As one of the UK house scene’s most consistently uplifting forces, Lizzie Curious has built a reputation on feel-good energy, heavyweight grooves and an instinctive understanding of what makes a dancefloor erupt. She’s now turning up the pressure alongside Charlie Big and Shanie, with Rub Ah by Dub, a bass-heavy, carnival-fuelled anthem packed with ragga vocals, UKG flavours and enough low-end power to shake club walls.

But beyond the chart momentum and packed touring schedule, Lizzie’s focus remains firmly on the emotional connection dance music creates. Whether she’s testing tracks in sweaty clubs, building her Curious Energy label, or dropping unreleased IDs during Twitch livestreams, everything comes back to one mission: creating moments of pure collective euphoria. And with Rub Ah by Dub, she believes the trio may have captured exactly that.

Lizzie Curious… Dancefloor euphoria – Pic: Dan Reid – Main header pic: Sean O’Dell

We caught up with Lizzie to talk about the making of Rub Ah by Dub, testing tracks live, remix culture, the evolution of the UK house scene and why seeing a packed dancefloor still means more than any chart position.

You’ve teamed up with Charlie Big and Shanie on ‘Rub Ah by Dub’, what sparked this collaboration and how did the track evolve once you got in the studio together?

Charlie, Shane and I decided that after the runaway success of the revitalisation of their 90s Alex party dance hits, (Don’t Give Me Your Life and Read My Lips), that we should create something original that really captured the vibe of the dance music scene right now. Charlie & Shanie already had a strong idea for some ragga style vocals – and the minute that I heard them I was instantly inspired! I knew the track was destined to an absolute dancefloor monster, infusing carnival vibes with big house beats and a massive bassline.

There’s a really raw, unfiltered UK club energy to this release, was that the intention from the start or did it develop organically? The three of us all have a good energy and we lift each other up – so when we work together there’s a tangible hype! I feel like the intention was subconsciously there right from the start, as it naturally comes through in everything we do.

The vocal chemistry is superb on the track, how did you approach balancing the vocals with that heavyweight bass-driven production?

Charlie and Shane‘s vocals are so powerful, so I definitely wanted to give them the space in the mix to shine through. And hell yes, the bassline is also huge, so rather than adding in any other melodic elements I really focussed on letting those two key players to be the main focus of the track, alongside what I like to call the ‘carnival garnishes’ and keeping the overall percussion crisp, simple & groovy.

The track blends carnival vibes with club-ready bass, what influences were you pulling from when shaping the sound?

I’m loving UKG and bassline flavours and play a lot of that in my DJ sets, and I felt this would work so well with Charlie & Shanie’s vocals. I had a DJ residency in the Caribbean and spent nearly 2 years living out there, so you can hear a little soca/reggaeton influence in this track… I think it would go down an absolute storm at Batabano (the island’s biggest annual carnival celebration.) So I’ve put what I like to call ’carnival garnishes’ into the track, like whistles, crowd noises and samba-style drum fill, that add to the overall hype to MASH UP DI CLUB!

How do you make sure a track hits both emotionally and physically on a dancefloor?

As you’ve probably picked up by now, it is all about the energy for me! What really makes the track hit for me, is the power of the bassline and that working well with the kick and the groove…. if you can get that reverberation in your chest when you hear the track by a big speaker, for me that is a great indication it’s gonna be a banger! With Charlie and Shanie you can really hear the passion they have for singing in their vocals – and that also helps the track to hit on an emotional level.

Do you test your productions live as they progress while DJing, making improvements before settling on the final master and did ‘Rub Ah by Dub’ go through that process?

I’d always want track to be about 80 – 90% ready before I play in a club environment, as I want everyone on the dancefloor to always have the best experience possible… But having that ability to hear it live on big sound systems and make little tweaks before getting it mastered is invaluable. I also have a bi-weekly live stream on Twitch, and I’ll often play my unreleased tracks and IDs on there, as that’s another great way to get feedback and for me to hear how the tracks stand up in the mix.

The remix package is stacked, with names like Booker T, Dancing Divaz, Heratiks, and Blandy, what excites you most about hearing other artists reinterpret your work?

I absolutely love hearing artists put their own stamp and creative ideas on a track, it can take it in a completely different direction and open up the tune to a whole new genre of fans.

When you hand over a track for remixing, do you give direction or prefer to let producers take it wherever they want?

I definitely prefer the artist to go with whatever they feel will work for the remix….they are the masters of their craft, so I trust them to produce something really special.

Do you have a favourite version from the remix pack or does each one serve a different moment on the dancefloor?

What I love about these remixes is it brings there are some fantastically different vibes, for a variety of genres. From the beautiful soulful grooves on Grammy-nominated Booker T’s remix, the no-holds-barred absolute banger from Heratiks (already receiving big support on BBC Introducing), to the deep house vibes of Blandy’s remix and the dancefloor euphoria you can hear from Dancing Divaz, it’s a package that spans a big spectrum of UK dance culture. Just don’t ask me to pick a favourite though – I couldn’t possibly choose!

