The Manager/Artist relationship is a complicated one. Sometimes for various reasons, Artists and Managers part ways. Sometimes the Artists wants to take back the job of Manager and handle their own affairs. Maybe the Manager has taken the band as far as they can go with the resources they have and now have to pass the band off to a Manager with more contacts and resources to move them forward to the next level. It could be due to a falling out over differences in the Artist vision, a business disagreement, or the Manager over-promised on who they know and what they could deliver, but one thing is for sure, most often the Artist is far better than where they were before that Manager and it is that Manager’s hard work that moved that band to the next level where they could attract better gigs, press, producers, Manager, and possibly catch the eye of a label.
Artists should not try to erase history but instead pay homage to those who have helped steer their career and move them further. Too often, I see a Manager erased from the history books which I find a travesty because they did the hardest portion, the development portion, when there was little to no money and they built the Artist from the ground up. They’re finally getting some traction and out with the old and in with the new and someone else will reap the rewards. It’s an all-too-common scenario.
Some Managers and Artists never speak again. Some Managers and Artists will repair their friendship over time after healing from the hurt of separation (likened to the pain of a divorce by many Managers), and if done “properly”, the Manager (who always wants the best for their Artist) realizes they’ve done all they can and they see reward in that they did such a good job that they can pass the Artist up to a high powered Manager and then remain friends, or stay on in some capacity on the Creative Dream Team, or go find another Artist who needs building from the ground up. A Manager with noted development skills is highly regarded in the Industry for the development phase is known to be the hardest job. Even labels don’t want to work in Artist Development anymore.
This week’s guest Manager is Reignwolf’s former Manager, Ryan Crase.
GC: First of all Ryan, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your story with our readers.
GC: How did you get into the Music Industry?
RC: From 2011 until late 2012 I managed Canadian blues rocker, Jordan Cook. This was ultimately the start-up period of the band, Reignwolf.
I have since left the Reignwolf project to pursue other creative ventures, and haven’t exactly taken on managing any other bands. Due to the incredible experience and everything I’ve learned post Reignwolf, I’ve been enjoying a progressive transformation and have had the opportunity to lend a hand in different creative capacities to a few other bands including: Haunted Horses, Brent Amaker and the Rodeo, King Dude, The Anunnaki, Basment Sessions, HBS, Walking Papers, Shotty, Hobosexual, The Mother’s Anger, and a couple others.
I built a friendship and I found myself watching videos of his performances that had been posted online. We’d talk often and I found myself giving him suggestions that I thought could help him get to the next level. I saw that he had something pretty special, but he just needed some direction. I always wanted to help him out in a bigger way, but because he lives in Canada, I didn’t really have a means to that vision. I originally wanted to do a Kickstarter Campaign and raise enough money to hire a film crew and make a decent video for him, but I knew it couldn’t be that simple, so then I thought about doing a documentary based on his start as a child prodigy. That stuff just didn’t seem to flow for me, so not long after shooting those ideas down, I realized I had a part of a plan that made sense. He needed to look cooler and have a crazy band & weird band name. I realized my friends in the Seattle band The Mother’s Anger would be a perfect rhythm section for Jordan, and an excuse to introduce him to Seattle. Knowing I had enough connections to get him some shows in town, I developed a more refined vision for the project. It was a long shot, but after a couple years, I somehow managed to secure a headlining KEXP showcase and put together a film crew to capture it all – without the need of a Kickstarter campaign. It was actually after the booked show and everything else was in place that he agreed to come down and give it a shot. That’s where it all started.
GC: Do you think Managers find bands or bands find Managers? (chicken or the egg theory)
RC: I’ve met a lot of Managers, and some have transitioned from other areas in the business such as Booking Agent or Tour Manager. Some start out as friends, and others are simply hired for the job. I’ve heard of lawyers dong the managing as well as the legal duties. In my case, it was a friendship that turned into a management situation through a natural progression. Like anything, it’s a lot of connections, being around the business or more importantly, being around artists.
GC: What did a ‘day in the life’ of Reignwolf’s Manager look like?
