Mixtape: Celebrating 5 Years!
A big weekend for artist/event management agency Mixtape as they celebrate their fifth year anniversary this week with a 5 city showcase of Mixtape artists performing across the country, putting Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Pune on the gig map. This Saturday, June 13th will see alt rockers Sky Rabbit and ViceVersa performing live in Chennai as part of the celebrations, taking their show on the road at The Park Chennai. IndiEarth spoke more with Anu Anna George – manager of Mixtape artists Monica Dogra, Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator and Sky Rabbit – about the agency’s approach to artist management in India, the roadblocks that have been overcome along the way, and tips for fresh artists looking to break into the industry.
IndiEarth: What was the inspiration behind Mixtape when it first came alive in 2010 ? Challenges when it first started out – and how these were overcome?
I had worked with Naveen (Deshpande, Director of Mixtape) in the past – both as a colleague and as a client and all through those years the one thing that stuck out was that his vision was never blurred. He always knew what he wanted for his artists. His bands trusted him to make the right choices and were comfortable to look to him for guidance. I was fortunate enough to learn at an early stage the importance of loving your job and he seemed like the ideal person to join forces with.
I think the biggest difficulty faced would be time management since you are the one that needs to take care of the tiniest factors to driving the largest decisions and simultaneously be constructing a future plan and working towards it. At no point is there nothing to do. You need to wear the hat for so many roles that should be played by professionals but unfortunately there isn’t enough money for people who are not passionate about the music to want to dedicate their time just yet. But you can see a gradual change taking place and so it is only a matter of time as long as we are persistent with our efforts.
IndiEarth: Have you seen the role of the artist manager in the Indian music industry change/evolve – from when you first started to today ?
Initially it was all about making gigs happen. Now with the rise in the number of festivals, venues and people paying attention to independent music produced in India, the focus area has expanded. It has become important to not only play as many shows but to also package each act in the right way, perform at the right events, be associated with the appropriate brands, have a strong digital presence that portrays the bands image. The roles have increased. The number of people taking notice and getting involved has increased as well. It is important for us to collaborate with the right people.
IndiEarth: What is one of the biggest mistakes you see artists in India making today – and how do you think this can be addressed?
There are a lot of people getting carried away with the idea of being a musician. By no means is it an easy ride. There is so much that goes into making this work and there is so much that needs to be done by you even if you have management support. If you don’t talk about your work and try to push it out it is going to take that much longer to get noticed. If you think by being signed with a management agency you will make it work that is not true. A management agency can only provide you with support and some amount of guidance from an outside perspective. We too are learning every single day and the more that everyone involved tries to contribute to find a way forward, the sooner we can take that step forward. It is unfortunate that there is no real formula to make this work but at the same time it makes it so interesting.
IndiEarth: What are your top priorities when helping an artist develop and maintain their careers?
The biggest factor is knowing that the artist is in this for the right reasons and he understands that there are endless difficulties that will be faced along the way. You cannot do this like it is a job where you make your money. You need to be willing to consistently invest back into your craft. It doesn’t end with releasing a song or an album. You need to keep working at it. Be it writing new material or finding ways to get better. Most independent musicians have other jobs and work outside of their comfort zone. Unfortunately that is the current reality for those who have bills to pay. But as long as you are passionate and think you have something to offer, work hard at it and with the right support people will pay attention and your music will take you to the places you want to go and beyond.
IndiEarth: In today’s context – what is the primary medium/way you discover an artist/new talent?
Gigs and festivals largely. Music that is sent to us by the artists themselves. We just returned from IOMMA, a conference in Reunion Island where every evening they had showcase gigs. Those three days were probably the most fruitful days I’ve had in a long time. We went from stage to stage and checked out new bands from different parts of the world showcasing their music in 30 minute sets. Each day ended feeling like I had been so productive.
IndiEarth: Finally – a bit about the Chennai chapter at The Park on June 13th. Tell us something about the artists performing and what do they have in store for Chennai audiences?
We are celebrating Mixtape’s 5 year anniversary with showcase gigs in 5 different cities. The idea is to present the artists we represent. There will be no entry fee charged at any of these gigs giving people the opportunity to experience a live performance of the artists we are proud represent.
The Chennai leg will have performances by Sky Rabbit and ViceVersa. Sky Rabbit will be playing material from their previously released album and EP and will also be performing a few songs from their upcoming EP due for release in October 2015. ViceVersa will be performing ‘Get Rowdy’ a single they are about to release in the coming months.
The gig will happen at The Park Chennai from 9pm onwards. Entry free. More details on the Facebook event page here.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Leave a Reply