FROM humble beginnings releasing songs on SoundCloud from his bedroom to performing at Coachella, touring with Canadian music producer Kaytranada and collaborating with viral superstar PinkPantheress, it has been a wild ride for Scottish DJ-producer Sam Gellaitry – and he’s just getting started.
Growing up in Scotland, the idea of making it as a DJ and producer always felt like a “pipe dream” for a young Gellaitry as there wasn’t always a clear roadmap to success.
However, he turned his dreams into reality by worked tirelessly from the age of 10, experimenting with beats and hoping to make a name for himself and get his music heard.
Gellaitry said: “I used to post my music on Myspace when I started. I remember uploading the first track I ever made on to there, and sending it to my main inspirations at the time and significant Radio 1 dance DJs, in hopes I’d get a spin.
“Being so young and from Scotland was always going to make my hopes of making it feel like something of a pipe dream but the Scottish dance artists who had emerged before and during the wait always gave me hope – Calvin Harris was the biggest thing in dance music at that time.”
Gellaitry was signed by XL Recordings at the age of 17. He went on to tour the world and have his music heard by millions. At the time of his big breakthrough, he was living in Stirling. “I was there from the age of 17 to 25 and it definitely helped so much in terms of having balance from touring and the intensity of that,” he said.
“I really love the natural elements of Stirling as you could be up in the hills in a matter of minutes if need be. I have so many close friends and my family is still there, so I visit as often as I can.”
The musical landscape was already beginning to alter when Gellaitry was starting out in the industry but he says the music scene for DJs and producers in Scotland has “changed massively” in recent years as streaming platforms have become “the dominant force” and TikTok and Instagram are “the main platforms of discovery” rather than SoundCloud and YouTube.
Gellaitry said: “I’m so delighted I was a part of the SoundCloud golden era. Most producers who were involved in that will always reminisce on how liberating it was to make a song and upload it on the same day to an audience of open-minded people. It was a beautiful subculture to be a part of. You could be anyone and from anywhere and all people would care about was if you made something special. Nowadays, there is a big visual component and it’s a lot about being able to show that you can make something.”
After the viral success of his 2021 Assumptions, Gellaitry returns with his latest single START A RUMOUR. It reflects on the challenges of growing in a relationship and sees the DJ-producer return to his musical roots.
“When I first started experimenting with making music, when I was 10, I used to scour through YouTube looking for rare disco samples in attempts to sound like Daft Punk,” Gellaitry said.
“Nowadays, I’m trying to recreate those same sonics from scratch, as well as implementing the new tastes I’ve developed since then.
“The main challenge for me – and has been the case for a while – is sitting down and finishing an idea. I’d say I’m addicted to creating new ideas rather than finishing the ones that already exist.”
Assumptions has had 85 million streams on Spotify alone and broke into TikTok’s Viral Top 50 chart. It also caught the attention of one of the biggest names in dance music, Kaytranada, who remixed the track in 2023. The Canadian also enlisted Gellaitry as support for his huge Timeless tour across the US in 2024, during which they performed in some of its biggest venues.
“Kaytranada is a gem and the king of SoundCloud in my opinion,” Gellaitry said. “He is proof of what’s possible and everyone who was part of the SoundCloud golden era would put him in the highest regard. I’m massively proud of the heights he has achieved and always delighted to share a stage with him.
“I must be high up in the rankings of who has seen the most Kaytranada DJ sets but they never get old. His team are also amazing people and it was great to see everyone work so effectively to put on such an amazing show. The light show and overall experience from the last tour I was on with him were incredible.
“I keep telling them to do a stop in Scotland, so here’s hoping that happens soon.”
Gellaitry also collaborated with another powerhouse of the dance music scene, PinkPantheress, on the Boy’s A Liar hitmaker’s 2022 single Picture In My Mind.
He said: “A friend in LA sent me her music on SoundCloud when she must have had 12k plays and I knew it was important. Her name kept coming up and she signed to my label so our paths crossed.
“We actually made both tracks, Picture In My Mind and Blue, in Stirling. Pink P is another one I’m immensely proud of, seeing the heights she has reached. I’ll always laugh about when we bought her CD in HMV in Stirling and the cashier had no idea [it was her].”
Gellaitry hopes to carry on the momentum into 2026 and beyond as he prepares to release his next album. He said: “My album is finished and I have a few tours to wrap up the rest of 2025 with.
“It’s been a long process finishing this project but now it’s done, I’m extremely excited to release it and share it with everyone.”
