Raising the Doof: The whirlwind success of Dundee DJ Hannah Laing (2024)

It started out as a side gig playing at local bars and pubs - but now Hannah Laing travels the world as a DJ in demand.

From her first set in the seaside town of Arbroath, Hannah spent years honing her craft alongside her day job as a dental nurse.

Then last year she finally gained mainstream recognition when her track Good Love, reached number 7 in the UK Top 40.

The latest venture for the 29-year-old from Dundee is her own record label, Doof.

“Every single day, I'm just waking up thinking, what is going on?," she says.

Hannah says she never expected that her DJ hobby would turn into a career.

Her record label aims to promote hard dance music - a genre she has always loved.

The Doof name comes from word Hannah uses to describe her signature sound.

“Everyone would ask what kind of music I play, and in Scotland, we say ‘doof’ for banging music, and in Australia, ‘doof’ means ‘party’," she says.

"So when I was launching my label, I thought there’s no better fitting name."

Doof has become well-known across the UK, with some fans even sharing tattoos dedicated to the brand on Instagram.

Hannah says she started the label to provide a platform for up-and-coming artists, giving them an opportunity to have their music heard.

She is actively seeking new music from electronic artists at all levels, from a wide range of hard dance genres.

She says she was motivated by her own struggles when she was starting out.

“Sometimes my tracks didn’t really fit anywhere,” she says.

Hannah began producing music in 2014 but it took many years for her work to gain wider appreciation.

But after her track "Murder On The Dancefloor" was signed by the popular Spinnin' Deep label in 2021, her DJ career started to gain momentum.

The recognition she received allowed her to quit her day job as a dental nurse a year later.

Her newest EP, Into The Doof, has just been released by Polydor and she says it pays homage to "all the different styles I love”.

The EP features six tracks, including collaborations with various DJs, created during an intensive three-day music camp in Glasgow last year.

Hannah's career hasn’t been without its challenges.

After a number of seasons in Ibiza looking for DJ opportunities around the island she met some American promoters who said they wanted to take her on tour to the USA.

“I hadn't made a name for myself or anything, so when they asked me to go to America and DJ, I was like, 'this is amazing'," she says.

"They paid for my flights and accommodation.

“So I went to America by myself, and when I got there, half the gigs didn’t even exist. But I made the most of it and explored America."

Her recent American tour went much better than her first.

“I was surprised at how much people knew about Doof," she says.

“The energy on the dancefloor was unmatched. It’s been a really positive time for me in America.”

This experience reinforced Hannah's determination to never give up.

“Over the years, the amount of knockbacks I've had - and there's been times where I've thought of giving up - but I've just kept pushing on," she says.

“Even now, there are still things I want to do that aren't happening yet for me. But I know from experience that you've got to keep pushing for the things that you want.”

Despite her rise to fame, Hannah, who is still based in Dundee, says she is determined to remain grounded.

“I was speaking to my adviser and he was laughing at how I still get the bus to the airport," she says.

“I told him, ‘Why not? I can get the bus directly to Edinburgh airport.’

“I still feel like a normal person.”

She says connecting with her fans, especially younger audiences, remains a priority.

While she usually plays sets at over-18s clubs and festivals, she has been inundated with requests for under-18s gigs.

She accepted an invitation to DJ in Dundee during the Euros at a fan zone with under-18s in the crowd.

“I know I have a lot of young fans, and I wanted to give them the show they want,” she says.

"Doing an under-18s show felt like the perfect opportunity to give back.”

At her homecoming show at Dundee’s Caird Hall in February - an experience captured on a BBC documentary - she did a meet and greet for her younger fans.

“I literally had like five, six-year-olds there giving me heart bracelets. It was such a positive experience.”