Simone Odaranile
Drummer
Drummer Simone Odaranile has had nearly ten years of success in the music industry. Since graduating from BIMM Music Institute Brighton in 2011, Simone has been part of worldwide headline tours in countries across all areas of the globe, such as China, Japan, America, Europe and the UK. She went on two worldwide tours with her band The Go! Team and has also performed at legendary festivals such as Glastonbury, Coachella and Latitude.
“It’s unbelievably fun, but also hard work,” Simone says of touring the world as a member of The Go! Team. “It’s a blend of lack of sleep and long hours, alongside performing some amazing shows and seeing beautiful places you never thought you’d see. I’d highly recommend it!”
Simone has also signed with Rina Sawayama as her touring drummer with her sold-out 2021 tour. And that’s not all she’s got under her belt. Simone also has an Official Top 40 album, radio sessions on the BBC, a world TV commercial with Hyundai and TV performances on shows such as the X Factor, the Michael McIntyre Show, and Jimmy Fallon.
“There are two things I am super proud of,” says Simone. “One is reaching the Official Top 40 Albums Chart with our album SEMICIRCLE. The other would be playing a show at the bottom of Mount Fuji, Japan.”
Her ultimate advice for young musicians today is to simply have fun. “Enjoy it,” she says. “Some of my favourite gigs have been small ones in pubs, but always enjoy playing your instrument. Stay true to yourself – it’s such a competitive industry, and you could fall into the habit of comparing your talents to others. DON’T. You will have what they haven’t got, and it’s your individuality that will shine through in the end and get you hired.”
So, with so much deserved success already, what’s next for Simone? “Recording drums for high-end artists to try and achieve a Grammy,” she says. “I’d like to record for a Grammy-nominated artist, perform at Brixton Academy, and build a drum studio. I aim high! Oh, I also want to record on a Bond theme tune – random I know, but you have to try.”
We have absolutely no doubt that being such a talented and ambitious drummer, Simone will achieve whatever she sets her mind to. We can’t wait to see the results – and play that James Bond theme track at full volume.
Photography credit: Jessica Jones Photography
