Sounds of Success: January 2025
We’d like to take this opportunity to give a massive shout out to all the amazing BIMM students and graduates who are making their names in the music industry.
Our Sounds of Success series is all about highlighting their achievements and hopefully inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. This month, we’ve seen a record deal, award nominations, and even a Bonobo remix!
An unforgettable day at Real World Studios
On 16 December 2024, 30 Music Production students from BIMM Bristol had the exciting opportunity to visit Real World Studios, the renowned recording studio complex founded by Peter Gabriel in the late 1980s. The trip was organised by Jono Gilmurray and facilitated by Marco Migliari from BIMM Manchester.
The group enjoyed a 10-hour day at the studio, which included a full guided tour, a Q&A session with the studio engineers, a demonstration of the studio’s cutting-edge 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos setup, and the chance to record their own songs using the world-class facilities. What an incredible experience!
Abbie Piper’s exciting new record deal
BIMM London graduate Abbie Piper has officially signed a deal with Epic Records, an American record label that is owned by Sony. Check out her announcement on Instagram here.
Abbie studied Songwriting at BIMM, and after two years performing with a 13-piece R&B band, she made the decision to take her solo career to the next level. We wish her the best of luck!
Cat Doran, AKA Chubby Cat, is making waves
Performance graduate Cat Doran, whose artist name is Chubby Cat, is having a sensational couple of years. In October 2024, she won ‘Best Artist’ at Ireland Music Week, having previously been nominated for awards at RTE Choice Music Prize and Northern Ireland Music Prize. Just this month, she was given a wonderful write up in The Irish Times as part of their annual ’50 People to Watch’ series.
Cat delivered some breathtaking performances in 2024, representing Ireland at ESNS Eurosonic in the Netherlands and putting on an incredible show at Irish festival Other Voices. She recently performed on the TV show Fanning at Whelan’s, and you may have also heard her on the radio when she appeared on ATL Introducing back in November.
You’d better watch this space, because Chubby Cat is booked to perform at All Together Now Festival in 2025, which will be headlined by BIMM alumni Fontaines D.C..
Lily Cowdry is officially a Booking Agent
Lily Cowdry, who only graduated from BIMM Brighton in February, has already achieved great things. On a recent Instagram post, she’s listed all her big career moments from 2024, which include working on Miles Kane’s sold-out European tour, supporting festival appearances from Cameron Hayes and The Manatees, and getting promoted from Junior Booking Agent to Booking Agent at 13 Artists. Impressive stuff.
Five BIMM students involved in the promo for A Complete Unknown
The highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet, hit screens on 17 January 2025 – and five BIMM students were right at the heart of the action.
As part of the film’s promo, singer-songwriter Safi Badiane and her guitarist Nikki Czarnobaj, along with sibling trio Neckbreakers (Ebony, Georgie and Max Palmer), were invited to perform at the exclusive release event on 15 January. As guitar brand Gibson is a partner for the film, the event was hosted at The Gibson Garage in London. Guests included press, music influencers, and industry legends.
The students delivered captivating performances, each featuring two songs of their choice – either Dylan classics or tracks from artists of the era such as Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, or Woody Guthrie. A truly unforgettable experience for these rising stars!
Photographer credit: Christopher Ratcliffe / Still Moving
Kanako Yamamoto’s Track Gets the Bonobo Treatment!
Kanako Yamamoto, who studied Music Performance and Songwriting at BIMM London, has had her song ‘Reason’ remixed by acclaimed musician and producer Simon Green, AKA Bonobo. The remix has gained a lot of traction and has been played on BBC 6 Music – check it out here!
We’d like to congratulate all these fantastic students and graduates on their mind-blowing achievements. Keep doing what you’re doing – and keep us posted!
For more inspiring stories about our BIMM community, head to our Alumni and Student Success page. Check back next month for another edition of Sounds of Success, where we’ll share all the exciting things our students and alumni have been up to.
To be featured in ‘Sounds of Success’ or to provide feedback, please contact us at [email protected]. If you would prefer not to be included, let us know.
