Experience

Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group

• United States
• Musicians
• 1 - 100 Employee

• International Consultant

  • Nov 2022 - Present



Music Gain

• United Kingdom
• Retail

• Consultant (Acquisitions and Business Development)

  • Oct 2022 - Present

  www.musicgain.comWe buy, fund, merge with/co-run, and provide distribution services to independent music businesses and rightsholders. www.musicgain.comWe buy, fund, merge with/co-run, and provide distribution services to independent music businesses and rightsholders.



The Music Federation

• United Kingdom
• Musicians

• Director and Founder

  • Aug 2021 - Present

  ach@themusicfederation.com

• Founder - Killing Moon

  • Oct 2012 - Present

  The Music Federation was launched in August 2021, which saw Killing Moon become a founding member as-of that date.Killing Moon is comprised of an independent record label (Marsicans, Bad Nerves, Fickle Friends, InMe, Bad Sounds, Slaves, IDLES, Nadine Shah, Laurel and more are amongst the alumni), an artist management business (Draper, Flawes, Annabel Allum, Maud, Chapter and Verse) and live promotions: www.killing-moon.comI did an interview with The Telegraph a few years back which sums up the story nicely: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/connect/small-business/how-to-start-a-record-label/Under Killing Moon I also hold various freelance consultancies, such as that for Festival Republic whereby I act as a consultant booker (DJs and stage comperes) for events such as Reading and Leeds Festivals.



Academy of Contemporary Music

• United Kingdom

• Head of Music Industry Link

  • Jun 2022 - Sep 2022

  As part of the global strategic partnership between The Music Federation and the Academy of Contemporary Music, I create experiential placements and professional work opportunities for ACM students within the wider music industry, ranging from songwriting and production work and experiences through to live performances, festival crew and record label internships. Students receive real-life and commercially overt experiences using The Music Federation’s members and partners as a resource. Together we are cultivating and training the next generation of the music industry.



Metro.co.uk

• United Kingdom
• Online Audio and Video Media
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Freelance music writer

  • Oct 2016 - Jan 2022

  I write a daily feature for one of the UK's largest publications. Which is pretty cool. Artists new, on-their-way and established considered.Please email submissions to metro@killing-moon.com I write a daily feature for one of the UK's largest publications. Which is pretty cool. Artists new, on-their-way and established considered.Please email submissions to metro@killing-moon.com



Association of Independent Music Ltd

• Director

  • Sep 2016 - Jan 2022

  As part of my tenure on the AIM Board, I attend monthly board meetings to debate and vote on policy and initiatives that support the UK independent sector for the benefit of our 1000+ record label and self-releasing artist members. My main focuses individually are pushing for industry reform on mental health issues, and finance/business support for “bedroom” labels, who I believe are the back-bone of the independent sector. I am regularly asked to represent AIM at conference and lobbying events, and indeed UK funding panels such as the various PRSF funding schemes (Momentum and Women Make Music) as well as MEGs as administered by the BPI.



UK Music Ltd

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• UK Music Futures Group member

  • Jan 2017 - Jan 2019

  Headed up by The MMF's Andy Edwards and UK Music COO Ele Hill, the UK Music Futures Group convenes periodically to discuss matters relevant to the unfurling of the "new music industry" in the UK. The board is comprised of some 30 individuals working across the UK music industry, encompassing record labels, agents, publishers, promoters, artists, producers, lawyers and more. It is a pan-industry initiative to determine which issues are the most important to the industry as a whole rather by individual sector, which essentially reflects how the modern music business is not divided into rigid silos as perhaps it once was.



Turn First Artists

• Label Manager/Consultant

  • Oct 2012 - Jan 2015

  In 2012 I did a deal with Turn First Artists (now First Access Entertainment) to restructure Killing Moon as a JV with them. In addition to running Killing Moon and managing the imprint's staff, I was responsible for marketing and distributing Turn First Records' signed repertoire (Jack Garratt, Laurel, Leon Else, VV Brown, and a bunch more), in addition to consulting on artist management and campaigns therein. In 2012 I did a deal with Turn First Artists (now First Access Entertainment) to restructure Killing Moon as a JV with them. In addition to running Killing Moon and managing the imprint's staff, I was responsible for marketing and distributing Turn First Records' signed repertoire (Jack Garratt, Laurel, Leon Else, VV Brown, and a bunch more), in addition to consulting on artist management and campaigns therein.



Quest Management/Almost Gold Recordings

• A&R

  • Oct 2008 - Aug 2010

  Responsible for managing JV label (Almost Gold Recordings) with Mercury Records. Day-to-day management duties for roster including Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire and Bjork. Responsible for managing JV label (Almost Gold Recordings) with Mercury Records. Day-to-day management duties for roster including Paul McCartney, Arcade Fire and Bjork.



Mercury Records/UMG

• A&R

  • Jan 2007 - Sep 2008

  Artists/projects worked on: Rhianna, David Jordan, Paul McCartney, Black Kids, Arcade Fire. Artists/projects worked on: Rhianna, David Jordan, Paul McCartney, Black Kids, Arcade Fire.