Laing had several folk hits in her native country and in the 1980s became internationally popular for her alternative music, most notably "(Glad I'm) Not a Kennedy" and "Soviet Snow" which was based on the Chernobyl disaster.

[1] Laing first came to prominence in 1972 as a 17-year-old schoolgirl, coming runner-up in the television talent show New Faces with her song "1905".

Her first two singles, "1905" and "Show Your Love" were both certified gold and each peaked at number 4 on the New Zealand charts[citation needed].

In 1975, she relocated to Britain and was based there for the next seven years during which time she released a number of singles and an album, Tied to the Tracks in 1981.

She joined Manfred Mann's Earth Band for two years, working alongside English musician Chris Thompson for the album Somewhere in Afrika.