How Did You Manage That?

Sophie Bloggs (YMU Group), looks after the careers and manages Hannah Wants, Danny Howard, Kurupt FM, Krystal Klear, Pvblic Xccess, and is one of the most important voices in electronic music management today. Sophie won the Breakthrough Manager Of The Year at the 2019 after being in management for the best part of a decade, itself an interesting and empowering point she brings up. 

Recorded in July 2020, we talk her approach to the pandemic with her artists, her scepticism on the proliferation of live streams, as well as promoting some of the positive outcomes. We discuss her moves through various company partnerships where she has brought and build her roster over the years, Sophie talks us through the specific partying and mental health pressures on electronic artists and DJ's  and both Sophie's explore experiences in, what is still an extremely male-dominated area of the music industry.  

There's conversations about taking on an act (Kurupt FM) who might seem right out of your comfort zone (on paper) and approching that with confidence. We talk the remix business, gaming partnerships and how she fell into management by forging connections and getting a start on the label side of the legendary Fabric venue and business. 

We loved this episode, and hope you do too. 

Thanks, as always to the MMF, the Music Managers Forum for their support in promoting this podcast, and to Small Green Shoots, our ace charity partner who we like to highlight by letting one of their 'shoots' tell us what they've been blasting on the office stereo lately, check them out. 

Hit us up on @managethatpod on Instagram or Twitter to say hey, and if you haven't hitting subscribe would be great. 

Ally & Sophie 

This episode we delve into the mind and motivations of manager called Charlie Owen. She looks after one of the UK’s breakout stars of the last 18 months, Brit Rising Star Award and, BBC Sound of 2020 nominated pop / Neo-Soul SENSATION Joy Crookes. Taking us through the ride that is Joy's career to date, the record deals, the media hype, and how together they are turning that into a growing fanbase and a lasting career. There's some excellent insights into how they work together, a great story about how an artist can survive one of those industry gigs (when nobody is paying attention), and a look into how prioritising authenticity on all parts of the project has led to Joy finding her best, confident self. 

Thanks as always to the MMF for their support, and to you, for checking us out and subscribing. 

Hit us up on Instagram or Twitter @managethatpod 🤝

Manager of the Grammy-winning , highest paid DJ's in the world (according to Forbes), The Chainsmokers, CEO of Disruptor Management / Records and Selector Songs, their publishing arm, Adam Alpert has grown a bit of an empire alongside growing The Chainsmokers into one of the biggest pop acts in the planet. He talks us through how he got there (including a very rocky start when signing the original pair who made up the act) while he was successfully running bars and clubs in New York, how 2020 has been and what they collectively did to help out their pandemic-striken NYC. Adam talks about the pressures on developing acts and his newer acts like Lost Kings, Gashi, Vonic and Gia Woods, discusses how dance music itself is changing off the back of this year and talks us through how some of those monster Chainsmokers collaborations and features came about, including an excellent tale of persistence which lead to that Coldplay collab!

As well as that we have our regular new music tip from the office stereo of the brilliant Small Green Shoots startup in London, and (attempted new feature klaxon) Adam gives us his one track that he's worked on that he thinks SHOULD have been a hit, but didn't quite make it (I mean, relatively, he manages the bloody Chainsmokers after all).

Thanks as always to the Music Managers Forum, for supporting us in getting this podcast out, and to you, for listening, subscribing and / or getting in touch - which you can do @managethatpod on socials.

Ally & Sophie x

Recorded in peak-lockdown during May 2020, co-founder of Push Music Management, (looking after Jack Savoretti, Gizmo Varillas and more) Danielle's was a ray of positivity and common sense discussing the challenges facing her acts and the industry this year. From the very start of lockdown, her biggest act Jack (with a huge Italian following) jumped into action, engaging and creating for his fans, some who were hurting the most, which inspired a lockdown release, and a host of online conversations. 

We get an insight into her totally unique route into music management, the early days with Jack, and a really interesting chat about getting into management as someone who had already had a totally different career before hand, and the benefits of that experience vs the sometimes blind faith of a younger new manager. 

Big thanks to Danielle for coming on back in May when we recorded, there are of course some conversations that have dated very quickly, but we wanted to leave those in, as this year is going to be one not forgotten in a hurry for anyone, so it felt right to capture those conversations as they were being had, as anyone in the industry knows, in live especially, it's changing daily.

We have another new music tip from our excellent charity partners on the podcast this week Small Green Shoots, thanks to Nicole for that, listen out for it half way through the episode. 

If you enjoyed or had thoughts about this episode, hit us up on social media @managethatpod is the one, and Ally / Sophie will always hit you back! 

If this is your first time, we've got a whole back catalogue of conversations with some of the best and brightest talents in music management to go back on, from our start in 2019. 

Big thanks to the MMF (Music Managers Forum) who support us in the making and promotion of this podcast, for the good of the music management community. 