You’ve already had two UK Club Chart Number 1s, how does this release build on that momentum?

I am thrilled to have recently hit the UK Club Chart #1 with Charlie & Shanie on both ‘Don’t Give Me Your Life’ and ‘Read My Lips’. And personally for me, to be involved in breathing new life into these iconic Alex Party 90s dance hits is a huge honour. What I feel about Rub Ah Dub is that it continues to showcase what we create when we combine our energy together. And now I believe we’ve got something here that will stand the test of time and smash dance floors and festivals for decades to come…. especially thanks to the brilliant remixes!

What does success look like for you with this track, chart positions, DJ support, crowd reactions?

There can be a lot of focus around numbers in our industry, which in one hand is good as it gives you motivation, however comparison is the thief of joy and success looks very different for different artists. Sometimes, what really matters is just looking out on the dancefloor and people see people absolutely dancing their off to your track, for me in that moment when you see people feeling your music That is a true feeling of success,. That being said, I am immensely proud that we’ve already achieved two UK Club Chart number ones and I’ve got my fingers crossed that Rub Ah Dub is also gonna hit the top spot!

Lizzie Curious… Rocking the crowd – Pic: Dan Reid

What’s one moment in your career recently that’s really reminded you why you love doing this?

Great question. I recently had a fantastic weekend where I ran a Curious Energy party in Manchester on the Friday (in conjunction with Sammy Dean’s A Very Important House Party) and then was back down to London on Saturday to DJ for Peach at Ministry Of Sound on Saturday. Both events were filled with just the most happiest smiling, lovely people – seeing everyone on the dancefloor, having a great time dancing their cares away, honestly that’s really why I do what I do and that is what fuels my Curious energy .And of course I dropped Rub Ah Dub at both of those shows and it absolutely MASHED UP DI CLUB!

What should fans and DJs expect next from you in 2026? I’m so excited for what to come in 2026!

DJ-wise my tour schedule is packed with great gigs – and the absolute highlight is opening for Fatboy Slim at his huge Forest Live shows in June, alongside a slew of fantastic headline slots at clubs & festivals across the UK. Release wise, this year is set to be my most prolific yet, I’m already working on two new remixes for Charlie Big and Shanie, alongside new solo material coming soon on Curious Energy and Earth N Day’s label There Was Jack. I’ve been invited to perform a special live DJ set on BBC Introducing on 28 May where I’m excited to be showcasing my new tracks alongside – of course – Rub Ah Dub!

Your sound is often described as ‘feel-good house’, how do you keep that uplifting identity fresh without repeating yourself?

Positive energy is infused in all my productions, and it’s also the ethos behind my label Curious energy. I don’t limit myself to a specific genre within house: the music has to have a good energy to it, whether that is a gorgeous funky house track or a absolute monster of a UKG belter. So whilst the genre (within the spectrum of house) that I produce can be quite varied, they will always be united in their mission to create good vibes on the dancefloor, I am a classically trained musician and I’ve always really loved composing new tracks, so I always try and put a lot of variation of melodies and lots of attention to detail to make sure every single track is special. Recently I’ve been weaving more of my own vocals into my tracks (from singing, to spoken word, to ethereal sung elements) and that will also keep the tracks fresh whilst still having their own unique identity.

Lizzie Curious… in control of the dancefloor

Your label Curious Energy Records has been gaining traction, what are you looking for when signing new music right now?

Thank you, we’ve only been running the label for three years and I’m absolutely buzzing at how well it’s going. What I’m looking for in tracks that I sign is, (sorry to sound like a broken record/ corrupt MP3!) that good energy, here at the label we don’t restrict ourselves to a specific genre. It’s gotta be something though that I will play in one of my sets – whether it’s a chilled house session or a peak time banger, it’s gotta be something that when I hear it I just think yes! this tune is wicked!

As someone both releasing and curating music, how do you see the UK house scene evolving at the moment?

We are really seeing a fantastic rise of daytime parties, and as someone who’s been DJ now for over 20 years, nowadays I really value my sleep! It doesn’t sound very rock ‘n’ roll, but taking care of health and well-being it’s really really important. What’s great about these daytime events as we’re seeing people of all ages on the dancefloor and we’re hearing more of a variety of genres being put together in one set which again I absolutely love. I’m also hearing this variety in the radio shows that I listen to and I love it. I don’t feel like creativity should have any limits and it’s great see DJs and clubs and festival goes embracing the amazing array of dance music is out there. There is something so special about dancing with your friends/in a crowd to the same beats and feeling that collective euphoric lift – that is gonna be something that will always stand the test of time and I am so here for it!

Lizzie Curious, Charlie Big & Shanie – Rub Ah Dub is out now. Grab it on Beatport HERE and the remixes HERE.

Head to Beatportal to read The Night Bazaar exclusive interviews in partnership with Beatport HERE.