Max HeyraudFrom a teenage Ibiza resident scraping by to a global DJ redefining modern hard dance, Hannah Laing’s ascent is a rare, organic rise that has club culture in a chokehold.
Hannah Laing’s rise from dental nurse to one of the most talked-about, in-demand and influential DJs on the planet is the kind of ascent that, no matter who you are, feels strangely familiar, almost like a fairytale unfolding in real time. In a landscape often accused of being over-manufactured, industry plants, inflated hype cycles, and DJs engineered through social media metrics, Laing’s ascent feels defiantly organic.
Her trajectory began far from the global stages she now commands. The Highlander, a modest Scottish pub in Ibiza, became an unlikely launchpad, a place where Laing steadily worked her way into the island’s bloodstream. From there, the momentum grew in a way that feels improbable until you watch it unfold: a residency at Hï Ibiza, sold-out arenas across the UK, Tomorrowland, Creamfields, and eventually her own festival, foof in the Park, the physical extension of her expanding doof imprint.
Laing’s musical instincts were forged long before she stepped behind a booth. Raised by raver parents on a steady diet of hard house and trance, her relationship with dance music has always been lived first on the floor, not the stage. “I was a raver before I was a DJ—that’s what shaped everything,” she says.
Her sound channels those formative influences through a modern lens: trance-soaked melodies, hard-edged percussion and a palpable 90s spirit that never slips into nostalgia, instead reframing the genres that shaped her for a new generation.
You’ve been DJing for a long time, but in terms of your overall career, success is relatively new. What do you think was the turning point that took you from being a local DJ to where you are now?
After I played Creamfields in 2022, opening Patrick Topping’s Trick stage, the massive runway stage, everything changed. I remember being nervous that no one would show up since I was playing first. But within ten minutes of the stage opening, the entire area was packed with around 10,000 people. So many Scots came out to support me, waving Scottish flags and chanting. I’d been building my name in Scotland for about 9 years, and because so many Scottish people go to Creamfields, it felt like the perfect moment where everything aligned.
It was also the first time I got to play the music I truly love to a crowd of that size. After that set, the bookings started flooding in, and I ended up leaving my job as a dental nurse. That was the point where I finally had the opportunity to do my first headline tour after years of always being the support DJ.
I know you credit a lot of your development as a DJ to your time as a resident in Ibiza at just 19. Can you expand on that experience a bit more? What was the space like, what music were you playing, and what was life like in general back then?
Yeah, I was DJing seven hours a night, four nights a week at the Highlander in Ibiza. That’s really where I learned to mix properly and understand how to shape a night from playing to an empty room at the start, to building the energy as it filled up. People would come through before heading to the big clubs, so the crowd was constantly changing, and I had to learn how to read the room in real time. The DJ booth was tiny, the room only held around 200 people, and I even controlled the lights and smoke myself to create some atmosphere.
Musically, I played a bit of everything. I’d start with house early in the night, then gradually build things up and go harder as it gets busier. The Scottish crowd always loved their trance, and I would throw in a few Scottish classics too.
Life back then was wild. I originally went to Ibiza just to party, see DJs, and get a bar job. I was only 19. Landing that residency felt like a dream. I was paid based on how busy the bar was, so I was always trying to keep people in. On my nights off, I’d go to the clubs, and I basically lived on noodles, baguettes, and aioli. I barely had enough money for rent, but I loved every second of it. I couldn’t believe I had a residency in Ibiza.
You’ve been going to clubs since you were 15 and have described yourself as a raver before an artist. Do you think that experience, understanding how tracks feel on a dancefloor, has shaped you as a DJ and producer?
Yes, 100%. Whether I’m preparing a set or making tunes, the dancefloor is always the first thing on my mind. Understanding how a crowd reacts and connects with a track is everything. It shapes the way I think about build-ups, breakdowns, tension, and energy in my sets and in my productions.
I still go raving whenever I can, not just for fun but to keep learning and stay inspired. Being on the dancefloor helps me understand what really works in the moment, and I think that perspective has shaped me massively as both a DJ and a producer.
Your sound feels very quintessentially Scottish. Is that something that’s important to you?
Earlier in my career, my sound naturally felt very Scottish because most of my gigs were in Scotland, and my residency at the Highlander Scottish bar in Ibiza really reinforced that. But as I’ve started performing all over the world, my sound has definitely matured and evolved. I’ve taken inspiration from so many different places and crowds, yet I’ve still kept that connection to my roots. So while it’s not something I force, the Scottish influence is always there.
I know Fergie has been a big source of inspiration for you. Do you remember the first time you discovered him and the impact he had on you?
I discovered Fergie around the same time I came across Tony De Vit. Tony had taken Fergie under his wing, and the two of them were touring together, playing hard house on vinyl. They helped bring that sound into the mainstream, and I was obsessed with their Trade sets. Around then, I also found Fergie’s track – Deception, which became one of my favourite tunes, and I still play it today. I still watch his vinyl livestreams too.
