News The Art Of Conversation

and Jason began working together last year. After one wild night in Brixton, their shared passion for bands turned in to an entire company, taking on new acts and picking up new skills. We got them together to talk The Art Of [DIY] Agency, the state of the industry and being best mates with bands…

Jason: When Stacey moved back to Scotland (after 3 years in London), I asked her if she’d like to come and co-manage Copy Haho and Favours For Sailors (RIP!) with me. I was operating under the ‘The Art Of…’ agency name at the time and when Stacey came on board and started working with the bands, the interest from folk for her to get stuck in to some press campaigns was pretty quick to follow.

Stacey: This was only in April this year and it has been pretty much a whirlwind since the beginning. What went from solely management focused project has turned into a company offering online press and booking. We’re now working on regular events. It’s pretty crazy, we are working stupidly long hours but we are ecstatic with how it has gone so far and only positive and excited about what is still to come…

J: We never discussed an ethos as such did we? We had very similar music tastes, similar connections and similar opinions on the state of the industry. We ‘clicked’ as colleagues very quickly. The one thing we were, and are, always keen to ensure is that we are only ever working with bands who we have a genuine passion for and this is the same for all areas of the agency. We all run ideas of new artists past each other and take everyone’s opinions into account before approaching a new artist.

S: Yeah, we have never sat down and said ‘this is a mission statement’ as things can change and you may end up altering what you originally set out to do. It’s just a case of taking each day as it comes and working really bloody hard to make everything we do, and everything we want to achieve in the future, happen and for it to work.

J: Although I’ve always thought it is important to have a working friendship with our artists. Music is a really enjoyable industry to be involved with and although it all comes down to hard business at the end of the day, some people take that a little too seriously and overlook the fun and joy that’s to be had being in a band/working with a band. The two of us really love our jobs and we’re definitely not jaded by ‘the industry’…yet! Bands appreciate friendly correspondence and feel more comfortable working with people they can trust and have a laugh with as well as take advice/criticism from.Personally, I subscribe to a lot of blogs and keep tabs on acts mainly through that. We also work closely with independent labels like Big Scary Monsters, Turnstile and Angular Records who we swap A+R tips with and talk with regularly.

S: From my PR perspective, I have always found it so much easier to actually know who you are working with/for. Knowing what their personalities are like, what they like, who they like, all those sorts of attributes makes it so much easier to promote them. They like to know that you are on their side and actually like what they do, you are part of a team, all working towards making them achieve their success. Primarily, you are there to work on the band but to be able to hang out in social situations is a total perk and I would like to think that we have made friends for life through this (aww shucks)

J: This year has been both a crazy, hectic, learning experience and also one of the most satisfying of my working life. Getting to travel to SXSW for the first time this year was probably my personal highlight. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Watching Copy Haho blossom from shy Scottish boys into one of the most exciting unsigned bands in the country has been a gradual proud-father experience too. We’re building a really great family, everyone (bands and staff alike) is learning constantly and watching the company evolve from Stacey and myself managing just a couple of acts to co-ordinating the roster we have just now is thrilling!

S: The email from Sub Pop asking me to work on No Age was pretty amazing. White Heat in August, seeing Wonderswan and Copy Haho share a stage and play so well was thrilling. Now knowing that the October Los Campesinos! tour is going to be a full blown The Art Of…party, we can’t wait for that!! So many highlights, I feel bad leaving people out! And just the faith, geniune interest and confidence that people have expressed in us is so flattering and has been such a great help and confidence boost.

J: Personally I think management/artists are going to stop running straight to the big ‘names’ of the industry and start broadening their horizons. The companies showing the greatest levels of creativity and passion will be the ones that start attracting the interest and picking up the ‘next big things’. Everyone knows that the music industry is evolving into a very different entity and the businesses that are most adaptable to this or who are already working towards new models of operations will be of the greatest benefit to the independent artist. I definitely see the fact that we are able to offer press and booking under the same ‘roof’ is going to be key in our development. It means we are able to think of the artist’s career from all angles when making decisions on campaigns and work together to really push them to our fullest.

S: With Sparky Deathcap, we came along at the right time as he was looking to step it up and just receive more recognition for what he is doing, which he totally deserves. How many other artists do you hear of who have composed a ukulele rock opera? It’s a case of supporting the artist in the things that they want to do. At the end of the day, It’s their life and career and if we can help them achieve goals, then that is our role. The industry is in a bit of a state of flux, but it will adapt and for us, it just boils down to doing right by the people you work with.

J: Stacey and I are also working with (on press and booking) a really exciting, young, 2-piece called Swanton Bombs. They’re off on tour with Girls around the UK and Europe in October and they’re one of the best live acts we’ve seen this year. Copy Haho and Sparky Deathcap are both on tour with Los Campesinos! in October which is just going to be awesome! I’m really excited about the potential of The Moi Non Plus as well. I picked them up off the back of their performances at this year’s The Great Escape and they’re putting out their album on Smalltown America in October - hopefully people love them as much as we do and they can tour heavily in 2010.

S: Shhh Jason. I love all of them! They’re all amazing. We wouldn’t be working with them if they weren’t. Turnstile have been genius with the acts they are working with - like Jason has just mentioned, we saw Swanton Bombs for the first time last month and they were incredible. For two guys to make that noise, they are so special. And Perfume Genius, awww we love him, he is just stunningly heartbreaking and haunting, I hope we get to see him play one day. The new Los Campesinos! record is just mind-blowing and I am deliriously happy to be working with them again. Othello Woolf is a definite star for 2010, classic classic tracks reminiscent of Bowie and Talking Heads with soul influences thrown in. I reckon that The Northwestern are going to blow up big really quickly, they have the potential to be epic. Pulled Apart By Horses are going to wow everyone with their debut record. Wonderswan’s new tracks are incredible, just a small indicator of how good this band are and will continue to be and Dolby Anol have written one of the best pop songs that I have heard for years, no joke, just wait till you hear it.

TO DO IT YOURSELF YOU HAVE TO…

Jason: …work, work, work until the job gets done, never doubting what you’re doing and coming out smiling, with huge amounts of satisfaction, on the other side.

Stacey: Enjoy it, take risks and just get on with it.

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