KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: MANAGERS

Despite being hit by the triple whammy of Brexit, a spike in the cost of living and an industry recovering from the effects of a global pandemic, the managers we spoke to appear to be thriving. They tell us how below.

What have you been working on over the last year?
Craig Jennings, Head of Raw Power: We’ve been busy setting up a Reading and Leeds headline performance for Bring Me the Horizon, a big moment for us. We’ve also been making new albums for The Hunna, You Me at Six and The Mars Volta. A couple of our new artists have signed new deals—Jordan Adetunji signed to RCA and Mitch Sanders to Island Records. We’ve been working on The Damned’s 40th anniversary shows. And we’re putting together a rock/alternative joint-venture label with EMI called Funhouse Recordings, the first signing to which is a band called The Blinders.

Anique Cox, Manager of Bree Runway: Bree has been writing and recording some incredible new music, which we can’t wait for everyone to hear. Growing and developing her brand and embedding her strong sense of aesthetics and affinity for fashion has also been a priority. Bree was nominated for the 2022 BRITs Rising Star Award. Plus, she debuted her live show, selling out headline gigs in the U.K. and U.S. She’s been featured in campaigns for Beats by Dre and Adidas and shot several editorial campaigns. Last year she performed at the MOBO Awards, won a BET Award for Best New International Act, appeared in Chlöe’s “Have Mercy” video, collaborated with Glass Animals and was featured on Lady Gaga’s Dawn of Chromatica remix album. It’s been a busy and exhilarating 12 months.

Maria Lane, TaP Music: I’ve been focused on developing Willow Kayne, who dropped her debut single in May last year. Since then, she’s had a really strong trajectory, including winning the Rising Star award at the 2021 Ivors. So this year has been really important to building her wider plan. And Leigh-Anne, who signed to Warner Records at the beginning of this year, has begun early plans for her solo project, which has also been keeping me busy.

Bills, Head of Groundworks: M Huncho released his album, Digga D released his mixtape and two of our other artists released projects through us. We work very collaboratively with the artists—we’re not just managing them; we create their projects with them. So we’ve been very busy building these projects from the A&R to the rollout and all the admin behind it. I’m also trying to expand internationally and have spent a lot of time travelling and in the states making connections. Wins have included a #1 for Digga D, Potter Payper’s “Gangsteritus” going silver [200k units] and M Huncho’s album hitting #5.

What are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing as a music manager and how are you navigating those?
Jennings: The logistics around live have been quite challenging; there’s a lack of touring personnel out there and a bus shortage. Touring in America at the moment is very challenging because everyone is out at the same time. Some people are getting priced out because prices have gone up. But streaming has been a fantastic addition to our industry. The next stage is to make sure we’re getting paid properly for it. Another challenge is that a lot of people are coming out of the pandemic feeling anxious, so we’re always trying to make sure the environments artists are working in are conducive to good mental health.

Cox: Disposable-music consumption, the turnover and burn rate and the current climate we’re in with platforms like TikTok, versus a musician who cares about her art and performance and admires more heritage acts. Navigating this is difficult and demanding, but it’s a necessity to sustain relevancy.

Lane: The industry has changed fairly significantly since the pandemic, and the usual catalysts for breaking talent don’t feel as effective since the arrival of TikTok. It can feel like a streak of luck creating these viral Internet moments, but there’s also strategy you can build around a campaign to amplify them. It’s important to act quickly when something is reactive, so I’m constantly rejiggering timelines and plans. This really dictates the release plan these days, and then it’s all about building the rest around that.

Bills: The biggest wall I’m facing is building a team around my artists. It isn’t easy finding people I trust—and the artists trust—to delegate tasks to. The workload is quadruple what a manager would usually do, so we’re looking for people who can help us creatively, administratively and logistically. We’re looking to grow with perhaps five more people at the moment. I want Groundworks to become a global entity, an entertainment and creative production company that handles everything. Another challenge is finding brands that will work with the artists I work with; they aren’t the most clean and family-friendly and don’t have the best stories, according to the media. That’s something I look forward to—once the wall is kicked down, for us to start working with brands. I’ve got a lot of exciting ideas.

Where are the most compelling opportunities in the music business today?
Jennings: Digital is an exciting area of the business generally and is a key part of our artists’ development. There’s a lot of excitement about NFTs and livestreaming. We haven’t actually done anything with the latter yet as we felt it was a bit of a fad during the pandemic and didn’t want to dilute the quality of what our artists were releasing. With NFTs, I’m yet to be convinced that’s a big thing for the music business. There are a lot of initiatives around D2C platforms, like Cameo and Patreon. Some of them have massive potential and some I also think are a bit faddish.

Cox: How blockchain can create new opportunities, disrupt the system and make life easier for everyone involved on the artist’s side. Also, what Web3 can add to the artist’s universe, especially for an artist as visual as Bree.

