How long have you worked in Management?

7 years.

Who do you manage now?

Divorce, Big Warm Bed & pencil.

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

I found my first proper client whilst promoting gigs with my partner Julia in Leeds, we went to watch the band bdrmm play a show at The Brudenell Social Club, when they supported the band Cattle, they were so good already & I quickly decided that I needed to be involved with the band in more than just a promoter role & I learnt the ropes from there. I also knew my skills were better suited behind the scenes within the industry & that no one needs to hear my awful Wonderwall guitar playing!

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

A good day is when everything runs smoothly & I manage to keep on top of all my work load or I get to be at a gig with one of my bands & everything feels like it was worthwhile. A bad day is when something happens out of the blue & I need to drop everything to accommodate the situation & it puts me on the back foot with the rest of my work load, I would also say that having a bad day with mental health is also a blow, it doesn’t help with the already fragile existence of a manager’s life.

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

I would say my biggest highlight to date was signing Divorce to Gravity Records (& generally all we’ve achieved together in the last few years), there are still so many things to achieve with Divorce & Big Warm Bed / pencil, but I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved so far.

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2024?

Financial instability, mental health issues & the weight of pressure we put ourselves under to succeed with all our artists / bands

What have you gained from the Accelerator Programme so far?

The support network that I’ve been able to be part of has been the biggest thing I’ve gained from the programme, obviously the learning side of things has also been a great eye opener, but yeah the community / support network that has been created between all the managers is the thing I’ve taken the most from, sometimes being a manager feels very solitary / lonely, I don’t feel that as often anymore.

Why would you recommend the MMF?

The MMF has been a game changer for me & gave me a community to feel part of. If you’re a manager & not a member I would highly recommend getting signed up.

What music are you currently listening to?

I’m currently listening to a lot of exciting unreleased material right now, but stuff that’s out now, I’m listening to a lot of No Windows, the live album Istanbul 2011 by Mercury Rev & a lot of Velvet Underground.