If you’re an up-and-coming artist, Jodie Bryant is a name I’m sure you’ll be familiar with. If you’ve not yet had the pleasure of coming across Jodie, she is an industrious presenter and taste-maker with a passion for championing new talent, and a devotion to giving independent artists a platform to shine.
Having started out in radio, Jodie discovered she had a knack for unearthing undiscovered talent; some of her first ever tips included the likes of Arlo Parks, Griff, and Dylan. She has continued to grow as a presenter, not only through covering shows on prominent stations such as BBC Introducing and Radio 1, but also through her monthly Discover Live nights, of which she is the founder and creator. This gig-night has taken many forms, and has slowly but surely increased in size since its conception at the beginning of 2022.
On the 2nd of October, I made my way to Islington to attend Jodie’s first night at The Grace. With Essence Martins kicking off the evening and Beren Olivia headlining, I knew we’d be in for a treat, and I was not disappointed! vi0let and BLVCK VIØLET, both of whom I was able to sneak a chat with, rounded out the bill to make it a stellar show.
Before the music began, I got the chance to sit down with Jodie.
Olivia: You are a powerhouse for advocating for smaller and independent artists – what motivates and inspires you to share and support undiscovered talent, and what were your initial thoughts behind starting these nights?
Jodie: Greatly worded question – thank you so much, that’s very nice! I first thought of the nights and wanted to do them because of COVID – I know, we don’t like to mention COVID, but I got furloughed when it happened, so I had time, which I don’t normally get a lot of! I started a series called Lockdown Life where I interviewed artists on Instagram live, and we were just chatting about the songs that were getting them through lockdown and I made this big playlist. It was really good fun. I got some really good artists on there, like Arlo Parks and Lauren Hibberd – it was really cool! And then I just came to the realisation that loads of artists were struggling in the live sector, especially after COVID, so once [the pandemic] ended I thought, ‘right, I want to take this presenting thing seriously. Loads of artists haven’t got an opportunity to do live events anymore – especially the smaller ones. What can I do that makes me a better presenter but also gives artists an opportunity?’ The first events were quite bad [laughs]. A lot of learning, but it’s great to see how it’s grown.
O: The music industry’s landscape is becoming increasingly precarious and unpredictable – why do you think Discover Live is important for artists trying to break through?
J: You’re very right there – it’s a struggle for so many artists. I think nights like this are just so important because you really get to see real artists, real music. It’s become such a platform and artists want to show off their skills, and I make sure that there are A&Rs, publicists – all those industry people who you think, ‘do they only care about TikTok numbers?’ Some of them, yes, but the ones that come here, you know, they are looking for talent and sometimes they like what they see. A booking agent came down to Discover Live in May and saw Catty, and then a few weeks later Catty got booked as Stevie Nicks’ support, which is just crazy! It made me so happy to see that happen.
O: Your Discover Live nights are always sold out and bustling with artists and music-lovers alike, and has grown so much that you have recently progressed from Star of Kings to The Grace. Do you have any grand plans for the future of Discover Live, whether that’s bucket list venues or even hosting your own festival?
J: Yes, I’m really happy about The Grace because it’s just like a proper gig venue! Like, they’re having their soundchecks now and for once I’m not having a heart attack which is lovely! [Laughs]. But yeah, I would love to take it on tour and do other ones around the country. Or like I’ve even got a lot of TikTok followers in America and they’re always like ‘come to America’, and that would be a crazy dream to take it somewhere like a little bar in New York. Festival-wise, I’d love to curate a stage – I think we could easily do that with the amount of artists and talent I want to give the opportunity to.
O: As you are the queen of championing new music, who do you think is set to have a really exciting 2025?
J: Oh my god, that’s such a hard question! Well, I think Essence Martins, who is on the lineup tonight, is going to have a really exciting 2025. I only discovered her this year, but already heads are turning and she’s catching the attention of a lot of people in the music industry. She’s really folky, ethereal, and just so different, and the lyrics are amazing. Obviously, Catty who I mentioned earlier, she’s just going up and up! And another artist is Alessi Rose – she’s smashing it with the fans, I really like what she’s doing.
After our chat, Jodie was whisked away to begin the busy night ahead, and so I got my hand stamped at the door and made my way up the stairs to the venue. Having played The Grace a few years back myself, I immediately recognised the ceiling adorned by glistening disco balls; the room drenched in a pink lilac, ready for Essence Martins to take the stage.