Lane: There definitely doesn’t feel like there’s much of a rulebook in music these days, which has allowed artists to be more creative with their output. There was a time when artists would shy away from certain genres because they wouldn’t get played on radio, but the Internet embraces any weird and wonderful sound that captivates the listener. Also, more thought goes into the lyrics to spark a conversation. Take Central Cee, for example; the rollout for his track “Doja” was perfect in every way, from an immediately catchy sample and opening lyric that was going to grab people’s attention to a viral TikTok video. They really thought of everything for that campaign and absolutely smashed it as his entry point into America.

Bills: I’m excited about opportunities outside of music. We have one act who’s just secured an acting role in a Netflix series [to be announced] that will land next year. I’m also looking forward to traveling with our artists and seeing the world.

Thanks to a combination of Brexit, lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly rising cost of living, the British music industry appears to be under an increasing amount of pressure. What gives you hope and reasons to be positive against this backdrop?
Jennings: You could argue that with that combination of things, you have an industry under siege, as a lot of industries are at the moment. But we’ve had our best year ever. Despite what’s going on, I believe the artists who do well will continue to do so. I think we’re going to bounce back. Look at the major labels—they’re posting bigger profits than ever before, and the same goes for Live Nation. There’s a lot of money in the industry. The people who are going to struggle are those on the margins and, unfortunately, that’s a microcosm of life in general.

Cox: My passion for music, Bree’s music, and the fan response is the constant throughline that’s kept me motivated and laser-focused during all these world-changing challenges.

Lane: Throughout history, music has expressed the current state of affairs, which I don’t think will change. We’re at a turning point as to how people consume music—whether that’s a 30-second clip or an extended club mix. There will always be an audience for music; it’s just about figuring out how you connect to it.

Bills: I’m not really feeling that pressure. Groundworks was created through the lockdown so COVID kind of birthed this whole thing. Potter Payper and Digga D were released from prison while we were in lockdown, so we’ve been used to working in that situation. The way I view it, we’re on a creative path and none of these things can stop that. The artists I work with represent real things: trouble, people who come from nothing, pain and fighting the system. So the struggles you mention can actually help—those issues have made the world more woke, more together. People are looking for people to relate to, and my artists are full of authenticity.

How do you see the role of a manager evolving over the coming years?
Jennings: The manager is always at the center of everything; it’s our job to pull things together, strategize and be that conduit between the band and their audience, label and publisher. There’s talk of managers taking a bigger role than ever before because the labels aren’t doing enough, but for me, I’ve always been the one calling the shots. The good managers will make things flow nicely and get everyone together to run a successful team around an act.

Cox: COVID definitely put a bigger emphasis on online; it’s forced managers to be more digital-focused and more strategic and creative in their approach to growing their artist’s brand.

Lane: Management has always been a broad role that requires a varied skill set. I think the industry has really improved the way we address mental health and the struggles it takes to become a successful artist. There’s so much pressure on the talent to not only deliver music but consistently provide content for social media. There needs to be a stable support system between the artist and manager and a safe place to talk openly about where they are in their career.

Bills: A lot of artists are going independent, so they rely more on their immediate team, as opposed to who’s distributing their music. Artists are going to be leaning on management for more creative input, and managers will have to provide that because there isn’t that major-label infrastructure around the artist. People are recognizing the different roles and opportunities for work around an artist—there’s room for creative direction, PR, marketing and A&R.

What are your future plans and ambitions? What will you be working on over the coming year?
Jennings: Pretty much all of our bands are touring within the next six to 12 months, so we’ll have as many as 15 bands on the road. Bring Me the Horizon is headlining the Download Festival next year, which is a massive moment for the band and Raw Power. In May, we’re hoping to do another Bring Me the Horizon & Friends festival, which was a tremendous success story this year—5,000 people came out, and we sold hotel packages and lots more. We’ve been making new Chubby and the Gang and Blinders records, and there will be new music from Bring Me the Horizon, You Me at Six and Bullet for My Valentine. It never stops! We’re rolling into lots of exciting things.

Cox: Delivering on the unique Bree Runway vision, shifting perceptions of what it means to be a British female artist of color and representing that on the global stage, consolidating Bree’s live rep—a sold-out multi-date global tour would be great—multiple single releases leading to a debut album, and, ultimately, making Bree the worldwide star she truly deserves to be.

Lane: I’m really excited for what’s to come with Leigh-Anne—the music is sounding amazing and I’m looking forward to taking an already hugely successful artist with a predominantly U.K. fanbase and amplifying that globally. Willow is at a really exciting point in her career, with a real drive to change the landscape of pop music. I’m privileged to be involved in that. Her creative vision has no boundaries, which makes her such a unique prospect. Kasien has spent this year delving deep into his music and working out his next sound direction. We’ve just delivered the project and it’s epic—I can’t wait to get stuck into the rollout for that.

Bills: International expansion is a big one for us but beyond that, Potter Payper is working on his debut album and that’s going to be massive. We’re working on a documentary that will be released in 2030 covering Ground-Works’ 10 years in business, and I’m looking for a headquarters in London. We’re continuing to work on global expansion for Digga D, as well as his independent label, Black Money Records.