Behind The Scenes

Photos by Rachel McCarthy

Managing bands with Charlene Hegarty

We asked music management extraordinaire Charlene Hegarty to take us behind the scenes of her experience of the music industry. Starting out at 17, she has worked on some impressive projects in Northern Ireland, smashing a PR campaign for Tom Waits and now works with some of the best bands coming out of the scene, including New Pagans! Take us back to the beginning…. how did your career start in the music industry?

“I got started when I was 17. I had been going to gigs regularly ahead of that - I was obsessed with live music and I would cascade from a Soweto

Kinch show to a Machine Head show to a P!NK show. I got my first official opportunity to ‘work’ in the industry by accident - my mum had been overheard talking about me and her concerns that my music interest was going nowhere as I wasn’t a musician myself. The guy “The feeling you get who overheard her ran a company as a music fan at a live who did PR in Ireland for Anti, show, it’s like nothing else. I think that’s Epitaph and Curb Records. He was a maverick so got me onboard and I worked my ass off on every my drug.” random project he would throw at me including doing PR for the Tom Waits Real Gone record in 2004. That one was mad, but only upon reflection, at the time I just took it and ran and thankfully it worked out and

What do you love about the music business?

“The feeling you get as a music fan at a live show, it’s like nothing else. I think that’s my drug.”

What are some of your favourite projects you’ve worked on?

“I am so proud to have released Human by Kitt Philippa, The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All

What frustrates you the most about it?

“It breaks hearts.”

In 2017 you started your artist management and talent development company zero myth. What made you want to start your own business?

“I’d reached a point where I had collected enough knowledge and was starting to get frustrated by good music not getting heard. I had also fallen in love with a bunch of demos by Kitt Philippa and I needed to be a part of that project and management felt like the next natural step.” by New Pagans and Ancestor by The Darkling Air - I work with each of these artists because of the profound effect their music has on me as a music fan above all else.”

What are the challenges you’ve faced since starting Zero Myth?

“Many, that’s par for the course - we are trading on art and sometimes people don’t ‘get it’. I have got better over the years of accepting that but pushing on in spite of it. Sometimes projects take off at the point where everyone is ready to give it all up. A lot is required from artists now - the industry and world operates at a certain speed and it can be challenging for artists to feel like they are keeping up. As a manager it’s important to me that the people in the projects are protected as much as our aims and that can be challenging in a real world context.”

You predominantly work with artists from Northern Ireland. What is the music scene like over there?

“It’s a tight unit and deeply supportive. When I arrived on the scene it felt like dance music and rock music were the given choices, which was exciting but limited. Now there are punk musicians forming alt-country bands, there are folk artists pumping out dance remixes, there are collaborations to great effect, we have the rawest singer songwriters and the rock scene is in rude health. We’ve always done the punk thing well but now the girls are running that scene, so it’s entered a new expansive era. There are more managers than there ever was, agents starting to pop up and affordable PR - we are our own cottage industry, DIY or die - it’s cool.”

“A lot is required

from artists now - the I was the music supervisor on Puffin Rock - it’s a beautiful industry and world animated series on Netflix and kids channels across operates at a certain the globe. It was a first of its speed and it can be kind project so it took lots of people believing in our mad challenging for artists idea to make it work. I got to to feel like they are commission the entire Ulster Orchestra to help perform keeping up.” the music and the music was written by my dear friend Einar Tonsberg. That project was different for me and challenging on a whole new level but I am so proud of it.”

Obviously 2020/2021 has thrown in some huge obstacles for the music industry. What are you hoping to happen, either with Zero Myth or for the artists you work with once the world opens up again?

“New Pagans are one of the best live bands on the planet. I will stand by that. We need to get them out on the road as anyone who sees them will join me in echoing that sentiment. Live music is so important to the health and wellbeing of so many, including the artists I work with. I hope live music will return at full capacity soon. In Northern Ireland we are still some way off that, which in practical terms, means bands like New Pagans have been legally banned from performing live to audiences for 17 months. How mad is that?”

What is your proudest achievement so far?

“I’m still here and I still feel motivated. Honestly, that is enough for me.”

You’ve been in the industry for 17 years now. Looking back, what would you tell your younger self starting out knowing what you know now?

“Go be a vet. Younger Charlene would bin that advice.”

In The Spotlight

Kev Douch

Check out our In The Spotlight playlist - perfect to accompany your favourite tipple We’re extremely lucky that a lot of our beers sell very quickly so by the time you read this there’s a chance it’ll no longer be available. But if it IS, you need to try Solero by Brew By Numbers. An ice cream inspired gose with mango, passionfruit and guava make this a perfect summer drink. And I’m gonna suggest you pair that with Four Minute Mile by The Get Up Kids.

The debut album from factually the best band ever is a snotty, fast-paced banger of a record and if Don’t Hate Me doesn’t stick in your head for a week after listening, you’re doing it wrong.

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