“I’ve been wanting to DJ since I was like 18, and it just never really happened for me”, Amelia recalls. Reflecting on her first experience at a DJ society social, she shares, “I walk in, and it’s a room full of lads and I was like oh my god… genuinely I was so scared”. Having started Newcastle University during the peak of COVID-19, DJSoc events were her only real avenue to get involved – a space that unfortunately was overwhelmingly male-dominated. Despite this, Amelia says that “it made [her] more motivated.” For her, the goal was never to better her own career but to inspire greater representation in the scene. “It was never a personal gain thing. It was more just like let’s get more female DJs and marginalised genders involved. I think there’s always more that can be done.”
Reminiscing about her first time on the decks, she laughs. “It looked like a spaceship. I had no idea what I was doing”. Determined to learn, Amelia invested in her own equipment from eBay and taught herself the basics via YouTube tutorials. “I started doing house gigs and garage gigs at the start to kind of get my foot in the door”. Her career gained momentum after being picked up by ROOD! record label – which she now manages – and securing a regular spot at Newcastle’s very own World Headquarters. The DJ describes how her career “snowballed”. She acknowledges, “I’m very grateful for my progression, because obviously there was a lack of both DnB and female DJs”.
When asked about the role of male-run events and promoters in increasing diversity, Amelia admits that she had to engage in “a lot of uncomfortable, difficult conversations” with promoters to push for more women on line-ups in the North East. While progress is being made, the pace of change remains slow. Amelia is actively creating opportunities herself, running weekly two-hour sessions alongside fellow DJ Ellie Suddick (Sudik). “For women, marginalised genders, non-binary, you know, all the good stuff” Amelia says, “we kind of get them from zero to 100 basically.” Additionally, she highlights L.A.D.S (Ladies and Decks), a well-regarded initiative at Cobalt Studios, saying “they’re absolutely amazing.”
For those looking to discover new DJs in 2025, Amelia shared her top recommendations for ones to watch. “All of the ROOD! girls: Layla Lu, Missy, Titch, Neenzy,” she lists, before praising Melba: “Her mixing and productions are just crazy.” She also gives special mention to rising talent Molly Sinnott, noting, “her sets are really cool.”
With some transcendental spinning under her belt and a mission to level the playing field, Amelia Leigh is not just shaping the future of DJing in Newcastle – she is redefining it.