Hannah Wants isn’t missing much. Originally from The Midlands, she’s now one of the brightest stars in the global electronic scene with a loyal fan base – not to mention a super-busy DJ diary – that continues to develop and flourish on a worldwide scale. A quick look back at the endless summer of 2018 saw a scorching European season that took in everything from Amnesia in Ibiza to Reading and Leeds Festival, where she headlined the BBC Radio 1 Dance Arena for the very first time. “I played my final gig of the 2018 Ibiza season mid September,” says Hannah with a smile. “It’s been another special summer. It’s crazy and humbling to see my face and name on billboards and posters and it’s nice to be reminded of where I started and the journey I’ve been on.”
Born Hannah Alicia Smith on the 19th of June, this super-focused house DJ and former professional football player first cut her teeth on the white isle during her first season in Ibiza back in 2010. In truth, she hasn’t looked back since, winning Mixmag’s Best Breakthrough DJ Award in 2014, Best DJ at the Bass Music Awards in 2015 and an iconic Mixmag cover in 2015 that ended up being the best-selling issue of the entire year, not to mention an Essential Mix the same year as the icing on the proverbial cake. Hannah has quickly risen to the top tier of electronic music, with a slew of tracks signed to the likes of Food, Dirtybird, Toolroom and Virgin, a chart-chomping smash in ‘Rhymes’ and a Radio 1 residency; in 2017 she won the Best DJ Award at the DJ Magazine Best of British Awards, and in May 2018, she stood in for Danny Howard on BBC Radio 1, before launching a new label, a new tour and a brand new concept.
But more of that shortly, because her days of signing music to other people’s imprints, not to mention the issue of being pigeon-holed in a particular box, will soon be over. In case you didn’t get the memo, Hannah’s new homegrown imprint Etiquette has now been launched. The label has now launched with Hannah’s own cuts ‘Bamboozle’, ‘Close To You’ and You Keep Comin’.
Hannah also has a brand new single incoming on the infamous Mad Decent imprint early in 2019: it’s called ‘When I Think Of You’ and is her debut release for Diplo’s longstanding dance label. 2018, meanwhile, has seen Hannah Wants play further afield than ever; memorable events would surely include playing in Australia and New Zealand, and at more events than ever in The United States. She particularly enjoyed playing at Coachella, but the highlights were multitude and many, including playing to her biggest crowd to date at EDC in Las Vegas: as ever, the energy was unreal and the fans insatiable. But when it comes to UK clubs, Hannah’s path in clubland appearances have been both varied and multitude; Hannah’s’ DJ career has seen her play key slots at Glastonbury, Parklife, SW4, Tomorrowland, Mysteryland and at high profile shows in Dubai, Russia and South Africa. But what next for Hannah Wants? “My career in a production sense is just getting started and I’m excited to see what the future holds,” she attests. “From playing in pubs on karaoke equipment to no one to selling out tours and DJing to thousands, I look at the past decade fondly and with nothing but appreciation for what I’ve seen. I’ve learned a lot, I love my job and I love my life and I look forward to seeing where the next decade takes me!”
