The Scenes of Management

New Wave Management

Behind every successful artist's career is a manager or management company working hard behind the scenes helping to guide the journey. In this article, we speak to the founder of New Wave Management who are currently working closely with emerging artists across Scotland's music scene. Talking from both a personal and professional experience, they are sharing what it takes to support upcoming talent, navigating all of the industry challenges and creating opportunities for growth.

Interview with Levi Black

Getting Started

Exploring how his journey into artist management started and what inspired him to support emerging artists.

How did you first get involved in artist management?

I got in to artist management after being in an independent band for a couple of years myself. There are a lot of challenges in this industry and there aren’t very many professionals keen to teach you the ropes at the beginning on your career. I decided I wanted to learn how to navigate my band through the industry without relying on others so that’s when I decided to apply for a degree in music business and quickly found that I quite enjoy the role of artist manager and wanted to use what I had learnt both on the ground and through studying to help other independent artists in the area.

What inspired you to start working with emerging artists?

My experience from both playing in an independent band and meeting countless other independent artists over the years is that most of these musicians are only underground and independent because someone hasn’t given them a chance yet. When a band has great music and I can see the passion and drive behind the songs I want to support that. Scotland has an incredible underground scene, I want to help more people discover it.

Management

A look into the day-to-day responsibilities involved when managing artists and creating opportunities.

What does a typical day look like as a band manager?

Every day is little different in artist management depending on what stage a band is in but most days involve a mix of planning, communication and coordinating among all of the different people involved with the bands like promoters, venue and media publications. The job comes with a lot of sending and answering emails about upcoming shows and releases, organising rehearsals, planning release strategies and lots of creating the content for that. All with the goal of keeping the artists long-term vision moving forward and managing all of the small tasks that come up to make that possible.

What are the main responsibilities when managing an artist or band?

Your main responsibilities as a manager all centre around guiding and developing the artists career while handling all of the organisational and strategic planning of releases, promotion and live shows behind the scenes. I think of the role as the first point of contact between an artist or band and both the public market and music industry professionals (like promoters and agents). As a manager it’s your job to represent the artist to the industry and negotiate with the various roles involved to create rewarding opportunities that ultimately move the artist forward.

The Challenges

Understanding the balance between the enthusiasm, planning and the expectations.

What are some of the biggest challenges when working with emerging artists?

One of the biggest challenges when working with emerging artists is balancing enthusiasm with long term strategy. New artists are often eager to take every opportunity that comes their way, but part of the manager’s role is helping them understand which opportunities will actually help their development and which might conflict with existing plans.

Communication and expectations can also be a challenge in early stage projects. Because structures and roles are still developing, the manager often has to guide decision making and help artists understand how the industry works, particularly when it comes to things like live shows, promotion and building relationships within the scene.

Industry Insights

Networking and the reputations within the music industry play a very important role when securing opportunities for an artist.

How important is networking in the music industry for both managers and artists?

The saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” perfectly describes the music industry. In an industry as gate kept as this one having a strong network is a massive advantage to securing opportunities, especially as you start climbing higher in the ranks of the industry. To tell the truth any opportunity I have secured for any artist I’ve been involved with has been secured due to building working reputation with existing or mutual contacts in other sectors of the music industry like promoters, radio hosts, and other artists. For example, I once secured a high profile support slot on a UK tour for a band due to having a friend in the industry who had previously worked with the touring bands manager and kindly passed over the email address to me. A more direct example would be using existing social media relationships to secure a play on BBC Radio 1 for an up and coming act. It never hurts to send a message and ask outright for the opportunity, the worst someone can say is no!

What do you think makes a band stand out when you’re deciding who to work with?

I have 5 things that I personally look for in a band when deciding who to work with. If a band ticks all of these boxes I’d be happy to consider managing them;

1. good music - it’s fundamental but it’s also subjective. I can appreciate when something isn’t for me but is still exceptionally written/played but I do have to be excited about the music to push it, so I won’t be the best manager for every artist

   
   

2. Confidence & presence - even if it’s fake at first and you have to come into it. I need artists who can control crowds and stand out, that’s how we turn support slot audiences into long term fans.

   
   

3. A basic industry understanding - a lot of bands start out sounding and looking incredible so they are picked up quickly before they have learnt how the industry works. This can cause a lot of tension fast between an artist and manager. It’s not their job to know everything (that’s mine) but realistically they should know what managers, promoters and agents do at a basic level. This helps them manage expectations with professionals and keeps the relationships working healthily.

   
   

4. Drive, not just passion! - every artist that wants to break out has passion, drive is what sets artists apart in terms of potential. If a band is willing to do the unglamorous and often monotonous behind the scenes work that goes in to making a band work until they are sick of doing it, and then they do it some more, then I know that they are willing to work hard on their end to make it work.

   
   

5. A good attitude - I can’t work with artists who are ego driven or don’t have a sense of musicianship. These artists often need a lot of conflict resolution and are really difficult to network for.

Live Music + Promotion

Exploring how important live performances opportunities can be and ensuring events are planned strategically.

How important are live performances for growing an artist’s career?

In my opinion live shows are one of the most important ways for an artist to grow their career, especially in the early stages. Playing shows allows artists to build real connections with audiences in a way that social media and streaming just can’t replicate. A strong live performance can turn a casual viewer into a loyal fan and that is essential for building a strong audience.

What role does a manager play when organising gigs or opportunities for a band?

A manager plays a central role in organising gigs and opportunities for a band, particularly in the early stages of their career. In many independent projects, the manager is responsible for identifying opportunities, reaching out to promoters or venues, negotiating show details and making sure the band is placed on the right lineups to help them grow.

From my own experience managing bands, this can involve building relationships with promoters, securing support slots for touring artists, and organising headline shows that allow the band to build their own audience. A manager also has to think strategically about where and when a band plays. For example, making sure shows are spaced out properly to avoid splitting audiences, choosing venues that suit the band’s current following, and placing the band in front of the right crowds.

Advice

Guidance for those who may be struggling to start-up their career, or those who would like to begin their journey in the music industry.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to work in artist management?

You don’t need a degree or any formal training to be a band manager, all you need to be successful in this work is evidence based results. If it’s something you want to get into go to shows, build your network and learn marketing and promotion like the back of your hand, everything else will come to you naturally on the job through experience. Having a list of bookers, promoters and artists in your pocket that you have good reputation with plus knowing the tips and tricks to get your artists music in front of the right ears means that you can plan release schedules and live show dates before you have your artist in the studio. It’s that kind of advanced planning that makes the job run smoothly during execution.

What do you think emerging artists should focus on most when starting out?

For artists who are looking to develop long term careers in music I think they should really focus on perfecting their live show and building their local audience. Releasing music and promoting it online is great to build global audiences, but if your song is released in Scotland and gets 10,000 streams in New York you won’t be able to convert that into the numbers that promoters and managers are really looking at. However, If an artist can secure a support slot on a sold out local show in their genre having a tight and interactive live show will convert a good chunk of that audience into their own. Once you are in a position you can pull in 20-30 tickets to a support slot that is when promoters, managers and other industry professionals will start keeping an eye on you and you’ll quickly become a reliable option for filling bills and have a strong local audience to release your music to.

This article highlights the vital roles that artist managers play when it comes to shaping and guiding an artist's career. Networking and strategic planning can open the doors to allow emerging artists to gain growth and recognition within the music industry.

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