RC: For me, it was always pretty full-on, all the time. I would get up early on a daily basis (including weekends), and the first thing I would do was power up the computer and spend a good hour or so on email. That was always the first thing. After going through emails, I’d begin making lists of the people I needed get back to immediately, or anything else inspired from those emails. From there, I’d be on the phone following up with people and basically connecting the network of dots leading to the band’s next opportunities. After the morning madness, I would hit Vivace for a short break and an artist meeting. Then, I’d head back home to make updates to the website, and social media which was the lifeblood of the Reignwolf project. Ah, the modern music business. Besides all that stuff, I was handling all of the artwork, video production (along with Brad Strain), email list, merch, booking, gear wrangling, communication (PR), deciding on which social events to attend and basically all of the artist’s day-to-day needs, included housing and transportation. Yeah, managing is pretty much full-time.
GC: In your opinion, what should an Artist look for in a Manager and when does one need to seek Management?
RC: When an artist is considering management, it’s building a family, so there has to be a lot of mutual respect not only creatively, but also on a personal level. A band should consider who they’d like to work with based on a lot of factors. That said, it’s not rocket science. You want someone you can trust, and who you genuinely enjoy hanging out and talking with. You should take into consideration their connections, taste (that’s HUGE), patience, people skills (being a jerk in today’s climate simply doesn’t work), technical & design skills, ability to network (social media & real life), willingness to work for pennies before the fancy lattes and a slew of gut feelings. The Manager should be someone who’s street smart, but can also be at the center of building the right team (finding the right lawyer, booking agent, etc), and can handle the initial booking and all of the necessary piecing things together to get the ball rolling. Sometimes it’s a quick match, but like any relationship, it’s not easy and a lot of it has to be based on a simple organic connection that leads to a common goal. I think a band is ready for a manager when they simply can’t manage their own project, yet want to take it to the next level and can work out some sort of agreement. It can be a friend who feels inspired, but shouldn’t be the drummer or anyone else in the band.
GC: OK flip that, what does a Manager look for when considering representing an Artist and is it mandatory (if a band), that they have a band agreement in place prior to signing on with you?
RC: Assuming the Manager is of good value, they should only consider a band that is ready and willing to put their trust in them. Input from the artist is great, and it’s a relationship that requires communication, but a good Manager needs the freedom to do their job. So, trust is the most important thing to look for. From there, on a business level, the band has to be productive. If the band isn’t productive, the Manager is just going to be spinning his/her wheels. Contracts and commitments can be scary for some Artists and Managers alike, but for the most part there should be a simple agreement to protect everyone’s best interest. As for a Band Agreement or Management Agreement, that can be murky waters. I’d say follow your gut on that one, or if it’s your first time, just have a good lawyer available and enjoy the ride. Trust and loyalty will play a big role in these decisions. I always feel inspired by a band like Pearl Jam, who I’ve heard have been working with their management for the past 20+ years on a handshake deal. I’m not saying that can work for everyone, but it’s pretty dreamy from my perspective.
GC: Some publications on the industry report that it can take up to 3 years to break an Artist and 3-5 years (if you can keep a band together long enough), before you might start reaping the rewards of your efforts. What’s your take on that?
RC: I’ve heard that as well as something about a “plan”. What a challenge it all becomes when you’re thinking about time, money and rewards. It’s hard enough keeping a band together for 3 years without all of the pressures that come along with being an Artist. It’s a tough game out there and without a message and great songs, you can almost forget it. So before your “plan” can be properly executed, you need an Artist who’s ready and a team that would include a great Lawyer, an extremely well connected and tasteful Booking Agent, a Publicist who totally gets it, an organized Tour Manager and a Personal Manager who can conduct the whole symphony. There’s more to it, but in a nutshell, that’s the required personnel to at least get it going for real. The 3-year thing can sound a little freaky, but three years is actually quite a bit of time unless you’re considering the years in an Artist’s career that go unseen. A band can be together for 10 years and break in the 11th year. Macklemore is a perfect example of this. There are people who think he was an overnight success, but it would be more reasonable to say he’s a 14 year overnight success. I’m not sure how long it took them to cook up The Heist, but I’m sure there’s at least 3 years behind that record and with all the great songs and messages, it makes perfect sense that it blew up all over the world as quickly as it did. On another note, you don’t need the best songs or most profound messages to get decent gigs and tour your ass off, but being a touring musician at any capacity is a lot of work and if there’s no “real rewards”, eventually the artist will burn out. Sometimes it takes a while, but without that “break”, it can be a pretty tough ride. I hate saying stuff like that because I still think music is supposed to be about the art and the romantic struggle, however since we’re on the topic of “making it” in this business, to become a festival headliner and really making a career of it, the whole team needs to be extra creative in bringing everything to the project, including your imagination and dreams.
