RIYADH: On their first night in the Finnish city of Turku, members of the Saudi alternative rock band Gimmix were simply exploring the city when they stumbled across an open mic night.
After chatting with local musicians, they found themselves on stage, playing stripped-back acoustic versions of their own songs for an audience that had never heard them before.
“It was a very special, heartwarming experience,” frontman Abdullah Aldhamin told Arab News. “Even in a city none of us know, music still managed to find us.”
The impromptu performance has become one of the defining moments of Gimmix’s first international tour, which takes the band through Finland and the Baltic region this week.
For the Saudi group, known for its energetic blend of rock, indie and hip-hop, the tour represents more than a series of concerts. It is another milestone in a journey that has taken them from local stages in Riyadh to performing alongside some of rock’s biggest names.
Founded in 2017 by brothers Abdullah and Yazan Aldhamin, Gimmix has steadily become one of Saudi Arabia’s best-known alternative acts.
Their explosive live performances and willingness to blur genre boundaries have earned them a loyal following, while collaborations with artists from hip-hop, R&B and metal have helped expand their audience beyond traditional rock fans.
The band’s current lineup includes drummer Fawaz Baasem and guitarist Abdulaziz Alfassam, marking its third incarnation.
“Gimmix at its core has always been music for the love of music and for the love of connecting with people, whether that’s the musicians in it or the audience,” Abdullah said.
Each lineup, he explained, has reflected a different stage in the band’s evolution.
“The first lineup with Blaine Roberts on drums was mostly about learning to write music together. We were very young and had the unfiltered energy and love for making music. The biggest highlight was creating our first album.”
The second lineup, featuring drummer Faris Alshawaf, shifted the band’s attention toward live performances.
“It was all about getting in front of as many audiences as possible and learning to adapt to different stages around Saudi Arabia,” Abdullah said.
The latest lineup with Baasem and Alfassam is focused on growth. “(It is) mostly about evolving together as musicians and discovering new sounds that we can apply on bigger stages and bigger audiences,” he added.
That evolution has not come at the expense of the band’s identity. “We’ve always retained our anthem-style sound because it all ties back to connecting with our audience as much as we can,” he said.
“We believe the entire point of music is reaching people and giving them the space to feel what they need to feel in that moment, whether it’s at a show or if they’re listening to our music alone.”
That philosophy has also shaped Gimmix’s collaborations with artists from different musical backgrounds, including Kali-B, Ntitled, Grzzlee, Walgz and YOLO.
“We believe bridging those gaps creates more spaces for innovation and collaboration,” Abdullah said. “Artists from different styles and genres have more in common than we think.”
The band’s profile received a major boost after opening for Guns N’ Roses in Riyadh, an opportunity that remains one of the defining moments of their career.
“Opening for Guns N’ Roses definitely raised our expectations of ourselves and what we’re capable of,” Abdullah said.
“It’s easy to feel like there’s a limit to the stages you can play or the audiences you can reach. But having that experience unlocked the mindset in us that anything is possible if we just put in the time and effort.”
Performing for one of the world’s biggest rock bands in front of family and friends made the achievement even more meaningful.
“Getting to do it in our home country was the cherry on top,” he said. “It’s an experience we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. It’s still mentioned to us daily — at work, at random events or even on the street. It’s the kind of thing you know you’ll tell your future kids about one day.”
While continuing to tour, Gimmix has also been preparing new music. The band’s next album, expected later this year, has evolved significantly since work first began in 2022.
Rather than relying solely on studio production, the musicians allowed live audiences to shape the songs over hundreds of performances.
“We’ve been working on the album since 2022, and the songs have evolved with time because of our shows,” Abdullah said.
“Seeing the audience’s reactions and what parts of the songs they liked changed the way we recorded them.”
He believes listeners have become an integral part of the creative process. “Now instead of the band taking the spotlight, the audience does. The audience has impacted these songs more than any amount of production can.”
The Finland trip also became an opportunity for creative collaboration through the Turku Rock Academy, where the band worked alongside international names including executive producer Mark Albert Bertenyi and artist-producer Toivo-Olavi.
Together they recorded a new track titled “The Gift and Curse.” “We benefited a lot from our sessions with them,” Abdullah said. “Seeing their workflow and dynamic taught us how we can improve our own.”
As Saudi Arabia’s music industry continues to grow, Gimmix believes the country’s alternative scene is entering an exciting period.
“When it comes to alternative music in Saudi Arabia, there’s definitely an audience that listens to it,” Abdullah said. “The challenge is reaching that audience with original music rather than covers.”
He points to fellow Saudi bands including We Are Strangers as evidence of the growing ecosystem and hopes more young musicians will form bands and experiment with original material.
“The biggest challenge we face — and most Saudi artists might face — is utilizing social media to its full potential,” he said. “With social media, it doesn’t matter where you are. If you’re consistent, you’ll reach your audience eventually.”
Ironically, traveling abroad has convinced the band that Saudi musicians may now enjoy unique advantages. “In other countries, they’ve had music scenes for decades,” Abdullah said. “Saudi is still fresh. It’s not saturated yet.”
With platforms including XP Music Futures, Soundstorm, The Warehouse and Bohemia giving local artists opportunities to perform, he believes the foundations are firmly in place.
“With time, we’re sure some amazing bands will reach their goals by utilizing all the tools and opportunities they can find.”
For Gimmix, that future is already taking shape — one international stage, unexpected open mic, and roaring crowd at a time.
