A Guy In The Know Reveals The Musicians To Look Out For In 2024
Leon, let’s start with which gigs we should be booking right now?
Dear DialE is doing his first ever show at the Courtyard Theatre next week. There’s also Olivia Dean – she’s blown up massively and is doing three days at Eventim Apollo. Love Remain as well. If you didn’t get on the Fred Again hype train then Love Remain is for you. He’s amazing, I saw him last year. Naomi Sharon is doing dates at the Lower Thirds. Mick Jenkins I also really like and he’s playing at the Village Underground. I’ve been going to gigs for 20 years, so it has to be something that’s really fresh, singular and special to justify leaving my nine-month-old. Joy Orbison, Priya Ragu… the list does go on.
Is there a venue in London you think always has good talent?
Outernet, on Tottenham Court Road. It’s a whole complex that contains two spaces: Here – which is a 1,600-cap room – and Lower Third, which is around 250. It just opened last year, but it’s really brought gig culture back to central London.
Outside of London, where are the best places to discover new artists?
Brighton is the obvious one – we’ve partnered with a few new and exciting venues down there. Chalk is one of them. We’ve also made a lot of inroads up north, particularly in Manchester. We’ve made an investment in venues and promoters up there, like New Century Hall, which is a real hub for new music. We see a lot of amazing acts at 1,000-cap venues – from Yes Basement and Gorilla, and then up to Albert Hall. The infrastructure is there, so it’s a good breeding ground for a lot of interesting talent.
And festivals – which are the best for discovering new music?
The Great Escape in Brighton is a good one for music heads. Industry professionals go there every year – agents, managers, promoters from across the world – it's kind of like a conference. It’s the biggest festival for new music in the UK. In Europe, I recommend Eurosonic in the Netherlands and I’m also a fan of We Out Here, I just saw the line-up this year includes Andre 3000. Cross The Tracks in London also has a great line-up. Finally, Glastonbury is the holy grail. It’s the best festival in the world because it’s got a little bit of everything – it’s a real experience.
Who are some of the most exciting artists you’ve seen recently?
There’s this young artist called Venna. He’s a saxophonist who’s been in Yussef Dayes’ band. He’s produced for everyone from Burna Boy to Wizkid. It’s this saxophone, hip hop, R&B blend that feels new and different. It’s not a new genre per se, but it is incredibly difficult to do well. He’s got two sell-out shows scheduled in March – he’s one to watch.
Also, someone that’s just come on the scene is Naomi Sharon. She’s signed to OVO – Drake’s label – and she’s this Caribbean-Dutch singer. It’s just good music and proves you don’t have to create a whole new genre; she just knows her craft and she’s doing it well.
The last one is a hip hop/drill group coming out of the US called 41. They’re just three young kids, but they’ve built this great following. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to stand out, just honour your craft and your community.
What do you think feels new in the music industry right now?
Something that’s always been there but will become more prevalent is really building up core communities for artists. It works two-fold – in the digital and in the real-world space. Apps like Discord have really changed the game, it helps artists get in contact with those ‘day ones’. It allows artists to talk directly to their fans, which is central to growth and success; they’ll tell you which demos they like, they’ll buy tickets to your events etc. The term ‘super fans’ gets used a lot, but it's just about building a community and watching an artist you like grow and, in turn, the artist watching their fan base grow. In a world of inflated social media numbers and hype, having a loyal fan base is even more important.
Speaking of social media – we have to talk about TikTok. What’s been the impact of it on the music industry?
People always say it's bad, but I don’t want to say it's bad. Social media can be a hugely positive thing, fans can discover great new music and it's a powerful tool for new artists. But I think it has to match authentically with who you are as an artist. Viral-laden platforms, like TikTok, can work but it's not the easy way to succeed that people think it is. I think it was FKA Twigs who was ‘told off’ by her record label for not investing enough time in TikTok. There is pressure around it, to be the next viral thing but because of that you can see a lot of inauthenticity. Fans are wise enough to it, too. You can grow a great community but if you aren’t authentic or native to that platform, then it's just not going to work.
Finally, how do you champion new voices and new perspectives?
It’s massively important for many kinds of cultural nuances, whether it be a genre or who the artist is to move forward. The music industry has typically had issues with that, and we could be talking all day about it. There are great strides being made but there’s a lot to do. In my work, I can give you an example. DialE – who I mentioned earlier – is a young rapper from Newham who’s influenced by drill, alternative R&B and jazz. He’s doing everything himself, building a following, and using the TikTok algorithm in a really smart way. He doesn’t have a team around him. I introduced him to his agent and gave him some management options as well. So that’s where I’ve been able to add value.
Leon's 10 artists to watch:
1. Venna | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Knucks)
2. Love Remain | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Fred again..)
3. Naomi Sharon | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Ojerime)
4. Teddy Swims | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Post Malone)
5. Joe James | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Sainté)
6. Teezo Touchdown | DICE / Spotify (for fans of JPEGMAFIA)
7. Dear dialE | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Louis Culture)
8. Elmiene | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Cleo Sol)
9. Chxrry22 | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Ambré)
10. METTE | DICE / Spotify (for fans of Shygirl)
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