Hannah Laing on helping others experience benefits of music she did

When DJ Hannah Laing gets on stage, she’s more than happy to let the music do the talking.

So much so, she reckons the huge dance festival she’s bringing to her home town of Dundee next year might be the first time she braves going on the mic for a chat.

It’s the connection through music that’s built her up into one of dance music’s fastest rising stars in an incredible couple of years which has brought a UK top 10 single, festival appearances around the world and more than three million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Through work she’s done with a therapist via her label, she’s also been able to see how vital music has been for her mental wellbeing, and now hopes to provide a similar safe haven for many others.

Turn The Tables

Hannah has joined forces with Turn The Tables, founded by fellow DJ Robbie Tolson, to launch doof Studios, a brand new space that will bring a range of opportunities to budding musicians in Dundee and beyond.

“With my therapist we went back in time and from when I was about 15 years old I was going clubbing every weekend,” she said. “We worked out that was my escape and what I loved to do. That transformed into DJing. So even from way back then it’s always something I’ve used to escape reality.

“No matter what you’ve got going on, as soon as you step on that stage, everything else disappears. It really shows the impact and the power music can have. It really allows you to express yourself in that moment.

“When I’m writing music, sometimes I’m in eight-hour sessions and you don’t even know where the time goes. No matter how tired I am from touring or whatever, once I get in that studio, it makes me feel great.

“You’re really stimulated, you’re creating and you feel good for what you’re doing.

“This can definitely have an impact on these people coming in from Dundee or wherever to use the studio.”

The project

Located in the Change Centre in Dundee, owned and managed by Street Soccer Scotland, the studio will offer group workshops, mentorship and free access for practising to all ages.

Influenced by how music had helped him after he lost a friend to suicide, Robbie formed Turn The Tables after finding success running DJ workshops with homelessness charity Social Bite.

“When I started out in 2018, DJing and mental health did not go in the same sentence positively,” he said. “Especially as it was when (Swedish DJ) Avicii took his own life.

“At the same time, I was going through my own recovery from my friend who’d died. I’d go into some gigs and leave with a beaming smile.

“It was a big eye opener when I was able to share this with other people and I could see how it could benefit them.

“Everybody we work with faces financial or inclusion barriers and we use DJing and music as a hook for people that normally wouldn’t either get the chance or engage in any kind of services.

“It’s a fun activity and, like learning anything, people really build their confidence and transferable skills.”

Turn The Tables’ Robbie Tolson, Arbroath DJ Van Damn, Hannah Laing and players from Street Soccer Scotland at a workshop run by doof Studios.

Being able to bring Hannah on board, a homegrown dance music superstar, elevated the Dundee branch of the project to the next level.

“I really wanted to get involved, because it’s where I’m from,” she said.

“Growing up I was DJing in Dundee every weekend, and all the people supported me loads. It was really the foundation for building up my following. So it’s great to give back.

“I really wish I’d had a studio like that when I was learning.”

Community

Thinking of dance music may draw images of a hardcore party lifestyle, but the space will cater for all experiences.

“It’s all about the community,” Robbie said. “The first people I ever worked with in the homeless shelter were all of a certain age and loved the fact I had all these vinyls.

“It was 1990s, early 2000s dance music. They were able to connect with it because it’s music from their youth, but then also music they never heard as well.

“They just love listening to new tunes and having a laugh with people and it’s a weekly routine, which is massive for a lot of people.”

The project comes at a perfect time where Dundee is truly embracing live music, hosting BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival in 2023 and bumper shows at the Caird Hall by Hannah earlier this year.

She’s sold out her July 2025 event called doof In The Park with more than 15,000 tickets.

“I feel so good I can bring something dance-related like that to Dundee,” she said.

“Everything is going to be kept local, from food to bars to security, and giving all the local DJs a slot. It’s really cool.”

For Turn The Tables, 2025 looks set to bring new opportunities across the pond thanks to Robbie being named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Europe last year.

“We are going to America, which is very exciting,” he said. “A few doors have opened, so we’re going to be doing a pilot next year.

“We hope to be able to potentially take somebody who’s going to be involved in the studio in Dundee. My biggest ambition is trying to get life-changing experiences for people we work with.

“It could be playing for a major corporate client, or it could be a music festival opening for Hannah one day.”

Rising up: From support act to headliner

Hannah playing a festival show to a huge crowd.

The past couple of years have seen an incredible rise for Hannah Laing.

Her single, Good Love, featuring RoRo, spent 26 weeks in the UK charts in summer 2023, peaking at No 7, and she’s performed at festivals such as TRNSMT and Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Dundee.

“I’ve always felt a bit nervous when I’m DJing,” she admits. “In the last two years when I went from support act where all eyes weren’t really on me, to headlining shows and people buying tickets to see me, there was a kind of switch and pressure and I really did feel it.

“No-one can really prepare you for that. I’ve had to put things in place to cope with it.

“This lifestyle can really consume you. Initially I was partying all the time to try to deal with all the pressure, but in the last year I’ve definitely really got on top of that and I’m doing more wholesome activities rather than drinking!”

Many attending the new studios will be there for fun, but Hannah’s success proves there’s a pathway to a career in music, even if they don’t reach the heights of playing to huge festival crowds around the world.

The 30-year-old, who left her dental nursing job in 2022 to go full time as a DJ, said: “It’ll be really cool to see what actually comes from the studio and the benefits it’ll have.

“I get a lot of messages from girls saying that they’re inspired to start and asking what decks they should they get. My music has connected a lot with the younger generation, which is so cool to see.”