New Bosses 2016
Oliver Ward | UK Booking Agent | United Talent Agency Age 29 Olly trained and qualified as a lawyer and landed a job in Live Nation UK’s legal team. In 2013, he met Neil Warnock who gave him the opportunity to intern at what is now United Talent Agency, where he assisted Natasha Bent for two years. Since the end of 2015, Olly has been building a talent roster that now includes Aurora, James Hersey, Ida Mae, Palace Winter, Beaty Heart, and All Them Witches. How difficult a decision was it to make the move away from your legal career to become an intern at UTA? It wasn’t difficult; I hated being a lawyer. It was a risk, but life is too short not to go for the things you are passionate about. I can honestly say it’s the best decision I have ever made. How do you discover new talent for your roster? Meeting with trusted friends and contacts to talk about new music is the best way to find new talent at the moment – sifting through blogs and viral charts is also worthwhile, as there’s some great music out there, but not all the music which is lighting up the blog world will connect live, so you have to tread carefully. Going to early shows is still an important tool for discovery, but the current trend is for agents to be in place before many acts have even played their first show. What are you currently working on? Planning for 2017 touring and preparation for upcoming shows. Currently, we are implementing plans to take Aurora to new markets outside of Europe and also pitching our newer clients to leading showcase festivals. As a New Boss, what would you do to make the business healthier? Both Neil Warnock and Natasha Bent showed me that our business can be conducted in a positive and fair way. I believe the best results for our artists come from an inclusive approach; always treat other people, as you would like to be treated yourself
Tobe Onwuka | UK | Artist manager | Stormzy Age 25 In 2014, Tobe quit his job at a car dealership to manage longtime friend Stormzy. Despite constant pressures to adhere to conventional paths to success, Stormzy and Tobe have made up their own rules and the results have been meteoric, as the duo negotiate their own deals and consistently release top-10 records, leaving every major record label desperate to sign the grime scene’s hottest property. What are the most relevant revenue streams for an artist like Stormzy? Live shows and branding deals. What is the biggest challenge in today’s music business? It’s forever changing! If you don’t keep up with what’s happening you can quickly be out of the loop. What advice would you give anyone who wanted to work in the music industry? Trust your instincts, but never be afraid to ask questions when you face challenges.
IQ Magazine September 2016
Do you think you can remain independent, or will doing a deal be inevitable at some point? Only time will tell. For now we’ll just keep on working. What’s the best thing about your job? I work with my best friends and we build our own dream. What are you currently working on? Stormzy’s album and a few other bits I can’t really talk about yet. It wouldn’t be the #Merky way if I did. Who do you turn to for advice? My mum. She might not have insight on the grime scene or music-chart positions, but she gives the best life/moral advice. What’s your proudest achievement to date? Impossible to pick out a single one! I’m given a new reason to take pride in what I do every single day.
Tommy Bruce | USA Co-founder | Full Stop Management Age 29 As student body president at the University of Arizona, Tommy brought the likes of Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Jay-Z and Katy Perry to perform on campus. In 2009, he landed a job in CAA’s New York office, where he helped sign Meghan Trainor. Tommy moved to Los Angeles in 2015 where he became an agent. Earlier this year, he and Jeffrey Azoff departed CAA to establish Full Stop Management whose early clients include Harry Styles and Meghan Trainor. Do you think your time as an agent will benefit you and the talent you manage? Perspective on different areas of the business is always beneficial, regardless of the industry. It provides a point of view and adds value in a way that others in my position wouldn’t otherwise have if they hadn’t previously been an agent. As one of the young leaders of an even younger company, who do you turn to for advice? I’m fortunate to work with my best friend, Jeffrey. He is my go-to on all things: advice, counsel, eating, and just life in general. What’s your proudest achievement to date? The launch of Full Stop Management. It’s been the ride of my life so far and I couldn’t be more excited to see where we go. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far? Failure, genuine failure, is the best lesson anyone can ask for. I’ve learned more from my failures than from my successes and I am grateful for those experiences early on. What advice would you give to someone wanting to work in the music business? Every position you take, treat it like it was what you were born to do. I guarantee leaders will take notice and it will elevate you. What are you currently working on? Building Full Stop Management. Meghan [Trainor] is on a sold-out North American tour, and Harry [Styles] is finishing his first film, Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Gearing up for a massive 2017 for the entire company.
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