Essence was joined onstage by two backing singers, and as soon as she started singing and strumming her guitar decorated with stickers, I was hooked. The blend of their voices and their carefully constructed harmonies, coupled with Essence’s vulnerable songwriting made for a truly memorable performance. Although Essence’s set was only comprised of three vocals and an acoustic guitar, she had the audience in the palm of her hand.
Next to grace the stage (no pun intended) was Irish-German producer and songwriter, vi0let. After absolutely smashing her set – which included a hyperpop cover of Fireflies – vi0let sat down with me for a chat.
Olivia: Your set was amazing! You’ve been really hot on releasing this year. Has a particular song held a special place in your heart and if so, why?
vi0let: Thank you! Definitely. I released Blue Blood in January and that song got a lot of love and it just kind of took my career to the next step and a lot of people reached out and it’s opened a lot of doors for me. That song was also the first kind of dance-pop, almost hyperpop song that I stepped into, and with the love it got, it has really encouraged me this year to go all-in with that genre.
O: I know it’s been a goal of yours to play Discover Live for a while and it’s so exciting that you’re playing the first show that’s being held here at The Grace. When you perform live, is there something in particular that when this happens, then you know it’s been a really good show?
v: I do a cover of Fireflies and the louder the crowd the better! I had a show in a city a few days ago that I will not mention and the crowd was so quiet, I came off feeling a bit down, but tonight was just the complete opposite, the crowd went crazy. I played it in Dublin a few weeks ago and like people were jumping and came on stage and were singing it with me, so that’s a great indicator!
O: As Discover Live is about championing new and independent talent, are there any upcoming artists that you’re really loving at the moment and want to see gain more recognition?
v: Honestly, Essence, who is on the lineup. I’ve been following her for months or maybe even years at this point – I love her. There’s an artist from America called Cosette. She’s a hyperpop artist, she produces all her stuff, she’s sick.
Next up were Dorset-based pop duo, BLVCK VIØLET, comprised of best friends Sam Hurst and Harrison Walker, who completely captivated the audience with their energy-filled performance. The last song of their set was lights out, a collaborative release from earlier this year with singer-songwriter, Jade Morgan Kelly. The boys brought Jade onstage for this stadium-worthy track, and the crowd were singing and jumping with them.
I caught up with all three of them in the smoking area at the end of the night.
Olivia: You released lights out earlier this year, I’d love to know a bit more about the story and creative process of you guys working together, what it’s about, and how it came to be.
Jade: I didn’t think we’d be doing a drum and bass track, but you [points to Sam and Harrison] had made the beat the night before and we really liked it. And then I just kind of think we wanted to write about becoming a better person and losing your old self, and we ended up going down this path of going through a dark time and using vices to numb the pain.
O: You’ve played a bunch of shows this year celebrating your releases, what feels special about tonight’s show with Jodie?
Sam: Do you know what? Tonight was crazy, man. I’m so proud of you [gestures to Harrison], I’m so proud of me, I’m so proud of everyone, and I think what makes tonight so special is Jodie Bryant is so respected in the industry, and I think just to be a part of such a great lineup, it makes you feel a little bit special.
Harrison: Yeah, for sure, it’s like a form of validation. Yeah, really enjoyed it.
O: As Discover Live is about championing new and independent talent, are there any upcoming artists that you’re really loving at the moment and want to see gain more recognition?
S: Jade Morgan Kelly’s great! [Laughs]. Flo Gallop… Our circle who we’ve been playing shows with recently.
H: Yeah, everyone is so talented!
Headlining The Grace at Jodie Bryant’s sold out Discover Live was Beren Olivia, and there was no doubt that she’s done this a thousand times before as her stage presence and anthemic pop bangers had the audience completely enamoured with her performance. Beren even had a group of fans jumping onstage with her at one point, singing every single word perfectly in unison.
It’s clear that Jodie’s Discover Live means a lot to this ever-growing community of artists and musicians – not only those who perform, but also those who buy tickets and attend. Between acts, the room is filled with the excitable voices of people making connections, and it feels like a place to find your people as well as an opportunity to discover incredible, independent talent. It was inspiring to hear Jodie’s journey with starting this special night – it can only go up from here.
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