James Kennedy is not only a DJ with an ear for the next house hit, but also the opinionated British castmate we love to watch on Vanderpump Rules.
He and his girlfriend Raquel Leviss are stronger than ever in the midst of quarantine. His relationship with his castmates is still strong, although the VPR family is split down the middle when cameras are off.
Sobriety And Music With Lala
Your fans agree that they love to see you sober and really got to see the true you. Any tips for those struggling with sobriety during quarantine?
"It's been quite an interesting road. I definitely think I picked the right time to stop drinking because clubs closed right in the beginning of quarantine. It's hard with tips, you know? Everybody's different, everyone's on their own journey and path."
Kennedy shared some daily habits that have helped him, "I think that having a steady regimen and nice routine is always good. Things to keep your mind off drinking and partying and doing things that are a bit of a waste of time."
He insisted, however, that developing a routine is from his point of view, and doesn't necessarily work for everyone.
"Working out, eating healthy is really important during quarantine because you can forget about all of that stuff and then a couple months goes by and you're like, 'oh sh*t.' Hey, I forget too sometimes. We're all in this together."
Quoting your song with Lala Kent, you've overcome a lot of, 'mountains in life.' Do you see yourself and her making music in the future? Maybe after she has her baby?
"Ya I mean me and Lala always have a good time making music. From 'Feeling You' to 'Playboy Bunny' we always like to have fun in the studio. I love her energy and I love what we come up with. It's always fun hanging out with my girl Lala. That will be great, definitely after the baby of course."
Related: Exclusive: James Kennedy Talks His DJ Career And His Godfather, George Michael
Is He Related To Lisa Vanderpump?
Fans of the show know how much Lisa has looked out for James and acted as a motherly figure in his life. When he needed a job, she was there to support him and give the London local a shot.
Are you related to Lisa and Ken Vanderpump?
"No, I'm not related to them. It does seem like that sometimes! She's almost like a mother figure to me. She's always had my back and she's always steered me in the right direction. She gave me a job when I was nineteen, you know? She's amazing but we're not related by blood, no."
Their link connected back in the UK, when Kennedy's parents and the Vanderpumps ran in the same social circle.
"My parents did know Lisa back in the day in London. They knew each other, they weren't best friends hanging out every day. You know how people know each other. It's like how I know people now over here in LA."
"It's kind of funny but after moving back to America in 2008," he further detailed the timeline that brought him to Bravo air time, "My mom was like, Lisa's here and she's got the show now and 'Housewives.' SUR was just down the street from where I was living at the time."
He agreed to our comment that everything tied together serendipitously, as most things have in his life.
"That falls in with the 333," he noted the angel number that's guided him as a sign that he's making the right choices, "It's definitely a number that steers me in the path that I feel like I should be going. Sometimes I'm like should I be doing this? Did I just make the right future move? If I see that number, it could be anywhere, it's an affirmation."
'Vanderpump Rules' Friendships
Have you seen any of the other cast members from 'Vanderpump Rules' after all the pregnancy announcements and births?
"Ya, I hang out with Scheanna a lot. We've been around her a lot during her pregnancy which is a really exciting time. I hang out with Tom and Ariana. I haven't seen Jax, Brittany, or that whole group."
Kennedy revealed that the cast is often less united than it may seem while filming. If fans pay close attention to who posts together on Instagram, it's easy to connect the dots.
"We definitely have our own sections of friend groups when we're not filming. I think that becomes clearer in peoples' eyes through Instagram, like, 'Oh this is how it's really going down,' this isn't how the show is."
Quarantine and giving his friends' growing families their space, however, has made getting together less frequent.
"I still talk to Lala and stuff but with quarantine, COVID, and the pregnancies, of course, everyone's in their own bubble. You've got to respect that for sure during these times."
If 'Vanderpump Rules' had never happened, what do you think your life would look like today?
The DJ and face of SUR's "See You Next Tuesday" event smiled and insisted that he knows it wouldn't be all that different.
"I'd probably still be chasing my dreams because that's what I do. Making music, DJ'ing, maybe I would have gone back to Ibiza. Definitely would have tried the whole 'famous' thing in LA. But if that never worked out, probably would have gone back to Ibiza."
He talked about his time living in Ibiza and discovering his passion for house music there. After a rough number of years of getting bullied at school in London, it was his escape and chance at a fresh start.
He admittedly likes the attention that accompanies a DJ booth, but the source of his love for his career comes from bringing the same joy to a crowd that Tiesto gave him at fourteen years old.
You can listen to James Kennedy's recent single "Take Me Home" here.
We've seen your studio at home that Raquel made for you. Has she amped it up in recent months?
"We've amped it down because it was all done but then through quarantine, and jam sessions and recording sessions. It's also my gym now. We moved the sofa over here and this is my streaming area now. I love it. My studio actually just opened back up in Burbank so I have been making some trips here and there."
The multipurpose room still has his purple and blue light fixtures that make his TikTok and Instagram videos pop.
Talking about Raquel, one of your greatest support systems, what have you learned about one another during quarantine?
"I think that we both definitely learned how much we love each other, for real. A lot of couples have been challenged during this time. I've seen a lot of people break up and I've seen some get together. For me and Raquel, we're just as strong as we were in the beginning."
"Quarantine's kept us together every single day but we really work well together. We haven't gotten bored of each other yet, which is nice. I mean, sh*t, I feel like I already know everything about her so after quarantine started it's like there's no more surprises."
One, however, did come to mind. Kennedy's been cooking up a storm for his girlfriend. Steak, chicken, and shrimp. Not all day everyday pasta. It's become a quality time love language for them.