RISING STAR
Queer electro- pop duo Nimmo – childhood best friends Sarah Nimmo and Reva Gauntlett – tell Attitude why they’re striking out on their own
Electro- pop duo Nimmo
How did you meet and was it friendship at first sight?
Sarah:
It really was. We were sitting next to each other in class on the first day of secondary school and we have been joined at the hip ever since!
When did you decide to start making music together, and what noise are you trying to make in the industry?
Reva:
We set up little music projects at school and built what is Nimmo from there. In terms of the industry, we want people to know we can do things differently — and on our own. Building a team is still a big part of what we are doing and by no means do we believe we can do everything ourselves, but it is nice to be seen and heard from a place that is truly our own.
You were previously signed to a major label, but decided to go down the independent route. What prompted that decision and are you glad you made it?
S:
There were a lot of changes in the team at our label which meant it wasn’t the right home for us any more. We found ourselves independent at a crucial time in our lives. It was actually lucky that it happened at that moment. Don’t get us wrong it was a brutal experience in many ways, but we love the freedom that being independent gives us.
R: We found ourselves as artists and adults that year, and learnt to understand and respect the business side of our project as much as the creative. We do what we want now.
What is the greatest thing about working with your best mate?
S:
Work not feeling like work in the traditional sense and instead just being a way of life we’ve chosen together
And what’s the worst? R:
Sometimes we realise we haven’t checked in on each other, or caught up on anything not music related for a while. It’s a [ difficult] balance to strike.
What would you say each other’s most annoying habits are?
R:
Sarah’s typos. She can’t spell so reading her
emails can take a lot of decoding! S: Rejhva has an idear I cahnt spelle.
What is your musical mantra?
R: Enjoy it.
S: Mean it.
You’ve spent the past two years working on your debut album The Power. How would you describe it?
R: It’s an honest and open representation of what we have been through in our careers, and personal and social lives for the past five years. It’s about making sense of the baffling, at times debilitating but also life- affirming, experiences that come with your late twenties. The record is a celebration of the power of our friendship, and how the collaboration between us constantly survives all bullshit and overshadows all challenges.
S: It’s [ also] a record that addresses and celebrates the power of community and togetherness. We would never have written songs like Everything I Wanted if we hadn’t left our label and found the queer community in London. It’s a snap shot from real life.
We have a lot of queer male artists enjoying success right now, the likes of Sam Smith, Troye Sivan and Olly Alexander. What is the music landscape like for queer female artists? S:
This is an important time for queer female artists. There is definitely a bigger acceptance of queer male artists in the industry, and a lack of gay women being given exposure or equal platforms. We have a female- focused night called Nimmo Curates, which goes on tour this summer. It focuses on showcasing queer female talent. With more mainstream press around this and more line- ups including queer women, progress will be made.
Have you faced any obstacles as queer artists, and if so how did you overcome them?
R:
People in the industry saw us as a bit of a gimmick at first, often wanting us to play on the fact that we seem like a couple but aren’t. Or asking us to ham up intimate elements of our on- stage dynamic.
S: This always sat uncomfortably with us. We have always been best friends so we just eye- rolled our way out of the situation and moved forward.
“It’s nice to be seen and heard from a place that is truly
our own”
Complete the following sentence: the biggest lesson I’ve learned from my twenties is...
S& R:
To trust your gut.
Nimmo’s debut album, The Power, is out on 19 June