“There are so many great artists coming out of Scotland – it’s in a great place” KIMMIC interview

KIMMIC’s high-energy sound has made waves across the UK and beyond. Their journey began with the explosive success of their debut single, “Never Miss a Beat,” released in February 2023 under the prestigious Polydor label. The track, which cleverly reimagines a Kaiser Chiefs classic, quickly garnered millions of streams and was hailed as a potential “dance track of the year.”

Kimmic’s unique ability to blend genres and push the boundaries of dance music has earned them significant recognition, including extensive airplay on major stations like BBC Radio 1, Capital Dance, and KISS FM. As they continue to evolve, KIMMIC has set their sights on even bigger projects, including collaborations with industry legends and further releases on top-tier labels like Armada Music.

In this interview, KIMMIC discusses their roots in Scotland’s vibrant dance music scene, the influences that have shaped their sound, and the exciting future that lies ahead.

Growing up in Scotland, how did the local music scene shape your early influences and aspirations as artists? Were there any particular events or clubs that were pivotal in your musical journey?

Scotland has a strong scene and a deep love for harder dance music, so naturally, you get exposed to that. Being from Dundee and Angus, we were somewhat limited in terms of opportunities and had to venture outside our hometowns to get gigs when we first started DJing. I feel like we made our name through our music rather than our DJ sets—we’ve never been involved with any brands or anything, apart from our own ‘Subterra,’ so we kind of shaped our own path.

Scotland has a rich history in dance music, with legendary clubs and a passionate fanbase. How do you see the current state of the dance music scene in Scotland, and where do you think it’s headed?

I feel like it’s in a great place. There are so many great artists coming out of Scotland—Hannah and Ewan McVicar being the two obvious names. The scene is really thriving with techno at the moment, with the likes of PRTY absolutely smashing it. I feel like these guys will run the scene in Scotland for the foreseeable future—they’re class.

Who were your musical heroes growing up, and how have they influenced your sound today? Are there any artists you look up to or collaborate with?

Keiran – Armin Van Buuren
Chris – Avicii

These two artists are absolute legends in our industry, and we take loads of influence from what they’ve done as musicians. An artist we’d love to collaborate with is James Hype. Although we’re a little faster, I feel like together we could make an absolute banger. Outside of our genre, James is one of our favorite artists and has been for years, so it would be an unreal collab for us.

“No Come Down” is your first track with original vocals. Why did you decide the time was right to try this approach?

We’ve always wanted to take this approach, but it’s hard to get solid original vocals when you’ve just broken into the scene. I feel like this will be our direction moving forward now.

If you could release a track on any label—past or present—which would it be and why? How do you think your sound would align with the ethos of that label?

We don’t really have a dream label now. We released on Armada, which was a huge deal for Keiran, being a massive Armin fan, but we feel like wherever the best home is for our music, we’ll go.

What do you think sets your music apart within the broader UK scene?

We aren’t one-dimensional. We slip in and out of genres, and that’s what makes it exciting in our opinion. I feel like it’s boring sticking to one sound for a whole 90 minutes—high energy and being unpredictable is best!

With the new single “No Come Down” out on Armada, how do you see this release fitting into your broader discography? What message or feeling do you hope listeners take away from it?

I think it fits perfectly with our future releases. It’s the start of a new sound for us. There’s a lot of emotion in this one, which I hope resonates with the fans!

As you continue to grow as artists, what aspects of your current production aesthetic do you hope to maintain in your music, and are there any new directions or influences you’re excited to explore?

I feel like we have our trademark sound, so implementing that into our future projects is important for us, but things can change in this industry quickly, so who knows!

KIMMIC – No Come Down is out now on Armada