Andy Duguid: “I produced this track from a concert performance perspective rather than a club DJ perspective”

From spinning at underground parties in the early '90s to headlining global festivals, Andy Duguid has always carried a sense of quiet mystery. From a small farmhouse in rural Scotland to being named ‘Tiësto’s Producer of the Year’, his rise was as unexpected as it was meteoric. His breakthrough single “Hypocrisy” exploded in 2006, championed by Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and Paul van Dyk.

What followed were tracks that shaped a generation: “Don’t Belong” and “Wasted,” timeless pieces that still give listeners chills. But beneath that success, Andy was quietly fighting a battle that so many creatives know all too well: perfectionism and self-doubt. Years later, after discovering he’d been living with imposter syndrome, he finally learned to let go.

Now, after a few years of reflection, Andy returns, not chasing relevance, but chasing truth. His new music, including “Broken” and “You and I” (with Chelsea Holland), feels deeply human: cinematic, emotional, and unapologetically real. And with his upcoming album, he’s ready to tell his story like never before - one rooted in honesty, rediscovery, and pure love for the music that started it all.

“Hypocrisy” was your big break in 2006, with Tiësto, Armin, and Paul van Dyk all hammering it, and Tiësto even calling you his Producer of the Year. How did it feel getting that kind of recognition, and what do you remember most about that whirlwind - the excitement, the pressure, or something else?
It was a whirlwind for sure. In fact, it was a dream come true. When I heard that Tiesto, Armin, etc. were playing my music and I had offered to sign Hypocrisy, my first question was “Who is Tiesto?” And that wasn’t in a disrespectful way, it just showed them how far removed I was from the scene. I didn’t follow the scene, I just loved making electronic music. So it was almost an overnight history lesson in actually how big the scene was. Coming from a small farmhouse in the back end of Scotland removes you from it unless you go looking. Seeing how popular Tiesto, Armin, A&B, etc. were gave me a real sense of excitement that I could be a part of it.

“Don’t Belong” still gives people chills and remains one of the most-played In Search of Sunrise tracks. What emotion or moment were you trying to capture when you made it?
In all honesty, I didn’t like it when I first made it. I wanted to deliver something for Tiesto for ISOS and this is the vibe I went with. The first edit wasn’t the greatest production-wise so my long-time friend, Chris Lake helped me with it, and whilst there his partner at the time and now wife, Gita sang over it and it turned into what it did.

If you could revisit some of your classic projects today, is there anything you’d tweak or reinterpret?
Yeah, so many of them. I don’t actually listen back to most of them as I am disappointed. I feel that I almost wanted to give something in my music but wasn’t brave enough to bring certain sounds to the forefront. So some tracks I listen back to now and think, “Man, I should have changed those levels, found a better snare etc”. But that is my imposter syndrome talking.

Looking back on all the remixes, aliases, and late-night sessions, what’s one lesson music has taught you that life never could?
My biggest lesson, and one I only recently found out about, is that I just need to learn how to let go. I would spend 12 hours per day in the studio all year to release 2 singles per year. When my biggest hits were made in a couple of hours because of deadlines, for years I thought I had writer's block and it was killing me. So I took a few years off. Didn’t touch music for all that time. It was during this time that I tried to understand what was holding me back, when I heard about something called ‘Imposter Syndrome’. It’s basically a condition where you doubt your self-worth and you feel like a fraud. I have all the indicators for this. So, I decided to just let it go. Trust my label and what music to put out. And since I have never been so creative, I wanted to return with a full album to put trust back in me for my label and my fans. And I feel my writing now is better than it ever has been.

Your music has always been rich with emotion and melody. How would you describe your approach to production these days and do you still have any studio habits or rituals that have stuck with you since day one?
I wouldn’t say I have any habits that are intentional, but absolutely I feel my sound is unmistakable. I love the emotions of music. How it makes you feel. If you listen to a song without context, you may not like it. But listen to it with context and a backstory and it will stay with you forever. So, lots of my music, especially on my new album, comes from a backstory of some sort.

You’ve seen Trance evolve in so many phases. What do you think the early 2000s scene got right that today’s world could learn from? And on the flip side, what’s most exciting to you about where it’s heading now?
I think it's difficult to compare. Back in the late 90’s / early 2000’s was when Trance became a global powerhouse. Every new synth sound / beat was fresh for the listener. 30 years on, it’s hard to emulate the same feeling from the sounds you’ve been listening to for the past 30 years. So, producers nowadays have to work so hard to keep it fresh. I listen to some DJs, and big ones at that, and I can’t tell when one trance song has ended and the other one has begun in their mixes. A credit to their mixing skills, yes, but an indication that there’s so much formulaic trance music out there. They simply finish the production of one trance track and start again on another with the exact same template. Come on!!!! Be creative. So back to your original question. What can producers learn from the early 2000’s? To be creative.

“Broken” just dropped a month ago and fans are loving it! And now you’ve followed it up with another progressive gem, “You and I.” Should we call this your Big Comeback?
I don’t really call it a comeback, as I never really left. I just never bought into releasing music just to stay relevant. I want to release music that feels right at the time. I’m a record label's nightmare! But one thing I am conscious of, is that it still feels like there is room for me in the scene, and people seemingly want to listen. So, I owe it to the fans of my music to deliver more consistently and that’s a promise I will keep. If that brings me to the big stage, great! If not, I will still be happy at home making my music for them.

How did your collab with Chelsea Holland come together, and what can you tell us about the story or vibe behind “You and I”?
So, the vocal was recorded about 5 years prior when I was a bit lost with my sound. I was toying with music with an artist called Zachary Zamarripa from the States. A massively under-appreciated artist by the way. Either way, that never came to fruition for one reason or another. But this vocal has sat for years. I made ‘You and I’ as an instrumental initially and I was rummaging through old hard drives and came across this vocal that Chelsea wrote. I layered it over, pitched it up and was like "WOW! This works!" So, I contacted Chelsea again and said I have your vocals but I wanna f##k it up a bit. But that’s why I like working with Chelsea as she’s not egotistical in that sense. She listens to the music and if pitching her vocals up works for the track, she’s all for it. I did something similar with our track ‘The Forest’. I produced this track from a concert performance perspective rather than a club DJ perspective, since it will not work in clubs. I’m fully aware of that. But sit me down with a piano, an orchestra, and Chelsea on the vocals and this track will shine as it’s meant to be performed that way.

You have played all over the world. Is there one gig, one crowd reaction that instantly reminds you why you do this?
Just last year. I was constantly asked by a friend of mine to play at one of his mates' events down in Edinburgh and I would always decline. But one day, I agreed. So, me and my friends jumped into the car and went down to Edinburgh. It was a small event, an intimate crowd of around 30 people maybe. But I remember watching them and they were there all day for the love of music. I had people come up with my albums asking me to sign them again. It was that realisation that the music I made was part of a scene that some people live for. Seeing their passion really inspired me back. The events are called “It’s never too late" and run by a DJ called Kev Myles. I promised them that my first single back would be called ‘It’s never too late', which I shouldn’t have promised really because that’s the label's decision. 😊 But I kept my promise that I would make a track for them called ‘It’s never too late’ and it will be out soon and as part of the album. On a side note, they recorded my set and sent it to me. Wow, shocking! And right now is the reason I won’t drink a bottle of Jack before performing again.

What chapter would your next project or album open with to tell the story of who Andy Duguid is today?
As mentioned above, I'll my story in a therapy session type single that will be a part of the album called ‘It’s never too late’ and that’s who I am today. Back to where I belong!