Good Days Are Ahead For Jackie Hollander

DJs get anxious, too — just ask Jackie Hollander.

It’s only been a few years since the 25-year-old Bay Area native was drowning in schoolwork and anxiety at the University of Southern California, but when the stress didn’t go away after graduation, she knew it was time for a change. Fast-forward to today: Hollander, now proudly on medication, is doing better than ever, and so is her career, having brought her vibey electronic stylings to Burning Man, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, Beyond Wonderland, Crssd Fest, and NYLON’s New York Fashion Week party all within the last year. Needless to say, she’s come a long way since college.

“There’s a lot of anxiety in the industry no one really talks about, so I went on meds and really dealt with that,” Hollander tells NYLON. “For me, touring, drinking, being hungover on the plane, getting up, doing all these crazy things that usually make people really anxious, it feels so good to just feel good in my body and be able to do these hard things. I don’t take a good day for granted.”

If good days are the goal, then it’s safe to assume 2026 will be a landmark year for Hollander’s happiness. On Jan. 17, the DJ will embark on her first headlining tour, making stops at all of her “dream venues,” including Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles, Brooklyn’s Superior Ingredients, Audio San Francisco, and more. On top of that, she was just named one of Spotify’s Artists to Watch in 2026, an achievement she called “one of the things I am most proud of so far in my career” on Instagram. Before she hits the road, we caught up with Hollander to chat about the career moments that lead to this milestone, from her very first show to the wildest gig she’s ever played.

Do you remember your first set? What was it like?

It was [at] a fraternity. They would always have their frat bros play, and their resident DJ broke his arm. I was there for some reason, just hanging out, and my boyfriend at the time was like, “Have Jackie do it tonight.” I had never used CDJs, which are the really intense equipment that we use, and I literally was just in the frat practicing for three hours before, with all the boys watching and helping me. It was like 500 [people]... It was crazy. It was a good first show.

How would you describe your sets?

I love to play. I think a lot of DJs shy away from emotional moments or moments that have you get out of the trance. I know people like to have one mood throughout the whole set; I’ve always found that to be really boring. The moments I remember from sets are when they make me feel something. Either a break in the song or even just something cool that transcends the set. Those are always my favorite moments. Other DJs are like, “You need to keep the energy up,” but I don’t really listen. I think what makes my sets different and why I love them is I include a lot of those moments and then have a good range of energy as well.

Is there a moment that you can point to in your career where you really felt like you made it as a DJ?

I’m headlining Sound Nightclub in L.A. in January. That was the club I would go to all the time in college. It’s very difficult to get a headline. It’s a big venue in L.A., so when I got that news... even today, I saw the flyer, and it’s so surreal. I don’t really stop and think a lot, but for some reason today, I was just like, “Whoa, this is so exciting.”

What’s the wildest gig you’ve ever played?

Burning Man. I DJ their party for them in Tahoe. It’s literally all these parents, and it’s their favorite day of the year. This year, I played Space Miami and then stayed up all night and flew to Tahoe. The change of going from Space [Miami] to this party... They’re all in their Burning Man coats, so excited, leaving their kids at home. It makes me so happy to just make people happy.

Is there a song you can always rely on to get the crowd super hyped?

My song “All My Friends Are Hot.” Always. People go crazy to that song. There’s this other song — I go on very niche SoundCloud digs to find songs. This producer, Dave Ross, remixed that [with] a rap edit. It’s called... I can’t swear, but it’s a swear word. And it’s amazing. It always gets them all going.

How else do you find these songs that you incorporate into your sets?

I listen to this playlist called Fresh Finds Dance on Spotify, and then All New Dance on shuffle. I go on my morning walk and I don’t look at who the artist is. I’ve found such cool songs that way.

You were in New York for Fashion Week this year, where you played the NYLON Nights party. What was that experience like?

It was so fun to do a different kind of show. The funniest moment was [when] A Boogie Wit da Hoodie came on and was dancing with me. Usually when people do that, we kick them off or control the situation. He came on, and [my tour manager was] like, “Should I kick him off? What’s happening?” And they were like, “No, that’s literally A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. Don’t kick him off.” But it was so much fun, and I love Sofi Tukker. Both of them are so nice. It was like family.

What is your perfect night out?

Whenever I have a show, I love getting a really good dinner before with all my friends. Just getting really good food, having wine, probably going to a nice bar after, that’s always what I do. And then either [playing] or going to a show with all my besties.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.