Kimmy Reader at the What Next Showcase, Queen of Hoxton

The What Next Showcase was a show organised by Rock School, Somerset House and Biggafish.co.uk to give new acts a chance to perform to a crowd before their bigger show supporting Katy B at Somerset House on Sunday. Last year, Katy B was part of this project, which shows just how far these new talents can go what. Here’s a selection of the performers who everyone should keep their eye out for over the next year or so.

Kimmy Reader

The first act of the night was the beautiful Kimmy Reader. Teaming her soft and soulful vocals, somewhat reminiscent of Jose Vanders with a full backing band and ambient electronics similar to those of The XX, her music brings a live atmosphere that cannot be beaten. Her song I Would Not Stay was very similar to that of Ellie Goulding, with the soft drum beat and playful guitars tying in perfectly with her acoustic guitar and incredible voice. Towering was also simply a beautiful song about doing something that you aren’t proud of. Everyone in the audience could connect with her music and relate to the lyrics and this allowed Kimmy to have a hold on the audience and truly captivate them. Even though she was the first act of the night, she illustrated the talent that was to come throughout the night and by the end of her set, the crowd definitely seemed to be converted Kimmy Reader fans.

Rhea Dean

Next to perform was the dazzling Rhea Dean who, basically, has the swagger that Cher Lloyd dreams of. With a full band nearly taking up the whole stage, Rhea Dean still managed to get the crowd going. Mixing pop, soul and RnB, her voice can be compared to that of Jessie J and Rihanna but rather loosely, as there is something special about Rhea Dean that separates her from everyone else. Due to her stunning vocals and rather bright appearance, it seems doubtful that we’ll lose sight of Rhea Dean any time soon.

Tom Prior

A singer/songwriter hailing from London, Tom Prior performed a short selection of his own songs. With a mixture of emotive singing and meaningful rapping, Tom Prior injects something new into his acoustic music. His song Tiny Steps, written about his young daughter is obviously incredibly special to him and this is evident through his lyrics and his voice. However, his cover of Jay-Z and Kanye’s single, No Church in the Wild with lyrics adapted to suit last summer’s London riots was amazing and the crowd was genuinely hanging off his every word.

Hayley Groombridge