Name: Steven Bamidele
Nationality: Nigerian-born, London-based
Occupation: Composer, singer, songwriter, producer
Current Release: Steven Bamidele's new album THE CRASH! is out via Tru Thoughts.
Current event: Steven Bamidele is set to perform at Ronnie Scott's Friday 19th June 2026. For more information and tickets, go here.

If you enjoyed this Steven Bamidele interview and would like to know more about his music and upcoming live dates, visit him on Instagram, tiktok, bandcamp, and Facebook. 

For a deeper dive, read our earlier Steven Bamidele interview.



When it comes to experiencing strong emotions as as a listener, which albums, performances, and artists come to mind?

This was a hard question! Sooooo many albums/performances I could’ve mentioned - I’m gonna kick myself when I think of others I could’ve said

A Moon Shaped Pool and In Rainbows - Radiohead



Radiohead are my favourite band/artist. There’s nothing about them I could say that hasn’t already been said. But Thom Yorke’s lyrics, and the band’s composition and production - all spoke to me and wrapped around the feeling isolation, loneliness and ‘otherness’ that I felt growing up.

I felt far less alone, and far more understood when I discovered their music in 2011.

Transatlanticism and Plans by Death Cab For Cutie



I discovered DCFC around the same time. Again, Ben Gibbard’s lyrics painted such vivid imagery.

As I was turning 18, I lost my Christian faith, and fell into a deep existential/nihilistic rabbit hole that it took a few months to get out of. Ben Gibbard clearly dealt with similar existential dread, as is apparent in his lyrics, especially on earlier music like The Photo Album.

They’re both on my Mount Rushmore of artists, and whenever I listen to them it’s like I’m transported back to being a 17/18 year old kid, in the best way.

Ugh, those feels again by Snow Aalegra



This album is just a great collection of love and breakup songs. However when I first heard it, it was the first lockdown. I still vividly remember hanging out with my girlfriend in our flat in Brighton, while I was playing Ratchet and Clank.

Snoh Aalegra’s voice is incredible and her melody choices are fascinating to me - I love putting this album on

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Soundtrack - Ennio Morricone



This soundtrack somehow perfectly encapsulates every emotion I want music to make me feel. I feel incredibly wistful when I listen to it - like a yearning for the past and a striving toward something in the future.

I think anyone who was a kid when Gorillaz’ first album came out would feel a similar way, because that album was so heavily influenced by this one ("Clint Eastwood" literally samples the main theme’).



Reverb, whistling, vocal chants and claps are the best sounds to my ears - I just love the texture on this record.

Joni Mitchell & Brandi Carlyle at Newport Folk Festival

The atmosphere is so palpable in this performance. Everyone on stage understands the moment they’re in and how historic it is. You feel like you’re in the crowd and Brandi Carlyle’s reactions to Joni Mitchell especially just really get me.



‘Both Sides Now’ from this performance is just wow. In the 5th verse, the way she sings ‘To say I love you, right out loud’ is like a gut punch, the way her voice hits that line is insane - I have to rewind it a few times whenever I watch it.