Manager Spotlight gives us a small insight into the heads of incredible managers. First out is Hannah Partington of Young Turks.

How long have you worked in Management? 

About 4 years.

Who do you manage now?

Sampha and The Haxan Cloak/Bobby Krlic.

Where did you find your first client and what inspired you to take them on?

I remember first hearing Sampha years ago, first on a SBTRKT record and then live at a Benji B Deviation night and his voice cut me to the core. I’d not been moved like that for a long time; I met him briefly afterwards and was struck by his gentle, humble way. Fastforward a few years and I heard Young Turks were looking for a new manager to work with him and I just had to go for it!

I’d first heard about The Haxan Cloak through other artists and engineers who had worked with him as a producer, and had sung his praises. And then when talking to Young Turks I found out that Mattis With there had signed him for management. I’d come from working in music and film, and was incredibly excited that Bobby was moving his phenomenal production skills into film scoring, and it was a journey I really wanted to be part of.

What’s a good/bad day at work look like for you? 

A good day is seeing a creative collaboration you’ve been orchestrating for weeks come to fruition and feeling the chemistry you’d hoped for. A bad day is, obviously, the opposite or projects being cancelled after weeks of prep!

What has been the highlight of your management career to date?

There have been lots. I just get so much pleasure from seeing the artists I work with actualize their vision.

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2020?

How to do things sustainably – the music industry broadly needs to take this seriously and we as managers have a responsibility to make choices about our artists’ supply chains that are as environmentally friendly as possible.

What music are you currently listening to?

Complete mix as always as I’m researching various things across classical, jazz, jungle, soul, gospel, hip hop and Wassoulou music.

Read more about Young Turks here.