UK DJ Hannah Wants is due to perform at this year’s Hideout Festival beach party alongside Sonny Fodera on Sunday, June 25. Now in its 11th year, Hideout is a five-stage electro extravaganza held at Zrće beach on Pag island – see our preview here.
Time Out Croatia: You've played some wonderfully random places in your time – your current tour schedule includes Mexico, Grantham and Anchorage. What's the attraction of certain gigs?
Hannah Wants: Different things can attract me to different gigs… it can be because I’ve never played in that country before and I want to experience the scene there or it can be because I’ve been asked to play at a bucket-list club of mine. One of the many blessings about my job is that I get to travel to do what I love to do. I love going to new places, experiencing new cultures and of course, feeling the different vibes of people on dance floors in different countries around the world.
TOC: This won't be your first Hideout Festival. What are your memories of 2014?
HW: Hideout 2014 was one of my favourite ever gigs of my entire career. It was always a dream festival of mine to play as it was one that my mates would go to every year – I just couldn’t go unless I was DJing because the FOMO of not being behind the decks was that real. In 2014, I got my first booking and the stage was so rammed, people were climbing over walls to get in. It was an insane experience and an amazing gig. It’s something I’ll never forget.
TOC: From speed garage to house to... how would you describe your musical journey?
HW: I started DJing speed garage, bassline house, 4x4 and UK garage when I was 17 on a pair of Numark belt drive turntables. Those genres were big in my home town of Birmingham at the time and my sound and style just naturally evolved over the years. I transitioned into house music and I’ll play many of its beautiful sub genres in my sets. You never forget your roots as a DJ, though, and I love a good vinyl session at home when I get the chance. I still drop tracks in my sets now that I used to play a whole load of years ago. What’s the saying? Basslines will live forever!
TOC: Were there any DJs you particularly admired or looked up to when you were starting out?
HW: I get asked this question a lot and the answer is not really. My passion for DJing simply started as soon as I stepped into my first club as an underage raver and saw the way the DJ was in control of the dance floor. In my head, I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a DJ.
That, and I was just obsessed with music. I would sit tune-searching every evening for hours and hours and hours, it was my whole life. I used to buy every Pure Garage album DJ EZ, released so he was definitely an inspiration musically and well, he’s a wizard and an inspiration on the decks too.
TOC: How did you decide on your stage name?
HW: I wish I had a more interesting story but basically I knew I needed a DJ name. I sat on my bed with a dictionary and opened it up at the letter W. I like the letter W, I like the way it looks and sounds, and then I wrote a few words next to Hannah and I was immediately drawn to Hannah Wants. I liked the open-ended meaning of it, as well as the way it looked aesthetically. It was just one of those meant-to-be moments, I guess.
TOC: On your wiki page, is that snippet of information true, that your grandfather used to DJ at parties in the 1940s? How?
HW: It is true! My grandad was one of the first ever DJs in England which is pretty f***ing cool. After the war, he lived in Birmingham and back then, music entertainment was provided by big bands. My grandad figured it’d be easier to use turntables, an amp and a speaker to play music to crowds of people instead. Music definitely runs through the family!
TOC: Did you enjoy watching the Women's Euros last summer?
HW: I watched as much as I could while touring but honestly, I’m just so happy that women’s football is finally getting the recognition and attention it deserves. When I played for England back in the day, I played alongside the likes of Jill Scott, Fara Williams and Carly Telford, and to watch the girls be at the forefront of the radical change of the women’s game over the past decade has been beautiful to watch. It’s amazing that young girls can now grow up wanting to be a professional football player, knowing that it’s fully attainable and it’s only going to keep growing profile-wise.
TOC: What other plans do you have for 2023?
HW: To enjoy and appreciate life is the main goal, the grind is always mega-real and appreciating each day and the present moment can sometimes get lost in the whirlwind. Finding the right work/life balance is always a work in progress. I just keep living life, touring and DJing to as many people as possible around the world and releasing music that I genuinely back and believe in. My next single called The One drops on March 31 and it’s the perfect vocal house follow up record to Cure My Desire, in my opinion. You can also expect to hear some more underground house music later on in the year!
Hannah Wants at the Hideout Festival, June 25. See here for tickets and information.