13 minute read
Brandon Creed, Full Stop Management
sustain a living, and we didn’t know where it was going to go. Well, I think Bruno always knew where it was going to go – I didn’t, at that time. I brought them into Epic at one point, but [the A&R team] weren’t that interested in signing them.
There is a long list of shining A&R stars who turned their noses up at Bruno.
Almost every successful artist has their story. Actually, the first artist I brought into Epic, a month in, was Lady Gaga. This was prior to her even signing to Def Jam; she didn’t have any of the music she broke with, but she was definitely a force, and I responded to that, but my superiors didn’t. I was new, I didn’t have full conviction in my abilities at the time, either; timing is everything in this business. I still have her demo packet.
Around the same time I was using Bruno and Phil quite a bit [as writers], so was Aaron BaySchuck. He was responsible for the session that produced Right Round [for Flo Rida], then Nothin’ On You [for BoB], Billionaire and F*ck You [for CeeLo Green]. It was a time in the business when people like Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, The Dream and Ryan Tedder were sought after writers who used that currency to build their artist profiles – and that’s what we attempted to do with Bruno. As we all know, so much of the power in this business is in the creator and the song, so when you have songs that are in demand, when your time is in demand as a writer, you get taken a lot more seriously – and that’s what started to happen with Bruno.
The music business has evolved a lot since you started out as a manager with Bruno. What to your mind are the most valuable functions of a manger today? It’s a completely different business than it was when I started as a manager and at a label. But fundamentally, for a manager, the proposition is always the same: to seriously protect your artist, help execute their vision, and fight for their right to achieve their goals.
While the terrain and the apparatus – whether it’s streaming, social media or other developments – change, the goals are always the same.
Ahmet Ertugen said something like: ‘We walk around looking until you’re lucky enough to bump into a genius – and when you do, hold on and don’t let go.’ I’ve been fortunate enough to bump into a few geniuses, and I’ve done what I can to hold on!
Lizzo is one of the modern music business’s biggest stories. How has her team strategized to break her as a vivid artist proposition, when we’re so used to much of that mainstream streaming business being more about tracks/playlists? It’s incredible – and, talking of geniuses, she is one. She knows exactly who she is, what her vision is, and always has. The thing about Lizzo that was very clear from the beginning was there was two sides: when you said her name, people either said, ‘I don’t know who that is,’ or, ‘Oh my God I fucking love her!’ There was nothing really in-between.
Me, Kevin Beisler and Alana Balden have worked with her for almost two-and-a-half years now. We met her in April 2017, at the suggestion of Julie Greenwald and Larry Wade, who both encouraged each side to meet. It took [Lizzo] a few months to make the decision, a period of deliberation, which I’m always very happy to see. The most important professional relationship an artist can have is with their manager, and I consider my most important relationships those with my artists; it’s wise to take that time.
After she came to the decision we jumped right in. This is the first time that I’ve been connected to an artist that seemingly blew up overnight, even though she’s been working ten years for this, working her ass off, and is now getting what she so deserves.
The success is a result of so many things, namely Lizzo’s talent and vision, but it’s been a team effort from the beginning.
Myself, Kevin and Alana at Full Stop worked really closely with the Nice Life team – Larry Wade and Ricky Reed – and then her team at Atlantic, Brandon Davis, Grace James, Ashley Kalmanowitz, Torsten Luth and of course Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman.
In the post-Blurred Lines climate, Lizzo’s faced claims about plagiarism and has responded forcefully. Some say those claims are spurious, to say the least. What are your thoughts on the current situation, and what can the music business do about it? Unfortunately, I have been involved in a few of these situations over the years. There’s definitely an ambulance-chasing, bottom-feeding approach that seems to be happening in the
songwriting and publishing world today, particularly in the United States because of the way the legal system works. That’s not to say there aren’t sometimes legitimate infringements usually made unintentionally, but extortion tactics are becoming increasingly rampant.
It’s oftentimes considered easier and more cost-effective to just settle these claims than it is to fight them. It’s scary to put the very subjective, creative process [of songwriting] in the fate of a judge and/or jury who might not fully understand how it works.
There’s only X amount of notes, and combinations of notes, that exist. The innuendo is what’s really challenging; it’s unfortunate because it scares a lot of songwriters, it hurts a lot of songwriters. And often it’s just lawyers or business people buying catalogs out there looking for [legal] opportunities to seize upon – it’s often not the actual artist themselves [driving the claim] over a perceived infringement.
How do you judge your success as a manager today – streams, ticket sales or something else? Our success is based completely on the artist’s satisfaction. Whatever the artist’s goal is, I take pride in the win. If they want No.1 records, Grammy nominations, an Oscar, a Broadway run, to raise money or awareness for a cause whatever it is, that’s what we’re here to do. Of course, I take pride in running great campaigns and exciting and successful tours, and in helping stimulate conversations in popular culture. But ultimately we measure our success as a company when the artist is happy. Artists are often happy when they’re having success and making money - so that’s a good thing.