GC: What would you say to someone who would like to become an Artist Manager? What qualities do you think they need most to be successful?
RC: That’s a tough one. I don’t know what I’d say to them. I might ask them why they want to do it? Some people might have the wrong idea about the job, or might have the wrong part of their ego telling them being a manager is cool. Then there are the ultra-rare people like Zach Quillen who are born with the rare genius to do it. To be a successful Manager in these times, one must realize the artist’s potential and have a vision beyond that of the artist. I know that sounds bold, but it’s very important for the Manager to have a crystal-ball-like intuitiveness. If you’re really ready to manage a band, and you know of one you’re interested in, hopefully they’re totally awesome, and if everything is meant to be, you’ll have certain instincts. You’ll have a vision about the whole project, and the means to begin the journey. To see good results, you need to be organized, be able to network your ass off in a totally genuine manner, you should have pretty great taste, a healthy ego (Managers aren’t rock stars), good social skills, an undeniable love for music & the artists who make it, and be willing to accept the business part (because, it’s a business). You’ll also need to have a deep Rolodex or access to one, a knowledge of design, street smarts, a fair amount of patience, and you’re off to a pretty good start. Of course, there’s always room to learn so you don’t have to know everything. A lot of needed knowledge can be picked up socially and through meeting other people in the business, so good listening skills and paying attention & taking notes can be pretty helpful.
GC: It’s also been said that a Personal Manager is part: Friend, Confidant, Advisor, Protector, Cheerleader, Psychiatrist, Educator, Supporter, Wrangler, and wears many different hats on any given day. Is this an accurate description?
RC: That seems pretty accurate and I agree that there must be the undeniable “true” friendship, but I would also say that as a Manager, you need to set boundaries for yourself or it’ll consume you and burn you out quick. It truly is a tough balance and it either works, or it doesn’t.
GC: Describe your “worst” days as a Manager.
RC: There aren’t many but turning down coffee with Rick Rubin at the request of the Artist didn’t feel awesome and was pretty dumb. Other than that, it was all about learning and having a good time. I have definitely embraced the bad to realize the good, and looking back, even the worst days were for a greater good!
GC: Describe your “best” days as a Manager.
RC: I’ll never forget the Spinal Tap moment when I came up with the band name, Reignwolf. Take a moment and think of that word. Say it in your head and try to take it seriously. After immediately buying the domain, I laughed for 2 days and then ran it by a couple of friends before even telling Jordan. I thought he might not take it seriously, but he loved it and I actually think it fits his show perfectly. Besides that, the best days for me were the show and festival days, or the excitement of finishing a video. I was lucky enough to work with videographers Brad Strain, Geoff Gribbin, and Layne Freedle on most of the videos, and that was the key ingredient that gave us the opportunity to continue booking shows. Because of those videos (and a certain friend/mentor, Tim Bierman, over at camp Pearl Jam), I eventually got a call from Don Muller at William Morris, asking me if he could take over the booking. That might have actually been my best day! There are a lot of best days, but the real best day is when it’s all happening in real time, and your friends are all together in a packed or not so packed room. It didn’t matter if the show was sold out or not. It’s the whole trip, the risks, and all the friendships that make it all worthwhile.
GC: When all is said and done, how would you like to be remembered in Rock History?
RC: I just like to help when I can. I’d simply like to be thought of as resourceful, respectful and supportive of the arts.
Note: Currently, Reignwolf is self-managed with booking being handled by: Don Muller, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.
Next Monday’s Mystery Manager said this: “What does my day look like? Writing and responding to lots of emails. I’m trying to grow a beard but it’s just not happening”. Who is it? Check back next Monday!
Ryan, well said all the way through.