared to learn because I felt like I was doing everything wrong. So just allow yourself to suck and figure it out before you’re like, “Oh, I’m terrible.”

Do you have any projects in the works you’d like to share?

I just signed a record deal for the first time, and I’m working on a very special, solo EP which I’m extremely excited about!

Who are some other drag queens you’d be interested in collaborating with?

Kylie Sonique Love—We are in contact, and I adore everything about her. There’s a video of her flipping on stage with Miley Cyrus in this, like, “American Woman” bra, so definitely her. I also really love Trixie Mattel. I just had the honor of hanging out with her when I was in Australia, and she’s just, like,  a class act. Oh, and Aja; Aja is like a ballroom drag queen. She’s a trans woman and iconic dancer who also raps.

Stay-up-to-date with Wreckno on Instagram @Wreckno, and do yourself a favor and go watch their new music video for “Topsy Turvy” with Yvie Oddly on YouTube!   

Photos by Max Dashevsky and Tessa Paisan