BIMM up and coming: December artists to watch out for
With so many incredibly talented artists and music professionals at BIMM Institute, it can sometimes be hard to keep track of them all. Last month, we highlighted the ten artists to watch out for. So here’s our next round of artists and bands who are on impressive trajectories within their scenes, sounds and cities.
Mimi Webb
With only four singles out, BIMM Institute Brighton alumni Mimi Webb has done amazingly well in her career so far. Her debut single, ‘Before I Go’, was used by one of the biggest TikTok influencers on the planet, Charli D’Amelio, who shared the song with her 111.3 million followers. Since then, Mimi has signed with Epic Records, gathered an immense 85 million Spotify streams, radio play worldwide, and most recently, a top 10 chart position in the UK Singles Chart.
Mimi also performed her latest single on The Ellen Show with a full live band that included BIMM Institute London Guitar graduate Isabel Torres.
Toshín
Founded by BIMM Institute Dublin graduate Toshín Bankole in 2016, Toshín have evolved into a vibrant six-piece taking influence from early Motown and modern soul/RnB. Toshín have played some fantastic shows and festivals, including Electric Picnic and Music Makers Festival in 2019, and Ireland Music Week in 2020. Lead singer Toshín, based in Dundalk, recently appeared on The Late, Late Show as part of a tribute to Freddy Mercury.
96 Back
96 Back, one of our amazing Music Production students from BIMM Institute Manchester, has received a coveted DJ Mag nomination as Best Breakthrough Producer. Having already received DJ Mag’s album of the month for November 2021, we reckon that 96 Back (Evan) has a good chance at winning the category.
It’s surprising that Evan, originally from Sheffield, didn’t plan on becoming a music artist or listen to much dance music growing up. He has already achieved so much during his relatively short time as a producer. Evan’s worked with Special Request, played a Boiler Room set, and put on a successful club night at Wire in Leeds.
KEIR
KEIR’s honest and ambitious musical style and lyricism tackle personal relationships, sadness, grief, and loss. Their third release of 2021, ‘Boys Will Be Girls’, is an anthem for a new age that challenges gender identity whilst demolishing stereotypes with a mantra of freedom and fulfilment.
KEIR is set for greatness with over 150,000 monthly listeners, label backing from Vertigo Records, and radio support on BBC Introducing. We can’t say we’re surprised.
Abbie Ozard
Abbie Ozard, a BIMM Institute Manchester alumna, has signed with Liverpool-based label Modern Sky, leading to a hot streak of releases. Acclaim has built across all fronts – Jack Saunders and Huw Stephens have consistently backed her tunes across BBC Radio 1, with Abbie McCarthy and Chris Hawkins offering spins at BBC 6 Music.
Abbie’s growing catalogue has already had over 1.5 million streams, including solid support in Spotify’s flagship Indie playlists. Her take on indie-rock is littered with gritter sections and humour creating a lane of her own.
Celine Love
Celine Love originally studied with us at BIMM Institute Berlin before moving to our London college. She blends her soulful vocals and poignant lyrics to create an infectious brand of folk and soul music.
Celine’s music is poignant and inspiring as she reminisces on childhood memories and innocence before becoming aware of the darker elements of life. We’re excited to see where she can take it.
Luke Royalty
BIMM Institute Manchester student Luke Royalty is a singer-songwriter originally from Darlington in the North East of England. After finding music as an outlet in his late teens, Luke became obsessed with the art of songwriting.
Taking influence from hip hop superstar Mac Miller and Amy Winehouse, Luke’s sound is a genre blend of pop, hip hop and soul. His first single, ‘I Could Get Used To This,’ was supported by Jack Saunders on Radio 1, and his second single, ‘I Do’, was made BBC Music Introducing track of the week. He’s also heading on tour with the fabulous Jake Bugg next year. Get your tickets now!
Phoebe Green
BIMM Institute Manchester alumnus Phoebe Green creates darkly witty and very danceable indie rock tunes about the cringe-worthy and often cold behaviour at play in contemporary relationships. Phoebe’s label, Chess Club Records, released I Can’t Cry For You, an EP of four new songs. Now, Phoebe boasts an impressive 142,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
THUMPER
BIMM Institute Dublin alumni THUMPER gave it their all in 2020 with performances throughout Europe and the UK. They’ve received radio play from the likes of BBC 6 Music, Kerrang!, and RadioX in the UK and support from RTÉ and others at home in Ireland. They were also added to several Spotify and Google Play Music playlists, and made the cover of Spotify’s The Punk List.
THUMPER have also just announced a massive European Tour for February and March 2022, supporting their debut album.
LibraLibra
BIMM Institute Brighton graduates LibraLibra are proud to blur the lines between art-pop and punk with explosive videos and aesthetics to match. Their live performances are also an experience, whether you catch them at a house party, supporting psychic TV at Heaven, or headlining the Brighton Dome. Their debut EP was championed by Melita Dennett from BBC Music Introducing: The South and received praise from BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music.
They’ve also just been announced for The National Lottery’s Revive Live Tour alongside Becky Hill, Enter Shikari and Kojey Radical, to name a few.
Wow! What a list. You can check out more successes from our outstanding students here.