Cheers 

*BONUS EPISODE* In our most star / management-star studded podcast yet, we bring you this episode from backstage at the Artist and Manager Awards 2019 (sponsored by Selina). We chat the winners of the night including the likes of Team Achievement winners Team Merky (Stormzy and Tobie), the Artist’s Artist award recipient Nile Rodgers, Entrepreneur of the Year Andy Varley, Breakthru Manager winner Sophie Bloggs and so much more. So sit back have a beer (Sophie def did) and enjoy some really special words of wisdom from the people behind the biggest names in music, given their night to shine.

The Artist and Manager Awards are co-hosted, co-organised by the MMF and the FAC (Featured Artists Coalition).

*BONUS EPISODE* Ahead of the glitzy London Artist & Managers Awards sponsored by Selina and hosted by the Music Managers Forum on November the 14th, we run through the nominees for this year and hear from some of last years winners. Ally is worried about his outfit.

Matt Greer, based in London is one of the team at ATC Management, starting out as a scout then building his own roster, he has managed Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes through thick and thin through their three albums, the last of which, released this year hit the top five in the UK album charts, no mean feat for a proudly independent artist. Matt also manages the UK affairs of Half Moon Run, as well as being a key part of the ATC family. With as much passion for music, and specifically live music as the acts themselves, Matt has learnt a heck of a lot in his relatively short time in the industry, and along with his day-job, he actively helps other managers in their journeys on the regular, making him a brilliant guest for our last episode in this season. 

We will be back with a few special episodes over the next few months, from some events, so keep an eye on your feed for that, before we come back with season two in 2020. A huge thanks to our sponsors AWAL for having the balls to support us in this first series, and the the Music Managers Forum who made the whole thing possible (an extra shout to the brilliant Fiona McGugan, now former GM of the MMF, who has recently moved on for a career in law, all the best Fiona you star!). 

Finally, a huge thanks for checking us out, we hope you got a lot from these conversations, and will continue to. 

Say hey @managethatpod on socials. 

Ally & Sophie x 

This episode’s guest Vicky Dowdall, has a management story like no other. A manager with limitless belief in what their artist can achieve no matter what’s going on, and someone who’s loyalty to her acts over the years has really paid off. Covering everything from the merits of indie campaigns lessons from the life of girlbands you really need this episode in your life. Vicky manages the brilliant Nina Nesbitt and Olivia Sebastianelli and writer Robbie Jay, not to mention consulting on the forthcoming Ella Henderson campaign. She understands the world and pressure of big pop, but ultimately loves it, and as you’ll hear, right gives a crap. Enjoy.

Give us a shout on socials (@managethatpod), feel free to review us where you listen to your audio, and as ever a massive thanks to AWAL, our sponsors and fav distributor babes, and the Music Managers Forum for their support.

This episode, Sophie sat down with writer/artist manager Danny Desai, who manages Dyo, Ay Em and the writer/producer Maestro. He’s a manager, like so many, obsessed with learning the intricacies of every area in the business, but his wide and varied experiences before getting into management are what’s pushing him forward these days. 

As ever, give us a shout about anything that jumps out at you mid-listen on Twitter or Instagram @managethatpod 

Big love x 

If you manage Nile Rodgers, one of, if not the greatest songwriters of all time, do you really need an introduction by a wee podcast like ours? No, you probably don't, even less so when you've managed Elton John, Guns n' Roses and ran the management company that looked after actual Beyonce, to name but a few over a glittering career in the business. Much like his artist Nile, Merck Mercuriadis is a man of many talents, starting off in A&R, getting out and becoming wildly successful manager, while at the same time now entering the 'song management' game - something he fills us in on, along with some amazing insights, some utterly massive names and some great stories. 

As ever thanks to our podcast sponsors AWAL, one of the biggest innovators in the distribution space, empowering artists to reach new heights, while still owning all their rights, and our supporters the Music Managers Forum. 

Say hey @managethatpod on Instagram or Twitter, we'd love to know what you think, or even better, rate and review! Enjoy! 

Oh, and P.S. Ally went off on one about his love of Scottish act The Blue Nile, who Merck used to manage, but there was so so so much more in the episode we wanted to get in, that slightly gushy section was dropped, we'll maybe save that embarrassment for a bonus episode. Bless him. 

This episode we bring you the manager (and story behind) one of 2019's real breakout successes from the UK.  Simon King manages Brit Award winning, number one album, gold-record-selling artist Tom Walker, but it's been a long road to get there with his company Covert Management. It's a story that, tested this managers charisma, determination, and ability to consistently juggle many things (and sometimes jobs), and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. A balanced, calm and super engaging guest, Simon's episode is one you don't want to miss, and one to definitely Leave A Light On for.... (sorry! - AM) 

This episode on HDYMT? Sophie and Ally sit down with Josh Edwards or “manager Josh” as he is known to the fan army of his sole management client Dodie. Josh has been with the YouTuber and top-5-charting artist since she was playing friends gigs in cafes, and although she already had one kind of audience, it took a whole lot of nurturing to grow the singer as a serious pop proposition. For this ep we pitched up to the ever excellent Great Escape Festival, and decided to record right in the heart of the action. Thanks for checking out another episode, and feel free to say hey on Insta/Twitter @managethatpod