Relationships, Not Contracts
Some managers and artists like having contracts. I’ve never cared about them. If I’m worried about an artist screwing me over, I won’t sign them. It’s not like a job where you can shut it off. You sign an artist, you’re 24/7. That person’s a part of your life. So, if you feel you need a contract with this person, you’re better off not signing it.
In the few times where we’ve parted ways with clients, I’m still friends with them. I still help if it makes sense. It’s like dating, only you’re allowed to have several spouses. If it doesn’t make sense, you’re both better off ending the relationship. I know some managers who’ve had the same client come back three or four times.
Established Acts Vs. Baby Bands
Blink-182 has been in the business for 20 years. They understand it better than a developing artist, and the relationship becomes more collaborative versus [with] a developing artist, who doesn’t know much about the business and you have to take more of a captain role. There’s less explaining and more executing.
Dividing Responsibilities and Being Flexible
Everyone works on behalf of every client here. You have a lead manager and typically a day-to-day manager as well. You have a point person in charge of your digital. If you’re about to tour, you have a point person in charge of that.
But every artist is different. Billy Corgan talks to his manager, Peter Katsis, every day, but there are seven people on any given day doing something for Smashing Pumpkins. Travis Barker will call the digital team or walk in with an idea he wants to talk about without telling me.
Getting Ahead of the Technology Curve
We like finding companies––Uber, Spotify, Eventbrite, Pinterest––that clients have some strategic value to. We’ll go as far as having them invest in these companies. Half my phone calls are with venture capitalists or CEOs at tech companies, because we know how important they will be, if not already.
You know how labels have radio people? We have a staff of people who work with YouTube curation channels and different Spotify playlists in order to plug our music. The whole thing has changed because of what technology has provided.
Mentoring
Growing up in L.A., the one guy I always heard of was Irving Azoff. When I started representing DJ AM, his daughter was representing Nicole Richie and the two of them had been dating. So, for a while there, I would get advice from Irving. At one time, I almost worked for him.
I clicked with one of my partners Paul Rosenberg. He’s been a mentor to me. There was never a question too small where I didn’t have access to him. There’s never a phone call too little where he wouldn’t be there for me. That’s why I spend time with our younger staff every day, letting them ask me any questions. All our senior managers here do that, because mentorship was so important to us.
If you sign a band and don’t have the expertise, chances are they’ll want to sign with a bigger manager, so you’re better off getting yourself with a senior manager who’s willing to mentor you. At the end of the day, [an artist] just wants you to bring them more revenue.
Presentation Counts
Managers will write something off if they go to an artist’s Facebook or SoundCloud page and…It’s not about numbers or views, because kids know how to fake that stuff. It’s about the details. Do they have artwork on every song? Are they putting up crappy songs hoping for hits? Make sure your imaging is on point, because that’s the first place any manager is going to look. Clean up your social and digital footprint before soliciting manager meetings.
Top Priority is Loving Music
One thing that sucks about management is you don’t control your destiny. I could work 22-hour days and if Blink decides they’re not ready to go on tour, I don’t make money. Money needs to not be the priority. It has to be that you love music so much you want to be around it at all times. I’ve had other opportunities to make more money, but what drives me today is being intoxicated by music. That has to be a quintessential part of your genetic makeup.
Sunny Days Ahead
The aura of the business feels good again. My mom used to say, “You should have become an attorney. You’d be happier, make more money. I don’t know why you want to be in the business. They don’t even sell CDs anymore.” That feeling around the business has evaporated. It feels positive again. You’ve got cool people coming into the business and you’ve got older guys who thought a certain way transitioning out. So it’s a fun time to be in music.
Clients: Jane’s Addiction, Rancid, Deorro, Fischerspooner, Steve Aoki, Smashing Pumpkins, Blink-182, Air, The Glitch Mob, Porter Robinson, Gigamesh.
Years with Company: 9
Web: facebook.com/deckstar.mgmt
