Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 41

Jocelyn Russell
of The Beelays
need to be ready for the manager to take them to the next level, get
them an agent if they don’t have one, and get them into a showcase
situation. Generally, artists can get themselves only so far without
the relationships and knowledge that an experienced manager may
have.”
The convention is for the manager to find the artist – not the
other way around – although bands can put themselves in a posi-
tion where they will become more attractive to management. They
need to show that they’re driven and have had some successes on
their own. A list of achievements and accolades is important – high
social media and streaming numbers, impressive gig history, etc.
– because managers usually won’t go near you otherwise. To this,
Nelson adds: “Sometimes, it’s less about where artists are at in their
career and more about what they’re looking for. They have to have a
certain level of musicianship, they should be touring, should maybe
have some level of industry recognition, though that’s not essential.
But they have to be really hard-working.”
Jocelyn Russell is a vocalist/keyboardist for the Hamilton,
ON-based band The Beelays. She talks about where her band was at
when they first signed with a manager:
“We had a good fanbase and a good relationship with a lot of
the venues in the city, but we definitely needed some help to get to
the next level. If we wanted to play music for a living, then getting
out of our hometown was definitely on the list, and we needed help
doing that. We’d kind of reached our local capacity and knew that it
was time to move forward. We’re writing so much, and now we have
more time for that. Having a manager gave us fuel for the fire, keep-
ing that goal in our vision, so that was one thing that really helped:
having another person rooting for us, who has our best interests in
mind and can handle a lot of the business stuff. We can do it, but
we’d rather just be writing and creating and polishing our show;
definitely, having a manager helped us focus on that.”
Branching Out
ey. For the $50 commission, it’s more important for the band to eat
or put gas in the van. If a band is getting nickled-and-dimed right
out of the gate, it’s kind of a red flag.”
Breen did clarify that he always kept track of the commissions
he’d waived, and he billed his acts down the road, after his efforts
began to yield success.
Speaking of red flags, it’s important to know that the artist does
not pay the manager out of pocket for services. One should think
twice about signing with a manager who demands an upfront fee
or monthly payments from the artist.
What Managers Look for in Artists
Managers want to invest themselves in acts that are destined for
success, as one can’t create greatness from mediocrity. If a band’s
career isn’t flourishing, it could be that they’ve reached the end of
their potential success, or that their music genre has fallen out of
popularity.
When asked about a manager’s expectations of an artist with
whom he may work, Breen says: “That will depend on where the
artist is at when the manager comes in – if they’ve got a buzz and
there’s something happening and they’ve got a following. They
Most management agreements clarify that the manager looks after
the artist within the entire entertainment industry, rather than solely
the music business. For one thing, this accommodates the fact that,
if an artist has success outside of music, it is the result of, among
other things, the manager’s hard work. It’s a whole lot easier to be-
come a movie star or a best-selling author if you’ve sold several mil-
lion records, streams, and/or concert tickets; further, it behooves the
artist to continue their relationship with the current manager.
Breen looks after the entire career of Headstones lead singer
Hugh Dillon. After Dillon starred in Bruce McDonald’s seminal 1996
film Hard Core Logo, it was a natural evolution for him to continue
working with Breen. This resulted in a long and impressive onscreen
career, with Dillon starring in dozens of movies and TV series along-
side some of Hollywood’s elite.
“It’s about personal management, and the entertainment
industry is all-encompassing,” says Breen. “Hugh is an extraordinary
actor, musician, and all-around entertainer, so it was a natural evolu-
tion that I was interested in working with him in the film and televi-
sion world, as well as his music, just by the nature of our relationship.
Once you become the trusted confidant and advisor for an artist, or
an actor or anybody, it’s a no-brainer.”
Steve Parton is a manager with Hammer Artist Management.
His roster is full.
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