What really struck me was that Fergie was just a regular boy from Northern Ireland who worked incredibly hard and was genuinely passionate about what he did. Seeing someone like him make it showed me that maybe I could do the same
You also recently played B2B with Armin van Buuren, as well as being described as someone who was “reinventing the game,” someone who’s clearly been a huge inspiration. How was that?
When he texted me asking to go b2b, I was honestly over the moon. He’d played at my festival, we’d made a track together, and it felt like everything had naturally built up to this moment. I was nervous, but really excited.
Armin has been at the top of his game for so many years, and the way he constantly evolves is something I really admire. I love how he blends genres the way I do, and he always makes time to support emerging artists. Hearing such high praise from someone regarded as a true industry legend is surreal; he’s an inspiration in every way.
Your parents were ravers. What do they make of your success now? Have they come to see you play? I can imagine it’s a massive source of pride for them.
They’re so incredibly happy for me, honestly, it blows their minds. Some of the DJs they used to rave to are the same people I’m now playing alongside, and being able to bring my parents to shows and introduce them is such a full-circle moment. They think it’s surreal, and they’re unbelievably proud and supportive of everything I do. They absolutely love coming to the shows.
In 2023, your track “Good Love” with Roro Brit went certified Gold in the UK, an incredible achievement that only a few UK dance artists have reached. How does that feel?
It feels incredible. I never set out to make music for the charts. My tracks are quite fast, and I never really thought they fit that typical pop sound. I’ve always made music with the dance floor in mind. So for Good Love to break through and actually reach the charts was a huge moment for me.
It also gave me the freedom to really do what I want creatively. Hitting that milestone showed me that staying true to my sound can still connect on a big scale, which is an amazing feeling.
I was reading the comments on your Creamfields set earlier this year, so many people mentioned how you make modern music sound like the 90s and how grateful they are for that revival. What about that era draws you to it?
Because my parents were ’90s ravers, I grew up surrounded by that sound; it’s really where all my inspiration comes from. The music from that era is so nostalgic for me. I have amazing memories of hearing it throughout my childhood, and later on, my first clubbing experiences were shaped by that same energy. It’s a sound that’s always felt like home.
From an outsider’s perspective, you seem very down-to-earth. Is that a fair assessment? What keeps you grounded?
I’d say that’s fair. I come from a working-class family on a housing estate, and I really did have to work my way up from absolutely nothing. Starting at the bottom and pushing through all the challenges definitely shaped who I am. It’s a constant reminder of where I’ve come from and how far I’ve had to go, and that keeps me grounded. No matter what happens in my career, I still feel like the same person, and I think that’s why I stay humble.
Let’s talk about doof. Why did you want to start the label?
I wanted to start the label because, in the beginning, it was really difficult to get my tracks signed. My sound is inspired by hard house and trance didn’t neatly fit anywhere, and that made it difficult to get tracks signed to labels. So I created doof to be a home for all the sub-genres of hard dance, a place where that kind of music is not only accepted but celebrated.
It gives me the freedom to release what I want, when I want, without having to compromise creatively. But just as importantly, it allows me to support other artists who are in the same position I was. I love giving upcoming talent a platform to grow, championing their music, releasing with them, and bringing them onto shows. It feels good to help build the scene from the inside
You’ve announced the first names for doof in the Park, including legends like Paul van Dyk and Eddie Halliwell. Can you talk about the importance of these names and whether you feel it’s important to introduce them to a new generation?
These are artists I grew up watching a lot. Eddie Halliwell’s technical ability on the decks has always blown me away; he’s a wizard. And I listened to Paul van Dyk’s tunes constantly when I was younger.
Including artists like them on the doof in the Park lineup is really important to me. They’re a big part of the sound that inspired doof in the first place, and I want the younger generation to experience that energy and understand where this music comes from. It feels special to bridge that gap and introduce them to the legends who shaped the scene.
How was the debut doof in the Park? Congratulations on the sold-out edition! And how did it feel to bring something like that home to Dundee?
Thank you! It was genuinely incredible to bring world-class DJs and a festival of that scale to such a small city. Dundee has been screaming out for dance music for years, but there just wasn’t much happening. So being able to deliver something on that level felt really special.
It was amazing for the city in every way, from boosting the local economy to giving upcoming artists a proper platform. Bringing it all home to Dundee made the whole thing even more special.
You’ve also got a strong connection with Ireland, always playing huge shows there. There seems to be a natural bond between you and your Irish fans. Why do you think that is?
I think Irish people and Scottish people are really similar personality-wise. I’ve got loads of Irish mates, and we have the same banter and the same taste in music. So I think that’s a big part of why what I do resonates so well over there. They’re honestly some of my favourite crowds to play to, they’re mental!
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for up-and-coming artists trying to make their way in the industry
All through my journey, there were so many moments where I was told no, and it really set me back. Looking back now, I realise it’s all part of the process, but at the time, it was tough, and there were definitely moments where it was hard to keep going. But those setbacks ended up giving me the drive to push even harder. And when the nos finally turned into yes, it was the most amazing feeling.
So my advice is simple: work hard, keep going and keep pushing.