You came together with Irving and Jeffrey Azoff for Full Stop.
Mark Ronson
What in your mind can Full Stop bring to an artist career that other companies cannot? Management is such a personal, real relationship. It’s all about the dynamic between two people, but also the resources that the manager has to help the artist. Full Stop has power in numbers and in its roster and we have an incredible team of managers.
Getting to work with Irving and Jeffrey on a daily basis has been amazing. We all came with different backgrounds. Words can’t do justice to describe what Irving has achieved in his career, and what a crusader he is for his artists and all artists in the business. Irving is non-stop, a force! He’s always thinking of something you’re not.
I had an extensive label background, a creative background in A&R, and helped break a global superstar [in Bruno]; Jeffrey comes from the agency world, has been a part of massive tours and has built Harry [Styles’] career incredibly well. There are a lot of options out there for an artist, but we bring a very specific, boutique yet full service approach to an artist’s life and career.
What in your view are the key ingredients for a successful
long-lasting artist/manager relationship like the one you have with Mark Ronson? As a manager, you are spending the majority, if not the entirety, of your day, in some way, shape or form, making an argument - arguing on behalf of your artist. To do that, you have to believe in the argument, and in your artist’s instincts and their vision. If you are lucky enough to work with artists where you have that, it’s easy to argue all day long. And of course, like any relationship, it’s about like-mindedness; you’re not going to be best friends with every artist you work with, but in some cases you are lucky to share friendship. I do my best to operate with integrity, to operate ethically and with transparency.
What did you learn from your relationship with Bruno – and what’s your observation on you parting ways now some water has passed under the bridge? I am so grateful for the opportunity and experience I had with Bruno. It’s something I’ll never be able to replicate with anybody else; we were both essentially figuring it out together. It was an incredible ride, a rocketship; we broke records and did things people said we’d never be able to do; we did the
Superbowl just after his second album, then did it again two years later; there was Uptown Funk, Bruno and Mark’s song together, which was named the song of the decade by Billboard. I learned so much; I was able to put into practice so much from what I learned from Tom and Clive and other people over the years. It was high pressure, high anxiety but it was an incredible experience.
I have so much respect for Bruno as an artist and as a person. I’m really grateful for the experience, I learned a lot from it, and I have learned a lot in the years since we parted.
As with anything, there are some things that I wish had gone differently, but I don’t live with regret and I’m proud of what we achieved together.
I root for him. He’s going to be around for as long as he wants to be around. I’m happy for the experience, I’m happy for him, and I’m happy where I am right now.
If I could give you a magic wand to change one thing about the modern music business, what would it be and why? I would change the power and the currency of social media. As in every area of society, it can be very positive, but it can also be dangerous, weaponized and harmful – and I think it doesn’t always mean as much as people think it does when an artist has X amount of followers.
Therefore it creates opportunities that a betterformed artist, or someone who might deserve [that opportunity] more doesn’t get, because they’re not good at social media. I grew up in the era of massive superstars like Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, George Michael; there’s a mystique around those artists that I don’t think would exist today because of social media.
It’s a notch against an artist if they don’t participate in that [social media] space, but it can create a toxic environment. It can be a public reckoning for artists and songs, and that doesn’t always need to be the case. That said, I also see its value and how it can be used for positivity.
If you could go back and contact yourself during your fi rst few months in management, what would you say? Have confi dence. Stand your ground. Believe in yourself, and trust your gut. And have a little bit more fun! What excites you most about the future of the business and what will be its biggest challenge? When you get to be a part of something that makes people feel good and connects, that becomes a cultural phenomenon – Uptown Funk, or Shallow or what Waitress did for Sara Barellies; working with an artist like Troye Sivan, who would have not existed ten years ago because being an ‘out’ artist was not as widely accepted, he is an example and role model for so many young kids out there; Charli XCX just came off a sold out tour where she performed to rave-like audiences every night and gave people the time of their lives. Lizzo, on the cover of Vogue, and being Time and EW’s entertainer of the year - people embracing her, her art, her music, her being, it’s so gratifying to be a part of that. The goal remains the same: working with visionaries, and spreading their gospel. That’s also the challenge, because it’s become harder and harder to do that – but when it does happen, it happens even bigger than it used to. Lizzo and Billie Eilish are perfect examples; real artists who are breaking very big, very fast because there’s a thirst for superstars. Social media and other platforms have arguably provided an opportunity for a lot of less charismatic, more two-dimensional artists to come through and populate the space. For me, it’s about working with artists that stand for something, have a vision and are superstars in the true sense of the word – and it always will be.
This interview fi rst appeared on MBW in December 2019.
