Ken Weinstein – Big Hassle Media

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05/29/23 • 66 min

Tough Love: Adventures In Artist Management

Ken Weinstein – Big Hassle Media

For today’s episode, we’re once again going off script and chatting with someone who, while not a manager, is someone who is an ally to artists and their quest to find an audience and make meaningful connections.

I was lucky enough to be connected with today’s guest, Ken Weinstein, right as he was starting Big Hassle Media with fellow publicist Jim Merlis. I’ve always admired Ken’s ability to advocate for artists from an authentic and natural place. His passion for the artists he works with shows through, and it’s an impressive list that includes many long-standing relationships, such as with Jack White and Third Man Records, as well as My Morning Jacket, and so many more. We get into a variety of topics, circling back around to the need for storytelling for artists, and how a publicist can support that narrative.

Ken Weinstein – Big Hassle Media

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Piers Henwood – Amelia Artists

Piers Henwood – Amelia Artists/Recordings

For today’s episode, I’m thrilled to get a chance to chat with Piers Henwood of Amelia Artists. Piers started out as a musician, playing in the band Jets Overhead before, as so many artist managers eventually end up doing, crossing over to the dark side of artist management. All kidding aside, Piers’s vantage point on management is uniquely rooted in his time as a musician; informing his business endeavors in Amelia Artists and Recordings. He also had the good fortune of working with Tegan & Sara for the first 20 years or so of their career, gaining valuable insight from mentors such as Elliot Roberts. Those experiences are some of the many stories and perspectives he regularly shares through his writing and on his blog. We’re fortunate to have him for a sliver of time to discuss all this together today.

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Dick Huey

Dick Huey – Toolshed

For today’s episode, we continue to veer off script and join my friend Dick Huey for a chat.

While Dick started out as a musician, then an artist manager, before wisely pivoting over into digital marketing, at the dawn of digital media in music, his fierce advocacy of artists and their rights, mirrored with supporting independent labels as they entered the digital landscape provides for many illuminating stories and perspectives, having worked on initial digital campaigns for Sufjan Stevens and Arcade Fire, to name a few.

Dick’s company Toolshed has evolved into business development work, supporting many new and emerging companies, touching on AI and music analytics. We cover all of that, and a lot more, in our conversation.