Meet Debz and DJ Pete Perez | Owners, Sandcastle Radio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Debz and DJ Pete Perez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Debz and DJ Pete Perez, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We started Sandcastle Radio in 2022 to meet what we saw as a need for high-quality, independent, global radio programming in music and entertainment, to promote and support independent artists, and to change an industry norm by paying our DJs!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I (Pete) have been DJ-ing since 1984, managed nightclubs, worked in NYC radio stations, continued playing for radio stations in England (from Florida) and started Sandcastle Radio with Debz in 2022. I produced my first track, a house music single called “Request” in August 2022 with Debz and a South Florida based artist/producer called Spillberg. My message to the younger generation is don’t ever give up on your dreams, no matter what anyone else tells you. I never thought I’d be pursuing this career in my 6th decade, I wanted to, but didn’t think it was possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We spend a lot of time in the historic Belmont DeVilliers neighborhood where we just celebrated our first international live radio festival, sponsored by Visit Pensacola, the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce, The Gordon Center for the Arts, and Five Sisters Blues Cafe, all located in that neighborhood. Great food, warm community, a celebration of the arts year round, doesn’t get any better than that.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We want to shoutout every mentor we’ve both had along the way who encouraged us to pursue our dreams, who taught us that art and music were worthwhile endeavors; our incredibly talented worldwide team of hosts and DJs who pour their passion and heart into every broadcast and listeners hear it! Our Sandcastle Radio community around the world who tune in to hear our commercial-free programming 24 hours a day and our listener supporters who keep us on the air! Our parents who instilled a love of music in us and gave us the drive to keep going no matter what!

Website: www.sandcastleradio.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandcastle.radio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandcastleradio/

Other: We are 100% listener-supported through our Patreon! Help us stay on the air by subscribing, we also offer a free community level! See www.patreon.com/sandcastleradio. Listen to Sandcastle Radio 24 hours a day on our free app, available wherever you get your apps.

Image Credits
Kelly Johnson Photography