The Last Dinner Party have been a wildly successful British breakout story this year after hitting #1 on the U.K. albums chart with their widely-praised debut via Island and earning a BRITs Rising Star Award. Their first set, Prelude to Ecstasy, is among the biggest-selling releases this year so far for a U.K. act, shifting over 79k sales at home and 223k globally. It also earned the group a Mercury Music Prize nomination. They’ve hit high in the singles chart at home, too, with “Nothing Matters,” which peaked at #16 in March.
The five-piece band, who met while studying in London, have become known for their unique fusion of baroque-pop and theatrical styling. They signed to Island U.K. after A&R James Talbut saw footage of their first gigs. “We were all really taken by the musicianship, songwriting and captivating performance,” according to Jack Greengrass, senior A&R manager at UMG. After seeing them playing live over the course of a few shows, the team arranged to meet in a London pub and fell in love instantly.
Greengrass continues: “In the vibrant landscape of British music, The Last Dinner Party stands as a beacon of originality, captivating audiences with their eclectic blend of genres and appeal. Their sound is both timeless and contemporary. They are a true original.”
Alongside the aforementioned accolades, TLDP were named winner of 2024’s BBC Sound of 2024 poll and played Glastonbury’s Other Stage this summer. Their biggest U.K. and EU tour to date saw them stop at London’s 5.3k cap. Eventim Apollo for three sold-out nights in October before playing shows across Europe. Greengrass says the band members are constantly writing amidst their global touring schedule and are as “creatively ambitious as they have ever been. We are very excited for what the future holds for this band. Watch this space!”
Further afield, TLDP visited Australia for the first time this year and have been in the U.S. four times, including for their Lollapalooza debut. Their label partner in the States is Island, who “have been incredible; they truly get the vision,” says Greengrass. The ultimate ambition, he adds, is to develop them into being the next future festival headliner. “We truly believe The Last Dinner Party are a career artist; it is what we are all about here at Island, and they can be as big as any act.”
After spending several years in development, pop/soul singer and songwriter Olivia Dean released her debut album, Messy, last year, hitting #4 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart. The set was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, and Dean garnered three BRIT Award nominations earlier this year for Best Pop Act, British Artist of the Year and Best New Artist.
Dean—who is described as “an incredible artist with a sublime voice” by her label boss, Jo Charrington at Capitol U.K.—has over 800m lifetime streams and 650k adjusted album sales globally. Charrington continues: “She exudes calm and has the ability to write songs that stay true to herself, but will also touch people and resonate with their own stories. She creates soulful, genre-fluid music and has towering star quality that translates globally.”
Touring has also been a particular focus for Dean, who played Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage this summer. Charrington says her team have set her up to tour every major market on her next album, which is currently being written with some “exciting world-class collaborators.”
“Olivia has been releasing music since 2018 and continues to build in confidence and radiate stage presence,” Charrington says. “Her band has now evolved to a full setup, which includes a brass section and BVs, nonetheless, she continues to emanate the same warm, intimate feeling and connect with her audience, no matter what size her band or the venue are.” In addition, Charrington mentions a strong “creative aesthetic,” driven by Dean and her manager, Emily Braham, which continues to evolve alongside her ambassadorship with Chanel.
In the U.S., Island is her label partner, coming on board just before the release of Messy. Since then, Dean has performed on Jimmy Kimmel, the CBS Morning Show and at Coachella and Lollapalooza. Charrington says the U.S. is now her top market for streaming. Dean went to Korea for a promo-only trip this year, ahead of visiting Japan for Summersonic, where she returned in October. There are talks about opportunities in Australia for 2025. “Olivia’s incredible work ethic means she can truly be global,” says Charrington.
The ultimate ambition is to keep building and evolving, Charrington concludes. “Olivia is an artist who comes into our lives perhaps once or twice in our careers. Our ambitions are to support her alongside her incredible manager Emily [Braham], with whom we have an excellent working relationship. Together we will keep building her story, audience and touring, and keep things moving creatively. We know it takes time, and we are as ambitious as she is. The teams around her match her energy, and if we continue to do so, the sky’s the limit.”
