Connor Winyard

Connor Winyard is a music critic, journalist and staff member at Sister Ray records in the West End. Following his graduation from BIMM London (where he studied our Music Marketing, Media & Communication course), Connor has written for Warner’s UK music website, Dig! and continues to develop his own online publication, Decade.

During his time at BIMM, Connor enjoyed the role of editor at the university’s in-house magazine, LDN, where he interviewed the likes of Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway, blues hero Joanne Shaw Taylor and post-punk legend Graham Lewis of Wire. Such highlights across the magazine’s history include a feature on metalcore group Motionless In White, as well as a huge collaborative effort on the ‘Greatest Albums of 2019’ to see the year off, with extensive contributions from all involved in the publication.

Connor now finds himself at Sister Ray in Soho, sometimes regarded as “The Most Visited Record Shop In The World.” There he writes reviews for new album releases, assists with hosting in-store and out-store gigs (PVA, Yard Act and Pete Doherty & Frédéric Lo to name a few) and of course, sells vinyl records and CDs to countless punters arriving from all over the world.

On his time at BIMM, Connor explained:

“There’s something about BIMM that creates a sense of belief; it’s a place where you are encouraged to be yourself and mix with hundreds of wonderful people. I joined after suddenly leaving a completely different industry and it’s easy for me to say it was absolutely the right choice.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of doing so many things because of BIMM. Attending the Louder Than Words festival in Manchester, running LDN Magazine, interviewing some of my favourite musicians – some of whom I still keep in touch with – even obtaining my two current roles. It can be about ‘who you know’, yes, but BIMM provides that level of contact that goes hand-in-hand with perseverance.”

Connor is in the process of redeveloping his website and expanding his freelance opportunities. “A lot of the skills I picked up may not seem immediately applicable, but they are,” he said. “Important aspects like rigorous research, knowledge of music history and ability to work with various cultures all find a way to fit in, be it applying for jobs or looking for new angles in an up and coming publication or business. Fortunately, BIMM had these points in spades. It made my time there a genuine pleasure.”